Peachtree Corners Mayor Reflects Back on City's First Year

Gwinnett County's newest, and largest, city is one year old today. 

Just 12 months ago on July 1, 2012 on what was probably one of the hottest days on record, Mayor Mike Mason, Council members, Phil Sadd, Jay Lowe, Alex Wright, Jeanne Aulbach, Lorri Christopher and Weare Gratwick took to the Peachtree Corners festival stage to celebrate the beginning of cityhood.

The journey to that celebration was a long one. It began well before Gov. Nathan Deal signed the bill in May 2011 which put the referendum on the November ballot that same year giving the citizens of this south Gwinnett community the opportunity to decide on whether to become a city.

Before that fall day arrived, the notion of incorporation brought heated debates that pitted neighbor against neighbor on whether the community of some 38,000 needed to become a city. In the end, the majority of voters chose cityhood by a 57 percent margin. The last time Gwinnett welcomed a new city to the county was in 1956.

Since July 1 of last year, the City Council has created a city from scratch, hired three employees, set up a new city hall, took over two of its three services, (planning and zoning and code enforcement), began the process of drawing up a comprehensive plan and purchased a 20.6 acre tract of land. It will take over the city's third service, solid waste pickup, on Jan. 1, 2014.

By all accounts it was a banner year for the leaders of this new city. In a Q&A with Patch, Mayor Mike Mason took time to reflect back over the year and what the city has achieved in its inaugural year - and to look ahead.

Patch: What's the one aspect of the past year for which you are most proud?

Mason: I am incredibly proud of the way our City Council worked together in the best interest of the community to halt the development of garden apartments across from The Forum. It took courage to do the right thing and they all certainly stepped up. Also, I'm very proud of the fact that after only one year, we will eliminate the millage rate, lower business license fees and approve a contract that will reduce the cost of trash collection for our citizens.  

Patch: It's been a challenging year, with all the work required to set up a new city government, the added strain of purchasing the property across the street from The Forum was not something you had anticipated. Are you pleased with the outcome?

Mason: I'm very pleased. One of the core issues that motivated us to become a city was our desire to decide local zoning issues and protect our property values. Purchasing that property was a good illustration of the benefit of establishing local control. Now that property will become a downtown area for our City providing a real social, cultural, and business nexus for our community.   

Patch: How will the city's comprehensive plan play in to the design of the property across from The Forum?  

Mason: The Comp Plan process is designed to gather citizens input on what they would like the city to look like in the future.  That covers a very broad area so we made it a point to also ask what citizens would like to see across from the Forum.  That input was used in preparing the RFP that was sent out to interested developers.   

Patch: The recent announcement that the city was reducing the millage rate to zero had to be especially gratifying. Do you see the the city-light three-services concept as a model for other proposed cities in the future?

Mason: I believe so.  Although it has only been one year, we are clearly successful and on the right path.  I think we are setting an example for other communities that want cost effective and responsive local government.  

Patch: Now that the city is just six months away from taking over the final of its three services, solid waste pick up, what is the next big step for the city? 

Mason: Two things: Redevelopment and creating a sense of place.  Our community has many strengths but I believe we are at a tipping point for the future of our community.  We need to begin redevelopment of the Holcomb Bridge corridor, outer Peachtree Corners circle, and Tech Park.  Creating a sense of place means identifying and developing those things that are uniquely Peachtree Corners.  A good example will be what we hope to achieve with the town center across from the Forum as well as other initiatives to define and promote the special aspects of our City.    

Editor's note: On its one year anniversary, the city has also launched a newly designed website that's been revamped for easier use.