Barkley Square Homeowners’ AssociationSpecial Meeting 9 Dec 2001

Purpose - discuss the options for dealing with the Special Use Permit– Do Nothing, try to get Gwinnett County to reject SUP

– Annex into Duluth

– Purchase Property• alone

• with Norman Downs

Do Nothing Option

• Impact on our neighborhood?– Property values– Traffic– Future Development

• County not likely to reject SUP– political reasons– Atlanta Journal front page article

St. Mary of Egypt - Russian Orthodox ChurchSpecial Use Permit

 

 

Joe Lee

Barkley Square

Bunten Road Park

Norman DownsProperty in Question

Growth Patterns

• The Russian Orthodox Church draws from a very select group.

•  Growth is not expected as seen in other churches.

•  They don’t expand their facilities for growth– they branch off and open another Church.

Barkley SquareB

arkley Square

Barkley Square

Barkley SquareBunten Road Park

Special Use Permit

• R100 includes churches - no zoning change

• SUP only needed due to frontage requirements

• County possibly to condemn portion of BS homeowners’ property to connect to sewer.

Traffic and Attendance

• Approximately 120 people “on a good Sunday” –  This requires about 40 vehicles

•  Wednesday and Friday Services – small gatherings–  These only require about 5-6 Vehicles

•  The only gatherings larger than Sunday Service are “special occasions”

Plans for the Property• The garage will serve their needs for some time.

•  They are planning to build a Church in the Russian Orthodox style, with 4-5 “onion domes”, as seen in Russian architecture.

•   They do not build basketball courts, ball fields, or recreational facilities.

•  There will be 50ft buffers required around the whole property, except on Bunten Road, these will be reduced buffers for tree planting.

•  The SUP is required because the property only has 165 ft of frontage instead of the 250ft normally required for a church in Gwinnett County.

Existing Russian Orthodox Churches

Duluth Annexation Option

• Conservative development policies

• City Services– accessible staff and officials– pay-as-you-go garbage collection– free recycling– maintenance and electricity for street lights– road maintenance and improvement– effective police services

Bob Peterson

Property InformationProperty Value 350,000Assessed Value (40%) 140,000City Homestead Exemption 2,000

Estimated City TaxesCity Property Tax (5.191 mills) 716City Garbarge Fee (average) 78City Street Lighting Fee 0

Estimated Total City Taxes 794

Estimated Out Of Pocket CostsCity Tax From Above 794Federal (28%) and State (6%) Tax 34%

Income Tax Reductions 270

City Property Tax From Above 794Tax savings From Above (270)City Garbage Fees 78County Street Lighting Fees (45)Individual Garbage Savings (120)

Net City Taxes 437

Annexation Option

Purchase Option

• Cost $550,000 - $600,000– pay down payment as special assessment

– increase in yearly dues

• Maybe purchase with Norman Downs– our portion approx 1/3

• No guarantee purchase would/could happen– County would have to reject SUP first - not likely

Sam Creery

BSHOA BSHOA WithAlone Norman Downs

Estimated Purchase Price 600,000 200,000

Down Payemnt 120,000 40,000

Interest Rate 8.00% 8.00%

Estimated Monthly Payment 42,637 14,212

Costs To Homeowners

One Time Assessments - Down Payment 1,446 482

Annual Dues Increase 514 171

Purchase Option

What Now?

• Do Nothing– Attend County Meetings and Speak Out

• Planning Commission (makes recommendations) - Dec 11

• County Commission (makes decisions) - Dec 18

• Annexation Petition– sign it

– need people to collect signatures

• Purchase Option– do we pursue it?

– How?