official newsletter of the city of suwanee, ge rgia www.suwanee.com september2013 insidethis issue… Photo by David Douglas We’re 15 Downtown Development Authority 7:30am excited to be 15 Zoning Board of Appeals 6:30pm New logo, recognized as the“ 18&19 Terror on the Trail (Sims Lake) 7pm new look! “ 19 Korean Festival (TCP) noon 2 Suwanee makes best small 22 City Council Meeting 6:30pm town in 25&26 Terror on the Trail (Sims Lake) 7pm Georgia… 26 Trek or Treat (Suwanee Creek Park) 11am-1pm Money’s 2013 Best Places list Money magazine has once again named the City of Suwanee one of America’s best places to live. Number 33 on Money’s 2013 list of best small towns, Suwanee is the highest-ranked 5 Planning & Zoning Commission 6:30pm community in Georgia. 6 Public Arts Commission 7pm 7 City Council Workshop 5:30pm Independent Money’s 2013 list of Best Places to Live focuses on towns with populations of 10,000-50,000. 10 Suwanee Classic Car Show (TCP) 10am film series Starting with a database of more than 1,300 towns, the magazine considered median family 11 Harvest Farm Managing Board 4:30pm 4 income and home values; education and crime scores; quality-of-life factors such as health 15 Downtown Development Authority 7:30am returns care, arts, and leisure; and intangibles like community spirit. 19 Zoning Board of Appeals 6:30pm 19 City Council Meeting 6:30pm “It’so great t receive national recognition for our 28&29 Holiday: City Hall Closed community through such a rigorous process and from such a prestigious publication,” says Suwanee Mayor Jimmy Burnette. “We’re excited to be recognized as the best small town in Georgia and committed to continually improving our community and the quality of life for our residents.” Suwanee Day! When asked on Facebook what they loved 10 about living in Suwanee, several people, like Molly McCormick Berger, mentioned parks. Plus, check out Berger posted: “The friendly people who live here, the free concerts, Food Truck Friday, the page 5 for fall Greenway, the parks....” events! continued on page 9 Photo by Bill Mahan Visit suwanee.com to see full-color logo. A new logo for City, new look and name for newsletter Photo courtesy of Adventure Advertising Suwanee’s brand is bubbling with researched municipal logos, we found change as the City has adopted a new that many cities use their city hall or a logo. In addition, the official City of dome or a clock tower. And that’s great, Three Council Suwanee newsletter, with this issue, but we wanted Suwanee’s logo to gets a new name and a new look. stando out, t be more than a visual ode posts to be on to an edifice.” City Council voted unanimously at its Nov. 5 ballot July 23 meeting to adopt the new logo With a new logo in hand, the time created by Hein van der Heijden, an seemed appropriate for the City to Candidate qualifying for the three Atlanta-based, award-winning designer update its newsletter as well. The City Council posts scheduled to be with 25 years' experience. logo has been incorporated into on the ballot this fall was to take the masthead design and the name place August 26-28. "Suwanee is an uncommon city," says changed from CrossRoads to Connects. van der Heijden. "Its residents have Provided that more than one fun living there and there's a lot going “With the newsletter’s new name we candidate qualified for a post, on. I wanted the community's logo to were again looking for something that the City Council election will take reflect that. I used a mix of lowercase would intimate activity and vibrancy,” place from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, and uppercase letters and dropped the says DeWilde. “Connects seemed a November 5, at City Hall. (Voting capital S in the logo's word art to help good indication of our ultimate goal, to on the Gwinnett County SPLOST suggest the community's originality connect with the community through referendum will take place at county and playfulness. The graphic offers a the newsletter itself as well as with polling locations.) Check suwanee. bird's-eye view of Suwanee, bubbling topics addressed in the newsletter.” com for more information about the with color, activities, and energy." City Council election and a list of Suwanee began the logo redesign qualified candidates. The City's new logo replaces one process in the spring. After receiving that featured a lamp post and had 28 statements of qualification from Suwanee City Councilmembers are been used since 1998. The Suwanee design professionals, mostly from elected at-large, and all registered S, another branding mark utilized by metro Atlanta but also from six other City of Suwanee voters may cast a the City, will continue to be used along states, the City selected six finalist ballot for each post. with the new official logo. firmso t participate in a design competition. Each finalist presented The last day to register to vote in "Suwanee has changed a lot since three or more Suwanee logo design this election is October 7. Voter 1998," says Public Information concepts. registration is available at City Hall, Officer Lynne DeWilde. "We felt that public library branches, and the the lamp post no longer offered As a result of the competition, the Gwinnett County Elections Office at an accurate representation of our City selected van der Heijden, a 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200, in dynamic community. Our goal was to native of the Netherlands who came Lawrenceville. The voter registration create a logo that is more unique and to the United States four years ago. form also is available at the Georgia remarkable, that better represents Principal at his Atlanta-based DesHein Secretary of State’s website, Suwanee's personality today, and visual design service firm, van der sos.ga.gov. Residents may verify that indicates that our community is Heijden's "bucket list," had until voter registration and state and focused on the future." recently, included creating a city logo. county polling locations at the same website by clicking “Elections” and Initially, there was some thought that The new logo generated a lot of buzz “My Voter Page.” the City’s new logo might feature on the City’s Facebook page. A post City Hall. But, DeWilde says: “As we continued on page 9 2 www.suwanee.com ‘Remembrance’: 9-11 Sales tax program on dedication ceremony set Nov. countywide ballot The City of Suwanee will hold Gwinnett County voters will determine in November a brief dedication ceremony whethero t extend the current one-penny sales tax at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, program. September 11, for an artistic/historic Gwinnett County has proposed a three-year 2014 display created to SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) memorialize 9-11- program through which the county would commit 2001. The display 70 percent of anticipated funds to countywide features a damaged, transportation projects, 7.5 percent to parks and twisted relic from recreation projects, and about 1.5 percent to senior one of the World facilities. If passed, the county anticipates the 2014 Trade Center towers, SPLOST would generate up to $498 million for capital which was given to projects over a three-year period. Suwanee a couple of years ago by the Port About 21 percent of funds generated would be allocated Authority of New York and to Gwinnett County municipalities. The City of Suwanee New Jersey. would receive up to $8,043,745, of which the City would designate 90 percent for transportation projects and Since unveiling the artifact two 10 percent for parks and recreation enhancements. years ago, the City has worked to Transportation funding would be used for new determine a permanent location and create an appropriate construction projects, resurfacing, sidewalks, and drainage display for the artifact, which, according to the Port and safety improvements. Authority, was part of an exterior steel panel from floors 101-104 of one of the twin towers. Since 2005, the City of Suwanee has received more than $15 million in SPLOST funding. Funds have been used Late last year, the Public Arts Commission solicited to resurface 13.4 miles of roadway, construct the police proposals and ultimately contracted with Statesboro artist training center in the Suwanee Gateway and renovate Marc Moulton to create the permanent display, which in the former City Hall for police expansion, rehabilitate the late August, as this newsletter was going to press, was Suwanee Creek Greenway, purchase playground equipment being installed at Town Center Park in a raised area near the for Sims Lake Park, streetscape the I-85 area, install shade brick outer wall along Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. structures at several parks, construct a public restroom facility at Martin Farm Park, reconstruct Eva Kennedy Road, In addition to the 1,628-pound World Trade Center artifact, fill gaps in the City’s sidewalk system, install radar street which stands to the side, the Remembrance display includes signs, and renovate the Crossroads Center for municipal a 9-11 historical timeline with stainless steel numbers and court, among other projects. letters embedded in a cement pad. An inverted conical sculpture, with the lower Manhattan cityscape cut into it, The current 2009 SPLOST is scheduled to end March 31 next stands in the middle of the pad. At night, a light-shadow year. If passed in November, the 2014 SPLOST would begin impression, which offers an aerial view of the cityscape, will April 1.