PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Permits/Inspections. Four (4) single-family detached homes were permitted in the month of July, averaging 2,786 square feet. Six (6) new townhomes were permitted, averaging 2,509 square feet. A full commercial permit was issued for Brogdon Distribution at 783 Brogdon Road. Work has already commenced on the 117,000 square foot foundation.
PARKS AND RECREATION
Parks. Weekly maintenance occurred throughout all park facilities. At Gary Pirkle Park, All-In Futbol Club (AIFC) and i9 Sports are wrapping up their summer seasons with AIFC holding several camps and academy try-outs. Georgia Force Football program began training for their upcoming season.
Downtown and City Hall. Weekly cleaning and maintenance were performed throughout the downtown area and on the grounds of City Hall. The water features were cleaned, and The Bowl was cleaned in preparation of the upcoming concerts.
E Center. Gym memberships have reached 13,908 and thorough cleaning practices continue throughout the facility. Private rentals for the Waterfall Room and the Promenade continue to be in high demand.
Golf. July was another successful month at the course with solid trends in numbers of rounds, pro shop and grill sales as well as total revenue. The new maintenance mechanic and operator started in July and has already increased efficiency within the department by performing equipment repairs internally, keeping our equipment up and running. The Sugar Hill Golf Association’s (SHGA) 2-player Blind Draw Tournament will be held on the 21st of the month and will serve as a fun team competition. For more information, on becoming a SHGA member or course information, contact one of the friendly staff members at the Golf Course by calling 770-271-0519.
COMMUNITY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Events. The Players Guild presented Desamor July 9th through the 18th. The show was a cabaret that took viewers on a journey of heartbreak and resilience. The next show, Sunshine Boys, will be presented August 13th – 22nd. A private company rented The Bowl for August 14th to hold a Journey Tribute concert. The following week, Sugar Hill will feature Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Tank and the Bangas in The Bowl on August 21st as a part of the Sugar Hill Live On Stage concert series. The $2 movie featured in The Eagle on August 10th is 42. The free movie in The Bowl on August 13th is Shark Tale and Splash Night will be held on the Plaza on the 27th of the month.
Economic Development. We are hiring a new Downtown Coordinator to manage our Suite Spot, business relations, the Main Street program and many other important tasks. Please contact Megan Carnell mcarnell@cityofsugarhill.com if you or someone you know is interested.
Communications. Check out the city’s new blog post on the website https://cityofsugarhill.com/category/community to read about the Players Guild, the current Lake Lanier Historic Preservation Exhibit and other happenings in Sugar Hill. The city has several websites, social media pages, e-newsletter lists, and email lists residents can subscribe to. We encourage residents to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our e-blasts and pick up your local paper to see what is happening in Sugar Hill.
PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
Gas Department. We are just over 55% with our AMR upgrades with staff devoted to responding to other series of construction-related demands. Our utility locating staff completed services on 548 sites and worked with our construction contractors on various sites around the city to protect our underground utilities. Staff has been working through regulatory compliance tasks, new service installations, and 70 other service requests to round out the workload last month.
Street & Stormwater Department. Yard debris operations delivered 5 loads of mulch and had 122 truckloads of bagged clippings collected. This resulted in nineteen (19) loads of debris to the disposal site. Open-top dumpster rentals for the month topped out at four (4), down from the month prior. The stormwater department responded to four (4) requests for rock to ensure stormwater stabilization.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
Sugar Hill (Main) Greenway Trail. TriScapes Construction (TSI) is substantially complete with the trail segment from downtown through EE Robinson Park (North). Handrails and minor drainage work remain in these areas to close them out. This nearly 2 miles of trail is a key segment that will connect the downtown with two key parks on Peachtree Industrial with more to come. Next on the work program is completing the bridges and boardwalk in the natural areas between PIB and Whitehead across the former GDOT right-of-way. The links from PIB to Level Creek Road to Whitehead are key to the trail’s loop concept as a transportation alternative as well as encouraging exercise and recreation.
This first phase of the greenway trail includes 4 and a half miles of trail construction, beginning at the intersection of Level Creek Road and Church Street and extending both along roadways and through natural areas to Whitehead Road, temporarily ending at a trailhead parking lot at the Bethany UMC Church located at 144 Whitehead Road near the new bridge. It will also help open up access to the city’s newest park, Goldmine Park, which also serves to highlight a historic element in Sugar Hill past and its connection to gold mining.
Roadway Resurfacing & Repairs 2020/2021. Construction is at the 80-percent point with all but the Frontier Forest subdivision roads complete. Work on the following highlighted roads/areas above has been completed. The Gwinnett County Water Department is still finishing up work in the Frontier Forest neighborhood and will be releasing the six streets on our list for resurfacing later in August.
[columns] [column size=”1/3″]Princeton Oaks DriveMegan Court
Hunters Oak Trail
Bankside Court
Amberside Court
Amberside Lane
Riverside Walk Drive
River Ridge Lane
Appling Road[/column] [column size=”1/3″]Frontier Drive
Forest Green Way
White Oak Drive
Frontier Way
Frontier Trail
Davis Street
Mountain Ridge Way
Spring Willow Drive
Grand Loop Road[/column] [column size=”1/3″]Eagles Rest Trail
Summer Breeze Lane
Long Needle Court
Laurel Green Drive
Sagamore Cove
Canyon Drive
Deer Crossing Drive
Golf Driveway
GPP Parking Lot[/column] [/columns]
Gold Mine Park. The notice to proceed has been issued and work is set to begin in August. TriScapes was selected as the city’s contractor for this new project. The proposed park, which includes 50 parking spaces, a restroom building and mine entrance overlook, serves as a trailhead on the city’s greenway and offers a chance for guests to learn more about the city’s gold mining history.
22 Acre Park on Highway 20. This project is finishing up scoping and design of pond, parking, and pavilion improvements.
Whitehead & Sycamore Sidewalk Improvements. The design phase is wrapping up on this SPLOST-funded project to upgrade older sections of sidewalks, design future LCI-level improvements, and fill-in a short gap near EM Croy on Sycamore.
Bowl Pond Flood Control Project. Proposals for completion of flood control improvements associated with The Bowl amenity pond are in review. A recommendation is anticipated for the September meeting.
E Center Event & Conference Room. Proposals for construction of improvements associated about 2,000 square feet of event and conference room space are in review. A recommendation is anticipated for the September meeting.
Highway 20 East Greenway. Gwinnett County has recently approved the Intergovernmental Agreement with the city for this important part of the city’s greenway system and will be taking the lead on coordination with Georgia Department of Transportation on its implementation.
City Hall Maintenance. Several maintenance projects will be the focus of closing out 2021 with attention on the parking deck coating and resurfacing as well as some interior systems as the building approaches its tenth anniversary.
