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Residents urge North Georgia board to pause Shine apartment proposal, cite traffic and safety risks
Summary
Residents at the June 15 meeting asked the North Georgia Village Board to delay approval of a proposed high-density apartment project (referred to in public comments as "Shine"), calling for disclosure of the traffic study, an independent pedestrian/bike safety review and a front-funded performance bond to protect infrastructure and public safety.
Hundreds of future residents anticipated in a proposed high-density apartment project prompted several North Georgia residents to ask the Village Board on June 15 to slow the project and require further safeguards.
"A local government should never trade residents trust, quality of life, physical safety, [and] its children, families for a temporary line on a municipal balance sheet," said Chuck McCormack, a Waterford Road resident, urging trustees to table zoning or voting on the proposal and to require more transparency. He said the village's 2026–27 budget shows a balanced operating position and that the development is not needed for tax relief.
McCormack questioned the methodology and transparency of a traffic study referenced by the developer, arguing it ignored pedestrian, bicycle and child crossing patterns at neighborhood choke points. "Make transparent the traffic study that was done. Require an independent third‑party pedestrian, bicycle safety, and impact assessment," he said. He also asked that the developer post a front‑funded performance bond before receiving permits.
Mark Santino, who said he has developed properties in the village, described himself as generally supportive of (responsible) development but raised specific safety concerns about a proposed full access point on Randall Road for the roughly 450‑unit proposal. "If they all go out once a day, you got 1,400 movements," he said, describing stacking conflicts with existing turning lanes and nearby commercial access at Randall Commons (Walgreens/Aldi). He urged caution about adding another full-access commercial driveway to the corridor.
Other commenters raised routine infrastructure concerns, including a resident who asked the village to grind or replace raised sidewalks and to clarify whether certain tree-root repairs fall inside the village right-of-way or the homeowners association's responsibility.
The public comments included allegations about developers' past litigation and maintenance practices; McCormack cited public records he said show prior municipal litigation and urged trustees to consider long-term maintenance liabilities. Those claims were not answered by developers at the meeting and remain unaddressed on the record.
The board did not take a formal vote on the Shine proposal during the June 15 meeting. Trustees referred some technical access questions to the committee meeting that followed and continued with the published agenda, including several approvals of separate items.
