Growler Business, Bank's Request Gets OK from City Council

The expected decision on the Crowell Brothers Funeral Home's special use permit to add a crematory was deferred by the applicant leaving the Peachtree Corners City Council with only a handful of other decisions making for a short evening.

A number of residents living near the funeral home showed up at the meeting expecting to hear the City Council's decision.

But, earlier in the day, Jeff Crowell, president of Crowell Brothers Funeral Home sent a letter to City Hall asking their request be tabled for two months.

Mr. Crowell said he hoped to continue meeting with concerned residents to distribute and discuss accurate information on the proposed crematory. "We think it will be beneficial to all involved," stated Mr. Crowell in his letter.

In other news, the mayor and council approved Chase Bank's request for four 47-foot wide drive-through lanes to be constructed in its new building. The Planning Commission had recommended approving the bank's request. The bank will be located on about one acre on the corner of Peachtree Parkway and Peachtree Corners Circle.

And council approved an ordinance to amend the city's code to authorize certain types of businesses to sell beer and/or wine, to authorize wine and beer tastings and growlers.

The mayor also brought up the need for a city judge. The city attorney Bill Riley, Dick Carouthers, attorney for a number of other cities including Berkeley Lake, and Gwinnett County's Solicitor General Rosanna Szabo will screen qualified applicants and create a short list to present to the mayor and council.

"We need a judge that is different than a traditional judge that hears mostly traffic cases," said Riley. He said about 95 percent of the cases in Peachtree Corners will focus on planning and zoning, international maintenance code, inspections and specialized building code issues.

Riley said the judge would use one of City Hall's meeting rooms to hear future cases. 

Julian Jackson provided an update on the RFP for audit services. After sending out an RFP, Jackson said the city had three proposals to consider and the city has selected Mauldin & Jenkins, headquartered in Atlanta, as the audit firm for the city. Council members Jay Lowe, Phil Sadd and Mayor Mike Mason assisted with the process.

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