Buford Commission approves annexations and rezonings along Buford Highway and Thunder Road

The Buford City Commission on June 1 approved annexation and rezoning requests for parcels on Buford Highway and Thunder Road, motions that passed unanimously (Ayes 3 Nays 0). Mitch Peevy spoke on behalf of H & M Lanier Property, LLC and Gwinnett County did not object to the proposals.

Approvals for Z-26-12 (H & M Lanier Property) and two related filings for Hany Ibrahim included detailed conditions: the northeast zoning buffer adjacent to the R-100 residential district may be reduced from 75 feet undisturbed to a 10-foot disturbed replanted buffer, paired with a 6-foot wooden privacy fence and a single row of evergreen trees (specified as 10-foot height, 10-foot on-center). The Commission required a continuous evergreen hedge at a minimum 2-foot height at planting, a final landscape plan sealed by a Georgia-registered landscape architect, cut-off outdoor lighting directed toward the interior of the property, and a prohibition on outside activity and outdoor speakers. The motions specified that final building elevations, sizes, locations and architectural treatment will be reviewed and approved by the Planning Director.

The rezoning approvals carry routine municipal oversight steps: site plans must be similar to those submitted with the applications and any non-conformities shown on the site plans are not automatically approved unless specifically addressed by staff. The Commission’s votes were recorded as motions moved and seconded by commissioners in open session and passed unanimously.