Update on Simpsonwood Retreat & Conference Property Sale

The good news is that Peachtree Corners residents won't have to worry about bulldozers showing up at the 227-acre Simpsonwood Retreat & Conference Center property anytime soon.

Earlier this month a Gwinnett County judge ruled that the restrictive covenants that governed how the pristine land that fronts the Chattahoochee River could be used has expired giving the Simpsonwood Board of Trustees and the Conference Board of Trustees the option to sell the land Miss Ludie Simpson gave to the church in the 1970s.

But the sale is not transpiring anytime soon.

"This is a very long process, a very slow process," said Sybil Davidson, Director of Communications for the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church.

Davidson explained that the broker, who has been retained by the 14-member Board of Truestees, will spend the next eight months gathering information including determining the value of the property and any potential buyers to present to the trustees.

"Then in June 2014 at the North Georgia Conference that information will be presented to the 2,000 members," explained Davidson.

And even then that does not necessarily mean a decision will be made, she added.  "There are a lot of voices at the table when it comes to the conference," said Davidson. 

And for Peachtree Corners city leaders there are more questions than answers.

"You can be sure we will investigate throughly to see what our options are," said Diana Wheeler, the city's Community Development Director.  

Wheeler said the property is currently zoned for agriculture or residential and requires a minimum lot size of 40,000 square feet, which is just under an acre. 

Read more:

Simpsonwood Retreat Property Up for Sale