Snellville staff warn of large Town Center development; ARC DRI review likely

Snellville staff told council Dec. 8 to expect a major developer application that could trigger a Development of Regional Impact (DRI) and will be routed to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) for regional review.

Staff said the DRI threshold is typically tied to unit counts for mixed‑use projects; once the city receives an application that meets the threshold, it forwards the submittal to ARC and certain regional agencies (Georgia DOT, Gwinnett County DOT, Gwinnett Water & Sewer) for an 8–16 week review. "It's called a development of regional impact," staff said, explaining ARC compiles transportation, school and environmental analyses and issues a findings report and recommended steps.

Officials told council they expect the application to include a broad area of the Snowball Oaks and Eastgate parcels and some multifamily and for‑sale residential components. Staff emphasized that ARC’s review is public and that the city will remain a participant but cannot act until ARC’s process is complete. The timeline staff gave was roughly several months from submission to the end of the ARC review and then the local planning‑commission process.

Staff pledged to circulate ARC materials to council and to hold briefings so members can become familiar with the report before local hearings. They also described connectivity goals, including a proposed greenway extension to tie the development into the town center and pedestrian/vehicular access improvements.

What happens next: staff said they will post application materials and send email notifications when the DRI is submitted, then follow with planning‑commission and council processes in subsequent months.