Older News

• The 2015-2016 BOD
• The January 9 to 15, 2011 Snow
• The 2010-2011 BOD
• Pool Closing
• Avocet's GoWirelessNeighborhoods Portal Gone
• Access Management Group
• Rezoning Across SOP at PIB
• Avocet Update - 2008 Improvement Plans
• Changes in the Amenities Area
• Landscaping along South Old Peachtree
• Playground Replacement
• City Lights Development
• Security Notes
• Berkeley Chase
• Special Assessment Passed
• Speed Tables for Avocet
• Rezoning Next Door on SOP
• Avocet Joins UPCCA

• The 2015-2016 Avocet Board of Directors

The annual meeting of members was held Thursday, September 24, 2015 to elect the Board of Directors for the next year. The members elected Jeanne Aulbach, Harry Frazer, Tom Cole, Armand Palla, and Ardie Suddeth as the 2015-2016 Avocet BOD.

Congratulations to the new Board of Directors, and thanks for volunteering your time and energy to Avocet. Make a point to get to know your new Directors, and add your support and input to their efforts. They can be contacted by email at bod@avocet-hoa.org.

Thanks to Jeanne Aulbach, Harry Frazer, Tom Cole, and Armand Palla who are serving another term. Your efforts and contributions in the past year are greatly appreciated!

Welcome to Ardie Suddeth for volunteering to support Avocet!

Other meeting highlights:
• Chris Bricker presented the quotes he and Ashlyn Hughes obtained for providing security cameras at the entry
• Turnout was high which means that there was a lot of social interaction, which was complemented by the pizza and libations provided
• There was a Q&A session with the BOD that was very informative.

Thanks to all those who attended!

• The January 9 to 15, 2011 Snow

It has been quite an event for the area with schools, businesses, roads... closed for much of the week. The support we have provided each other has been wonderful, and the Avocet Forum has been in the thick of it with 30 posts just on the 11th! Some posts of note you have already seen if you are a subscriber:

• Driving conditions around Avocet and where you can go, should go, should not go
• What businesses (banks, grocery stores, restaurants...) are open
• Plowing and salting of Avocet's streets
• Transportation assistance and carpooling
• Mail service
• Trash pickup

That is what community is about, Avocet! As a subscriber, you can view these and all past posts on the the group web site.

• The 2010-2011 Avocet Board of Directors

The annual meeting of members was held Tuesday, September 14, 2010 to elect the Board of Directors for the next year. The members elected Elizabeth Chua, Alyson Coffman, Glenn Hofmann, Manoj Madhavan, and Sri Sangodkar as the 2010-2011 Avocet BOD.

Congratulations to the new Board of Directors, and thanks for volunteering your time and energy to Avocet. Make a point to get to know your new Directors, and add your support and input to their efforts. They can be contacted by email at bod@avocet-hoa.org.

Thanks to Jeanne Aulbach who is leaving the board, as well as Elizabeth Chua, Alyson Coffman, Glenn Hofmann, and Sri Sangodkar who are serving another term. Your efforts and contributions in the past year are greatly appreciated!

• Pool Closing

The pool opened for the 2010 season on May 1, and closed for the season on Monday, September 27.

• Avocet's wireless portal gone.

The company that provided the wireless portal for Avocet has gone out of business, so unfortunately there is no longer wireless access to the Internet in the amenities area.

• Access Management Group (AMG) taking over as the Avocet management company, effective December 20, 2008

The Avocet BOD is happy to announce that it has selected AMG to provide association management services for the HOA. John Thisdale will be our property manager.

We look forward to a long and successful relationship with AMG!

• Rezoning Across SOP at PIB

Keystone Holdings LLC has applied for a buffer reduction for the parcel at the corner of South Old Peachtree Road and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard across from the Shell station (case BRD-08-001). The plan included depicts a restaurant with a drive through on the property, including a full access driveway on South Old Peachtree Road. A hearing is currently planned for Tuesday June 17, 2008.

• Avocet Update - 2008 Improvement Plans

This flyer, detailing recent improvements and improvements soon to come, was distributed to the neighborhood March 24, 2008. Take a look at what is to come!

• Changes in the Amenities Area

The BOD is implementing plans to improve the safety and security of the amenities area.

• Georgia Power has installed an additional street light by the lower tennis courts. At night, after the tennis lights were shut off, the area had been pitch dark. By adding light, we are discouraging activities that pose a risk to those in and around that area.
• The fence around the pool has been repaired. There were two areas where vandals damaged the fence in order gain access to the pool and clubhouse area. Both have been repaired and reinforced. There are some who continue to jump the fence. Please help discourage people that you see going this, as it may result in damage and injury.
• The locks on the gates to the tennis courts have been repaired and the gates set to close properly. This will help to ensure that only Avocet residents can access the courts.
• The lock on the door to the bathrooms has been changed to match the pool gate lock. This will discourage intrusion by people who are looking for a "private" spot like the clubhouse hallways, particularly at night. This is an "always locked" lock. Once closed, it will require a key to open.
• New timers will be installed on the tennis court lights, and the signage will be improved in the area. It does take some time to get this all taken care of, but both projects are in process.

We need your help as well to ensure safety and security in this area.

If you are the last person to leave the area, please check to make certain the pool and tennis court gates are closed. Also, close the door to the bathroom area of the clubhouse. If we all work together, we can make our community safe for all of us.

If you need a key to the pool and courts, please e-mail keys@avocet-hoa.org. You will be contacted to arrange the pickup of a key. There is a nominal fee of $7 to cover our cost. When selling your home this key should be turned over to the new owner at closing, along with all of your other house keys.

• Landscaping along South Old Peachtree

The county has agreed to assist us with the installation of new landscaping at the entry to Avocet. An inmate crew will be doing the installation on Wednesday, May 9 from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. There will be 9 properly supervised and guarded men on the crew. This crew is used by the county for their own landscape projects, so they are experienced, reliable, and will save us a great deal of money that we can put into plants and materials.

The landscaping will extend along South Old Peachtree and around the corner for a short distance up Lou Ivey Road. The necessary materials will be delivered at the entry and along the area to be landscaped starting at 7:30 am. Members of our Landscape Committee and BOD will be working to ensure a smooth installation.

• Playground Replacement

Many thanks to the Kids Club for the effort that they put into crafting a proposal that will make our playground safe and fun for years to come. The Avocet Board of Directors has approved the proposal, and new equipment is expected to be installed before the end of May. A depiction of the new equipment and the equipment layout is available for viewing.

In order to get the best results at the best price, the teardown and installation is expected to be done primarily by neighborhood volunteers. Please contact the Kids Club if you can help. Any help - even at the last minute - will be appreciated, and food and drink will be provided to keep the laborers going!

The teardown is scheduled for 8 AM - 1 PM on Saturday, April 21, and is expected to require 5-8 people. The installation is targeted for Saturday, May 19, and is expected to take the entire day with 10-15 people involved. Come and work as much as you can, whenever you can. A supervisor from the playground company will be overseeing the installation to make sure that everything is done to spec.

• City Lights Development

Avocet has been working to insure that the retail development at South Old Peachtree Road and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard reflects the interests of the neighborhood.

The vote on CIC2006-00034 was held at the BOC business session on March 20, 2007. The resulting resolution is available to view here. We hope you agree that the results were generally favorable for Avocet and the surrounding community.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to come and show your support for the quality of life in our community. The BOC always notices this. It has an impact not just on this current decision but also on future decisions, knowing in advance that a community is actively involved.

Mitch Peevy has provided us with a site plan and a list of conditions. The site plan shows the drive through window situated on the SOP side of the building with the menu along the back of the building which would force anyone coming into the site from SOP to have to circle the building to get to the drive through. It would also channel the outgoing traffic to PIB but not prevent outgoing access to SOP. Per Wayne, this will help to control some of the concerns we have.

History: The Gwinnett County Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of the request (CIC2006-00034) at its meeting on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners will take up the request at their meeting on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 held at 7 PM in the auditorium of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Building at 75 Langley Drive; Lawrenceville, GA 30045. They may agree with the Planning Commission, or disagree in whole or in part. It is important that there is a sufficient presence of concerned homeowners at the meeting to support our position. Please plan to attend this meeting, wearing the traditional red garb if possible.

A recent site plan that the developer provided to us is available to view, although it is somewhat outdated. Note that the plan is presented lengthwise in this document, so rotating it a quarter turn counterclockwise is helpful once it is displayed; you should find a tool to perform this on the Adobe toolbar above the document, along with a tool for zooming in or out.

• Security Notes

There was a break-in in the 4800 block of Avocet Drive on Wednesday, February 21, 2007 between 9:15 and 10:45 AM. The intruders forced their entry by kicking the basement door until the deadbolt broke through the door casing. (As you will read below, the deadbolt and screws were not properly installed.) Nothing was stolen and no one was hurt. No one was home at the time, and the wife's return home may have scared them away.

Be alert for any suspicious behavior and report it to the Security Committee. Thanks to our neighbors for being so observant and reporting their observations to the Security Committee and/or to their COPS block captains.

Three Avocet residents observed a suspicious car in the 4800 block of Avocet Drive around the time that the break-in occurred. One said that the car was stopped on the common road near the house, and a person was in the car with the window rolled down and may have been the lookout. The description of the car varies some, but there are similarities in the descriptions. One description is a 2-door Saturn that is very dark in color - dark forest green or black. Another description was an unremarkable small black car without its headlights on. The third description is a small grey sedan. One resident observed an unfamiliar tall and thin man with short hair, red pants, a red shirt, and a white jacket or sweater.

If anyone sees a car that is close to these descriptions and is lingering around a house or the common area, please call 911. Report that there are suspicious people in the neighborhood and that there has been a break-in where a similar car was observed. Try to get the license tag number and state, but please do not get too close to the car or take any risk.

Please warn people that you know in adjacent neighborhoods about this break-in and describe the car. It is possible that the perpetrator(s) may try another break-in in one of the neighborhoods near Avocet.

Also, be sure to check all of your deadbolts and catches. The deadbolt should completely extended until it clicks, and the screws holding any of the face plates to the door frame should be at least 2 inches long. Builders do not normally do these things for you; you will likely have to drill out the hole to make it deeper and replace all of the screws.

Officer Wood is our new C.O.P.S. liaison. To report non-emergency (non 911) problems/crimes to the Gwinnett Co. Police call 770.513.5100. For this and other information, please refer to the Neighborhood Contacts page and the Security Committee page.

Please be aware that a new burglar alarm system has been installed in the clubhouse. Also as a reminder, unauthorized vehicles parking overnight in the parking lots by the clubhouse, pool, and tennis courts are prohibited.

• Berkeley Chase

The rezoning of the three land parcels next to Avocet along South Old Peachtree Road has gone through with conditions that are generally favorable to Avocet. The developer is proceeding with a townhouse development there that will be called Berkeley Chase, and has provided us with a preliminary site plan and a landscape plan for the project. The development permit has been issued, the tree protection fence is in place, and they are preparing to remove the house. Construction is expected to start very soon; in fact, they hope to complete the development sometime in the summer - June through August 2007.

• Special Assessment Passed

Thanks to everyone that voted in person or by proxy at the meeting on Thursday, November 30, 2006. Quorum was achieved with 113 Members represented and the special assessment was passed with 85 (over 75%) in favor and 28 against. The projects scheduled through 2010 along with cash flow projections are available for your review.

• Speed Tables Approved for Avocet Drive

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the request for speed tables along Avocet Drive at their meeting Tuesday, October 24, 2006. Over 90% of our neighbors whose property is adjacent to Avocet Drive joined together to petition the county in favor of the speed tables. That is the way to work together, Avocet! Anecdotally, the speed of vehicles in Avocet seems much more reasonable these days.

For more information about the speed tables, see the Gwinnett County Speed Table brochure and the Gwinnett County Speed Hump Proposal notice.

On a somewhat related note: On July 25, 2006, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners adopted an amendment to the Development Regulations to require a traffic calming plan for residential subdivision streets. The notice and Traffic Calming Design Guide are available on the Gwinnett County web site.

• Rezoning Next Door on SOP

Precision Design & Development, Inc. has applied for the rezoning of the three land parcels next to Avocet along South Old Peachtree Road (case RZM-06-025).

Adapted from Jeanne Aulbach's account on the Forum:

We had an awesome turnout at the Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, September 5, 2006. There were about 40 people from Avocet, Highcroft, and Apremont, most in those beautiful red shirts! The looks on the faces of our Planning Commissioners when everyone stood up was the proverbial Kodak moment! The car pooling worked very well. Thanks to all who donated their services and to those who attended. You made a difference.

The vote at the Planning Commission meeting is to make a recommendation to the County Commission on a request to rezone. It is not a vote to approve or disapprove a specific project. The final vote rests with the County Commission and there is no appeal from that other than legal action which rarely succeeds because our Board of Commissioners follow a rigid rezoning procedure. While there was support on the Planning Commission to deny the request to rezone the property next door to R-TH, there was serious concern that the County Commissioners would overturn the recommendation from the Planning Committee and vote to rezone the property to R-TH with an 8 unit per acre density.

As a result of this concern, Jose Perez, one of our District 2 Planning Commissioners, made a motion that was approved to allow the rezoning to go forward as R-TH, but with significant conditions. These conditions addressed our main concerns: density, price point and privacy.

The condition with the greatest impact is to reduce the density from 8 to 6 homes per acre. This has the immediate effect of raising the price point of the homes. Additional conditions were 4 sided brick and 9' ceilings, further increasing in the price point. The privacy issue was addressed by requiring a 30' buffer with three rows of Leland cypress at least 8' in height at planting.

While this is not the detached housing we might prefer, it is certainly an acceptable compromise. It does not mean the development must be 6 townhomes per acre, only that it is the maximum density for the property. A developer may come in and develop to a higher standard, but would not be able to develop to a lower standard.

• Avocet Joins UPCCA

The BOD authorized joining the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association. This will give Avocet access to many helpful resources, but most imminently help with handling the issues related to the proposed development adjacent to the neighborhood.