Latest News

Highway 78 and 124 Intersection Project

What is a Displaced Left Turn?

SNELLVILLE – Construction on the Displaced Left-Turn project at the intersection of highways 78 and 124 is not expected to start until after Labor Day, construction officials said Tuesday.

City officials attended a Georgia Department of Transportation pre-construction meeting. Based on that meeting City officials are able to share the following information and schedule:

• The proposed construction start date is not set, though construction is expected to begin sometime after Labor Day.
• Work on the utilities has already begun along with site preparation not affecting traffic lanes.
• The contractor will concentrate on Henry Clower Boulevard in the fall, but did not share a startup date at the meeting. Henry Clower Boulevard will serve as a convenient bypass when intersection construction actually begins.
• The 78/124 intersection road work will not be fully started until good construction weather is available in 2018 - likely in the spring.

In July 2017, the Georgia Department of Transportation selected Pittman Construction Co. for the intersection improvements.

The project is anticipated to take 18 to 24 months for completion.

SNELLVILLE – There are still slots available for those wanting to take part in the 24th session of the Snellville Police Department's Citizens' Police Academy.

The popular class is offered to strengthen the bond of friendship and cooperation between citizens and the police department.

The 12-week class begins Aug. 31 and ends Nov. 16.

This class will also help citizens gain a better understanding of the risks and responsibilities of officers. Some of the classes included in this training will be on domestic violence, traffic stops, building searches, a tour of the jail and narcotics identification. This program also includes a ride along program with a Snellville police officer.

CPA instructors are Snellville police officers, each teaching a specific topic. Several of the instructors are Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council certified police instructors.

Anyone who is over the age of 18 can enroll. You do not have to be a Snellville resident to participate. Space is limited - approximately 20 students are accepted for each academy.

Applications must be returned no later than 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 25. The first class is from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 31 at Snellville Police Department Headquarters, 2315 Wisteria Drive.

An application for the CPA is available at http://www.snellville.org/citizens-police-academy or at the Police Station. The application must be filled out completely, must include an email address and must be notarized.

You will be notified via e-mail or phone call as to the status of your application.

If you have any questions contact Lt. R. Pendleton at 770-985-3573 or rpendleton@snellville.org.

Upcoming Parks and Recreation Events

Upcoming Senior Center Events

SNELLVILLE – The City has received a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States for its comprehensive annual financial report.

The city's finances are headed up by Controller Jan Burke.

"This recognition sets us apart from most cities and gives our citizens a greater sense of security and understanding when it comes to the financial affairs of the City," said City Manager Butch Sanders. "Jan Burke deserves all the credit for this achievement. Great job!"

The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

The City has applied for this award in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016 and received it each time under Burke's leadership.

"I am proud to have helped the City receive this award and am committed to continuing our tradition of excellence of accurately and responsibly reporting Snellville's finances," Burke said.

The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.

SNELLVILLE – Mayor and Council updated an ordinance that will make the penalty for unwarranted tree removal by commercial property owners tougher on the purse strings Monday.

The fine for cutting down trees without permission once carried a minimum penalty of $356 per tree per day. Under the new measure, violators would pay $995 per tree per day. Also under the new ordinance is the provision that removal of any tree without approval from the city's Planning Director is prohibited.

However, if the ordinance is to be successful, residents must notify the city if they see suspicious tree cutting at a local business, Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Bender said.

"It's back ended," Bender said of the ordinance update. "It penalizes (businesses) after the action occurs. We won't know that until the instance has occurred. We need your help."

The move was made after several local businesses cut down trees without permission recently and it was determined if financial penalties were higher, the business would be less apt to cut trees down.

"In spite of Snellville's long-standing ordinances prohibiting the arbitrary removal of trees, we have recently had some violations of those ordinances," Councilman Dave Emanuel said after the ordinance update was proposed earlier this year. "While some violators plead ignorance, I believe they were in fact subscribing to the philosophy that it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. It may be easier, but it will become a lot more expensive. We will also be updating all business property owners of our revised tree removal requirements and fine amount. Our intent is not to raise revenue, but to preserve our trees."

If you think a commercial business is cutting down a tree without permission, call the Snellville Planning Department at 770-985-3513.

SNELLVILLE – City and project officials were joined by residents from the neighborhoods surrounding the new Oak Road Park for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday.

The property spreads over 4.67 acres. It has a heavily wooded area on back side of the property with an active stream along the rear property line.

Due to grant limitations, the space was only to be developed as a passive park which by definition means no organized activities, limited lighting, no paved parking and the property must stay as natural as possible.

The land for Oak Road Park was purchased in May of 2003 with Governor's Greenspace Funds, a program created by former Gov. Roy Barnes through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Cities and counties were allowed to apply for funding to preserve green space. Snellville Parks and Recreation applied for funds and was approved. Monies were received to purchase property with the intent of developing a passive neighborhood park.

The park was built in two phases:

Phase I - December 2013 - removed trees in preparing for open space at front of property and began process of spraying to remove non-native plant species. It took more than a year-and-a-half to get vegetation under control.

Phase II - August 2016 - revised design plans were accepted from Goodwin/Mills/Cawood. November 2016 - construction bid awarded to Zaveri Enterprises, Inc and work began in February of 2017.

City officials would like to thank the following for their help in opening the park:

Oak Road Park Neighbors

City of Snellville Mayor/Council

Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners

Snellville Parks & Recreation Advisory Board

Snellville Planning Department

Zaveri Enterprises, Inc.

Goodwyn/Mills/Cawood

PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF CHANGE OF POLLING PLACE
CITY OF SNELLVILLE, GEORGIA
The Mayor and the Council of the City of Snellville, Georgia, the Governing Authority of the
City of Snellville, Georgia, hereby give notice of the following change to the November 7, 2017,
Election Day polling place:
Current Polling Location New Polling Location
Snellville City Hall Snellville Senior Center
2342 Oak Road 2350 Oak Road
Snellville, Georgia 30078 Snellville, Georgia 30078

Melisa Arnold
City Clerk
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

NOTA INFORMATIVA
NOTIFICACION DE CAMBIO DE LUGAR DE VOTACION
CIUDAD DE SNELLVILLE, GEORGIA

El Alcalde y el Concejo de la Ciudad de Snellville, Georgia, la Autoridad Gobernante de la Ciudad de
Snellville, Georgia ponen en conocimiento el siguiente cambio al lugar de votacion para el dia de
eleccion el 7 de Noviembre, 2017.

Lugar de Votacion Actual
Snellville City Hall
2342 Oak Road
Snellville, Georgia 30078

Nuevo Lugar de Votacion
Snellville Senior Center
2350 Oak Road
Snellville, Georgia 30078

Melisa Arnold
Secretario Municipal de la
Ciudad

PUBLIC NOTICE
QUALIFYING PERIOD FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTION
CITY OF SNELLVILLE, GEORGIA

Notice is hereby given that the City of Snellville will hold a General Election on Tuesday, November 7,
2017 for the purpose of electing three (3) members of Council. The Council posts to be voted on are
Post 3, Post 4, and Post 5.

The qualifying period for candidates opens Monday, August 21, 2017 at 8:30 a.m. and closes on
Wednesday, August 23, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. The hours of qualifying each day shall be from 8:30 a.m. until
4:30 p.m. with one hour allowed for the lunch break. Any person desiring to run for office shall qualify
in the office of the City Clerk by filing a Notice of Candidacy. The qualifying fee for fee for a council post
is $120.00 (one hundred twenty dollars.)

The voter registration deadline is October 10, 2017 for persons to be eligible to vote in the Municipal
General Election and, if necessary, Runoff.

This election will be held in the Snellville Senior Center, located at 2350 Oak Road, Snellville, Georgia.
The polls will open for the November 7, 2017 General Election at 7:00 a.m. and will close at 7:00 p.m. If
no candidate receives a majority vote, then a runoff election will be held on Tuesday, December 5, 2017
at the same location.

Filed this 19th day of July, 2017
Melisa Arnold
City Clerk

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NOTA INFORMATIVA
PERIODO DE CALIFICACION PARA ELECCION MUNICIPAL
CIUDAD DE SNELLVILLE, GEORGIA

Se pone en conocimiento del publico que la Ciudad de Snellville llevara a cabo una Eleccion General el
Martes, 7 de Noviembre 2017 para el proposito de elegir tres (3) miembros de Concejo municipal. Los
puestos del Concejo municipal que seran votados son Puesto 3, Puesto 4, y Puesto 5.

El periodo de calificacion abre el Lunes, 21 de Agosto 2017 a las 8:30 a.m. y sierra el Miercoles, 23 de
Agosto 2017 a las 4:30 p. m. Las horas de calificacion seran cada dia de las 8:30 a.m. hasta las 4:30 p.m.
con una hora permitida para el almuerzo. Cualquier persona que desea presentarse como candidato
debe calificar en la oficina del Secretario Municipal de la Ciudad con un Anuncio de la Candidatura. La
tarifa para calificar para el puesto de Concejo municipal es $120.00 (ciento veinte dolares).

La fecha tope para inscripcion de votantes es el 10 de Octubre 2017 para toda las personas elegibles
para votar en la Eleccion Municipal General y, si es necesario, la segunda vuelta.

Esta eleccion se celebrara en el Centro de Ancianos de Snellville, localizado en el 2350 Oak Road,
Snellville, Georgia. Las urnas abren el 7 de Noviembre 2017 Eleccion General a las 7:00 a.m. y sierran a
las 7:00 p.m. Si ningun candidato recibe el voto mayoritario una segunda vuelta se tomara acabo el
Martes, 5 de Diciembre 2017 en el mismo lugar.

Presentado el 19 día de Julio, 2017
Melisa Arnold
Secretario Municipal de la Ciudad

SNELLVILLE – A 24.73-acre senior housing development on Highway 78 has been approved by Mayor and Council.

The project by Ridgecliff LLC, calls for a mixed-use senior citizen development including retail and restaurant space, medical buildings, 225 Independent Living units, 55 Assisted Living units, 24 memory Care units and 85 single-family townhomes for those 55 and older.

The project, located at 1672 Athens Highway at Crestview Drive, will be one of the few in the region which combines senior housing options with retail and restaurant space and fills a void for senior housing options in the city, officials said.

"This is a win for the City of Snellville," Planning and Development Director Jason Thompson said. "There are few, if any, senior housing options in the area that offer doctor's offices, retail and restaurant space on a campus for seniors which offers varied levels of care and living choices. We have identified a need for senior housing and this will do just that."

Dubbed The Villas @Crestview, the campus will include two parks, a community center and recreation space.

Construction is expected to take place soon and is expected to be completed within two years, city officials said.