| EDITORIAL
U.S. 78 median
improvements will be different
Editorial by Hwy 78 CID Board Member Jimmy Norton
published in the
Gwinnett Daily Post 4/20/2006
and the AJC 4/30/2006
As a teenager in the
early 80’s I couldn’t drive fast enough to cruise Memorial
Drive, particularly between Stone Mountain and I-285.
Dates, movies, dinners, dancing; we spent money and it was
our playground. Sadly, this stretch of road has now been
the poster child of blight approaching two decades. Most
will blame Memorial Drive's death on a median divide east
of the perimeter; but that was a minor accessory reason at
best. The death of a once vibrant and attractive stretch
was not at the hands of a traffic improvement. Now,
the Park Place, Lake Lucerne, and Snellville community
will be the beneficiary of a median safety improvement;
but this time it’s going to be different.
This minute, we’re building
a destination parkway on US Highway 78. To do this, men
with memories as fresh as mine threw down the gauntlet and
created the Highway 78 CID (Community Improvement
District). This vehicle of self taxing commercial corridor
property owners was not explored along Memorial Drive.
Another difference, we engage member businesses and
homeowners by providing details of coming improvements.
Today, the Highway 78 CID
pays for additional police officers in our district
insuring a safer community for our merchants and shoppers.
Today, we are the recipient of Gwinnett Clean and
Beautiful’s 2006 Business of the Year Award because we
employ landscapers and street sweepers to maintain the
entire 7 mile stretch. Today, funds have been secured to
the tune of a collective $16 million with an eye on $70
million to invest in improvements.
Tomorrow is even brighter.
Plans are underway to integrate beautifully landscaped
nodes along our parkway. Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS) will be installed to assure smoother flow by
coordinating and timing signals. Ancillary streets and
inter-parcel connections will be available, giving
shoppers and homeowner’s better and safer access than
today.
Skeptical of my take on the
future? Senators Isakson and Chambliss along with
Congressman Linder, Scott and Westmoreland are unanimously
investing in these upgrades. Their vision and commitment
is not misplaced. Our CID Board and Executive Director all
have a vested interest in the highest possible
achievements, not simply a good score. More? The studies
and consultants all agree; with a CID in place, crime goes
down, business goes up, and everyone’s property becomes
more valuable.
As a natural worrier, I am
encouraged and impressed with the progress of our CID and
the sentiment of our membership. Through all these
efforts, the history of blight will not be repeated.
Instead, a transformation lies ahead that is far better
than I could have imagined while cruising in the 80’s.
That’s why it’s different.
Jimmy Norton is a
lifelong resident of Snellville. He is a second generation
business and property owner along U.S. 78. His civic
participation includes the Snellville Commerce Club and
the Snellville Downtown Development Authority in addition
to the Hwy 78 CID Board.
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