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Telephone: 678-691-1200
147 Technology Pkwy, Suite 200, 
Peachtree Corners, GA 30092
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City Calendar

- Feb 10 - No Planning Commission Meeting scheduled for February.

- Feb 16 - City Hall Closed for Presidents Day

- Feb. 17 - City Council Meeting, 7 p.m.

- Feb. 24 - Winters Chapel Road Corridor Study Meeting, 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. to be held at Winters Chapel UMC
Who Do You Call?

Want to know who to contact to report a street light that's out, about your water bill, trash in the right of way, a stray animal or barking dog? 

The contact information to report these issues - and lots more - are listed on the city's website under the "Residents" tab - just click on "Who Do I Call" in the pull down menu.


 Mayor Swears In New Code Enforcement Officer

On January 21, Mayor Mike Mason had the pleasure of swearing in a new code enforcement officer for the city.

Officer Hercilia Morrow will serve as one of two code enforcement officers for the city. She fills a position that was vacated last fall. Officer Morrow has worked in code enforcement for a decade and is also a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Navy. 

Contact her via email at hmorrow@peachtreecornersga.gov or by phone 678-691-1209.

 
City Welcomes New

Capital Improvement Project Manager

 

Melissa Schwartz has joined the city's Public Works Department as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Manager. 


 She will provide project management for City capital projects, implement locally-funded projects, respond to client and citizen requests, and oversee contracts for services and construction. 


 The CIP program includes transportation improvements such as intersection upgrades, road widening, traffic signal changes and other related items.  


 Melissa plays a key role in starting up the city's new Public Works department. She will focus on capital projects, including identification and delineation, scope, design management, and construction oversight; transportation review of development plans; handling right-of-way permitting; minor traffic studies; attending county, regional, and state transportation planning meetings; and other duties.  


 She joined Peachtree Corners in December 2014 from the City of Duluth, where she was most recently the City Engineer.  She is a native of Western New York and graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a BS in Civil Engineering.  Melissa moved to Atlanta in 2000, and lives in Johns Creek with her husband and their two dogs. 

 

 
Optional Link

Keep the Environment Free of Recycling Litter on Windy Days


 

A windy day can create litter. And on Mondays when the recycling bins are lining the curbs, paper and other recycling materials can blow all over Peachtree Corners neighborhoods.


On those blustery days Peachtree Corners receives calls from residents complaining about recycled material blowing down their streets.


But there are simple remedies for keeping those resources in the bin:

 

Weigh it down

Put glass bottles, jars and other heavy recyclables on top of your paper and cardboard; bury the plastic containers and other light-weight items at the bottom of the bin.


Wait to put it out

If you put your bin out the morning of your pick up, rather than the night before, you reduce the risk that your recyclables will blow away during a blustery night, or be scattered around by curious nocturnal critters.


Don't cover it up

We do not recommend that you cover your bin for curbside pick up. It makes it more difficult for your hauler to collect the recycling, and the covers themselves often wind up blowing away.


Do you have a tip for keeping recyclables from blowing in the wind? Email your suggestions to info@peachtreecornersga.gov

 

Is That Sign Legal?

The city's code regulations specify which signs are legal and which are not. Below is a list of prohibited signs.


 Types of prohibited signs include roof signs, streamers, portable, trailer, sidewalk, sandwich, sure or A-frame signs, multi-faced signs,

animated signs (motion, flashing, blinking, rotating, varying light intensity), and weekend directional signs. 


 Also, signs that contain obscenities simulate or hide a traffic control device, emit noise, interfere with road visibility, obstruct the flow of traffic, or access to fire escapes are not allowed. 


 Signs that do not conform to building and electrical codes or that fail to display a permit number when required are prohibited.

 

Reference: 

Prohibited Signs

*SO Section 86-108 91-14)+

 

For any questions involving prohibited signs, please contact the code enforcement division at 678-691-1200.

 

City Adds 34 New Businesses in January

City Hall processed new business tax certificates for a variety of businesses last month including a supermarket, landscape service and residential re-modeler. 

For a complete list of the 34 businesses along with their contact information, please click here. 

Reducing Crime in Peachtree Corners

 

Five Apartment Complexes Join Crime-Free Program

 

The city joined forces with Gwinnett County Police Department in promoting a program aimed at reducing crime in multi-family housing units.

 

Five Peachtree Corners apartment communities signed up for the extensive program which works through the cooperative effort of apartment managers, residents and police. They include:

 

Barrington Hills

Concept 21, The Corners

Hunters Ridge

Medlock Woods

Park at Peachtree Corners

Park Trace

Reserve at Peachtree Corners

Valencia Park

 

 The program is spear-headed by GCPD Officer David Martinez.

 

For more information about the program contact Officer Martinz:

david.martinez@gwinnettcounty.com or by phone; 770-560-7454.
Use City's 'Fix It' App to Report an Issue

See a pothole that needs fixing, high grass or weeds that need mowing or a broken street light - now you can report these issues and more right from your smart phone.

Use the city's "Fix It" app to upload a photo or video and location of the problem. 

The free app may be downloaded to your iPhone, Android, Blackberry or Windows smartphone. Search for "Peachtree Corners" in the app store.

Don't have a smartphone? You can report problems using your computer through the "Fix It" link on the city's website.
How to Pay Your Garbage Bill

 

Payment for solid waste service was due Dec. 15, 2014.

 

Unpaid bills are now past due. If you are a homeowner and have yet to pay for the service, you may still submit your payment by mail to City Hall, by dropping your payment off at City Hall or by using the city's online payment portal.

 

 

Peachtree Corners City Hall is located at 147 Technology Parkway, Suite 200, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092.

 

For questions contact Jennifer Davis at 770-609-8816 or by email at jdavis@peachtreecornersga.gov

 
What Is Your Mailing Address?


 The U.S. Post Office announced last summer that it now officially recognizes Peachtree Corners as a City.

 
What does that mean for residents and businesses in Peachtree Corners? It means if your ZIP code is 30092, 30096, 30097 or 30071 and your home or business is within the city limits, Peachtree Corners should now be part of your address.

However, Peachtree Corners residents and businesses with a 30360 ZIP code will have to wait a bit longer due to limitations by the USPS

 

Peachtree Corners soon will be celebrating its third anniversary in July. Join the city in its "Proud to Be Peachtree Corners" campaign by using Peachtree Corners in your mailing address.
Inside Peachtree Corners
City of Peachtree Corners
News from Around the Corners
February, 2015
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Thanks for reading "Inside Peachtree Corners," the city's monthly e-newsletter. Please share this issue with any of your neighbors who may not have subscribed.

 

 


 And if you have not yet "liked" the city's Facebook page or followed us on Twitter, please click on the icons on the left. You'll find other bits of news and items of interest posted on these two social media sites.

 
From the Mayor's Desk
Mayor Mike Mason
Peachtree Corners Continues to Grow

 

This month I'd like to take a look back at 2014 which turned out to be a busy year for our city. 

 

We began the year with news that an international shipping company had chosen Peachtree Corners to re-locate its North American headquarters investing multi-millions of dollars and bringing 160 jobs to the city. And then two more international companies announced their plans to move into the city investing a combined $8 million and adding 200+ new jobs to our city.

 

We also gained 365 new businesses and processed 2,490 business license renewals, highlighting that business really is booming in Peachtree Corners. City Hall processed 690 commercial construction permits including five new commercial buildings and 420 interior remodels. And residential construction is on the upswing; 76 new home permits were processed and in 2015 two new residential neighborhoods will be under construction.
 

One of the most exciting projects is the city's new town center. Many of you have already seen the plans which include restaurants, retail shops, town homes, a cin�bistro and a two-acre town green which will serve as a community gathering place.

 

Plans for the city's new town center include retail shops, restaurants, town homes and a two-acre town green.

.

Last fall the city's public works department was established to manage and maintain our city streets. The public works department maintains 122 miles of roads and is responsible for repairing sidewalks, resurfacing roads, cleaning bridges, removing and mowing high weeds and grass and trimming and removing trees. The new department has already made substantial improvements along the city's roadways.

 

The city has also launched studies for the Holcomb Bridge and Winters Chapel road corridors to find ways to improve pedestrian safety and enhance these two important arteries. City planners are also working on creating a downtown district and adding more pedestrian-friendly features to connect the area.

 

We've got a lot to look forward to in 2015 - and the years ahead. Watch for more news as we move forward with these projects.


 


City Hosting Winters Chapel Road Corridor Community Meeting

Interactive workshop scheduled for
Tuesday, February 24

Improving the safety and enhancing the appearance of Winters Chapel Road will be the focus of an upcoming workshop and the city wants your input.

Residents and business owners and operators will have the chance to view current concept plans and provide their input on the plans to improve this busy two-lane road.

The interactive meeting will be held at Winters Chapel United Methodist Church, 5105 Winters Chapel Road, Peachtree Corners, GA 30360 from 7 - 9 p.m.

Refreshments will be provided. For questions contact Community Development Director Diana Wheeler at dwheeler@peachtreecornersga.gov



 


 



 


 Who is Responsible for 

Scheduling Permits?


 I have discussed in recent editions of our monthly e-newsletters those residential items that typically require a permit. The two most common permits issued by any building department are: a water heater change out; or a furnace / air conditioner replacement.

 

The majority of these types of permits that the Peachtree Corners Building Division has issued is to contractors, with few homeowners wishing to take on this work for themselves.

 

The process typically starts with your visit to the neighborhood big box home improvement store to purchase a water heater or furnace. Most of the stores have a list of pre-qualified contractors that offer a fixed installation rate.

 

The next step is applying for a permit. If the water heater or furnace is being replaced because of an emergency, the codes allow for the installation to occur with the permit being applied for on the next business day. If it is not an emergency, the Peachtree Corners Building Division issues these permits over the counter. This means that your contractor can walk in off the street and immediate walk back out with a permit in hand. The permit process takes less than 30 minutes, and rarely is there anyone waiting in line.

 

The next step once the water heater or furnace is installed is to schedule the required inspection. Per the administrative sections of the adopted codes and the city municipal code, the person applying for the permit and performing the work is responsible for scheduling the necessary inspection. This involves the contractor coordinating our visit to your home with you. We cannot access your dwelling without an adult being present.

 

The inspection typically takes anywhere from five to 30 minutes for furnaces installed in an attic or underfloor space.

 

However, we have seen a growing trend where the contractors are placing the burden on the homeowner to schedule the inspection after they have completed the installation. The inspection is not only necessary to verify compliance with the codes, but in most cases is needed by your homeowner's insurance.

 

As previously mentioned, this is not the homeowner's responsibility. Staff have spoken to countless homeowners attempting to schedule these inspections and empathizes with how frustrated the homeowners are with the process. 

 

To rectify this we have started asking the contractors installing water heaters and furnaces to first coordinate the inspection with you, the homeowner, and then secondly to contact the building inspector with the time of the inspection. Our policy has always been to make every attempt to not inconvenience our homeowners in Peachtree Corners and we can typically adjust inspection schedules to meet the time agreed upon between you and your contractor. 


I know how terrible it is to be a prisoner in your own home while waiting for cable, satellite or some other service provider to show up when they have provided you with a 9-hour window of time (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) for their employee to arrive. We can do better for our citizens in Peachtree Corners.

 

So moving forward, if asked by your contractor to schedule the inspection for a permit that we issued to them, please feel free to decline and ask them to call us at the Peachtree Corners Building Division at (678) 691-1200.  


 

Don Wilkins, Peachtree Corners Building Official

dwilkins@peachtreecornersga.gov
 Erosion Repair Work on Chattahoochee River Tributary Has Begun  

Work is under way on addressing erosion problems and improving aquatic habitat on Bush Creek, a direct tributary to the Chattahoochee River.  


 This project, located in Gran River and River Place subdivisions, will reconfigure and stabilize approximately

An example of stream conditions before restoration.

3,500 linear feet of stream along two tributaries.The project is being implemented by Gwinnett County's Department of Water Resources in coordination with the City of Peachtree Corners.

 

Over the next seven (7) months, the project will move through the construction process including: clearing the site, grading the channel, installing in-stream rock and log habitat structures, stabilizing the site with erosion control matting, and vegetating the area with native trees, shrubs, and grasses.  

An example of stream conditions after restoration.

The project is part of Gwinnett County's ongoing Watershed Improvement Program, which began in 2001, and has the purpose of reducing pollutants and total suspended solids in streams and restoring aquatic and riparian habitat.

 

For questions please contact Public Works Director Greg Ramsey via email at gramsey@peachtreecornersga.gov or by phone, 470-395-7021.

 
Wayne Wright, with CH2M HILL, (second from right) presents a check for $4,000 to Principal Kara Dutton. Joining in on the celebration are (left to right) Alan Kaplan, Debbie Mason, Mayor Mike Mason and 4th grade teacher Frank Yelinek, Jr.
Peachtree Corners School 
Receives $4,000 to Refurbish Its 
Outdoor Classroom

Wednesday, Jan. 28 turned out to be a banner day for Peachtree Elementary School. 

The Gwinnett County public school was awarded a gift of $4,000 from CH2M HILL to rebuild and improve its outdoor classroom. 

It was a windfall that Principal Kara Dutton was not expecting. "We were hoping for maybe $500," said Dutton who has been the school's principal for just a little over a year. 

The funds will be used to restore the school's outdoor classroom which is located in a wooded area behind the school's playground. Over the years the area had fallen into disrepair and the money will be used to replace steps and railings, rebuild learning spaces and to construct a work area for students and teachers. 

"This is right up our alley," said CH2M HILL's Wayne Wright, who presented the check Wednesday morning. "But we want to do more than just provide cash, our staff wants to help make the project a reality." The City of Peachtree Corners contracts with CH2M HILL to provide a number of the city's staff and services such as code enforcement, licensing, zoning and public works. 

Connecting Peachtree Elementary and CH2M HILL came about from a chance meeting at Peachtree Corners City Hall between Debbie Mason who sits on the Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful board and Alan Kaplan, one of the city's Planning Commission members and who is also on the school's council. 

"We're delighted that CH2M HILL was able to provide this grant," said Mayor Mike Mason. "We want to be involved in the project as much as we can." 

It was Peachtree Elementary School's 4th grade science teacher Frank Yelinek, Jr. who began the movement to have the outdoor classroom restored. He envisioned using the space as a learning tool to inspire budding science and engineering students. 

"Outdoor classrooms have always intrigued me since I started teaching 15 years ago," said Yelinek who has a background in science, drafting and carpentry. Yelinek has also proposed using the school's courtyard area nearby to build a weather station, simple machines for hands on learning and other features including a sundial -- all to be used as learning opportunities.



"Imagine in the near future, an engineer or scientist being interviewed," said Yelinek, "and they might say it all started at Peachtree Elementary." 

To show appreciation for its generous gift, the school has named the new outdoor teaching area after the company.
Eight local organizations banded together to help families in need  by collecting toys and books to give to over 500 children.
 
Community Volunteers Help Families in Need

It began with just an idea - a notion that they could make a difference in the lives of children that had so little.

 

That notion began to snowball and soon there were people from neighboring churches, apartment complexes, schools and other organizations who decided to band together to brighten the holidays for over 500 children in the Peachtree Corners community.

 

Over 30 volunteers signed up and showed up at the Winters Chapel United Methodist Church to help pass out the donated toys and books. Gifts for children ages 1-18 were distributed by a group of eight organizations that collaborated to help make the effort successful.

 

"The purpose was for multiple organizations in the community to work together for a common goal of helping families in need," said Phil Sadd, a Peachtree Corners councilmember who lives in the community.

 

The holidays are long over, but the memories for the children who received their gifts - and for the volunteers who took an idea and grew it into reality, will linger for a long time.  Helen Keller, an inspiring figure may have summed it up best when she said: "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."

 

The following organizations participated in the community event:

  • Winters Chapel United Methodist Church
  • Life Center Church
  • Salvation and Deliverance Church
  • Bridging the Gap Ministry
  • Peachtree Elementary School
  • Ashford Lake Apartments
  • Barrington Hills Apartments
  • Georgia Employee Association
Have a question or comment about the newsletter?

Please contact Judy Putnam, Communications Director at jputnam@peachtreecornersga.gov or by phone at 770-609-8821.

� 2014 City of Peachtree Corners, GA. All Rights Reserved.