WHAT A SIGHT TO BEHOLD! 

Magnificent!!!

To say the new City Hall is majestic (at 23,600 square feet) would be an understatement. And, there is no doubt in anyone's mind the new City Hall would never have become a realty without the support of its citizens! With a population of just over 16,000 in 2007, cities twice our size don't have the support of their citizens to erect a monument of this magnitude to represent their town.

The ground breaking for the new City Hall began in December, 2007. And, it won't be long before city staff members and officials begin their move into their new home. The expected move is for sometime in February.  Quoting Marty Allen, Suwanee's city manager, from an article in Gwinnett Herald, "With its location along Town Center Avenue across from Town center Park, the New City Hall is an important and visible part of the Town Center. It is an iconic facility that helps establish a sense of place for the city."  Indeed! The building is amazing (to say the least!!!).

The city officials will be saying good-bye to the current City Hall (the second since we moved to Suwanee 21 years ago) built when the population was around 6,500.  The current city hall will become home to the Suwanee Police Department and city court system.

Watch for the grand opening ceremony planned for March of this year!

Additional Article of Interest:  http://www.brph.com/story.asp?id=67
Suwanee is steeped in History:  http://www.suwanee.com/aboutsuwanee.history.php

Come to my house:
MySuwaneeHome.com

Who do you believe? We can listen to the main street media and take on the attitude the current economic nose bleed will last forever - or at least they make you feel that way. Or we can look at some other indicators which might cause us to stand up straight, throw our shoulders back and feel optimistic about what lies ahead!

For instance, I had an article sent to me recently: "Decision Analyst U.S. Economic Index for December Holds Steady, Signaling Economic Recovery in 2009".  The index is a leading indicator on where our economy is headed. And according to the article it says, "The U.S. Economic Index has remained stable for the last nine months of 2008." Meaning what? According to this article, we will see our economy find its bottom mid-2009.

Additionally, in late December, an article was published by Realtor Magazine showing an increase in mortgage applications: Refinances accounted for 62.6 percent of the applications while mortgages to buy new homes increased a "seasonally adjusted" 10.6 percent.

And January is typically a slow real estate month in Atlanta. However, as soon as we said good-bye to the Holidays, my phone was ringing (which was music to my ears). Buyer's Agents were out with their clients looking at property and the cycle has continued....slowly but it has continued.

So what does this all mean? In my opinion, if we take the news that also came out last week saying the Feds plan to buy mortgage backed securities which should drive interest rates as low as 4.5 percent and add this to the slow trickle of activity taking place NOW along with the steady tick from the U.S. Economic Index plus the increase in NEW mortgage applications, we should have the perfect recipe for a housing market recovery which will then translate to having a positive effect on our economy in 2009!  So...Stand up straight, shoulders back...and...SMILE!!!       

Realtor Magazine Article: Source: Mortgage Bankers Assoc.  & Market Watch  (12/24/08)

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MySuwaneeHome.com

 
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MY SUWANEE HOME.com

The newest park in the city of Suwanee's portfolio, Sim's Lake Park -  is open for business!

Staying true to form with their Open Space Initiative, Sim's Lake Park consists of 62 beautiful natural acres plus a 7 acre lake. The park is also comprised of 1.2 miles of looping trail, a picnic paviliion; and, two-2 acre play meadows.

Located at Suwanee Dam Road and Tench Road, the Grand Opening Celebration for the park is scheduled for November 8 from 2 pm - 5 pm.

Rivermoore Park, Suwanee GA

          Third Quarter 2008
Compared to Second Quarter 2008

Data is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed.

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MySuwaneeHome.com

Chuck Warbington,PE
Executive Director

Article by:  Chuck Warbington, PE

It is probably that at one time or another, 99% of us have uttered the
phrase, "Where's a cop when you need one?"  Some startling statistics that
offers some explanation to that very question can be summed up under the
term: False Alarms. 

As has been reported earlier this year, the Gwinnett Village overall crime
rate was down by 1/3 over the first half of the year.  However, Gwinnett
Village, like the rest of the County, does register as problematic with
false alarms.

Annually, the Gwinnett County Police Department receives just under 39,000
security alert dispatches; security alerts are the leading cause for
dispatches and exceeds moving vehicle accidents that accounts for just under
24,000.  What is most alarming about these statistics is that 99% of these
security alarm dispatches are actually false or non-valid.  Of the 6111
alarm calls that occur at the Westside Precinct that covers Gwinnett Village
thus far in 2008, only 22 were valid.

Information from the Norcross Police Department indicates that false
security alarm calls are also a problem for the City's force.  Of the 1458
annual security alarm calls, approximately 2% are valid as provided by
police chief Dallas Stidd.

According to Gwinnett County Police, a false alarm dispatch can require one
to three officers to report to the scene.  These false alarm calls can take
up to two hours of an officer's time, thereby deterring them from regular
patrols where an actual crime could occur.  Not only do these false alarms
increase the threat of crime within the community, they are also serious
economic implications that are too easily dismissed by uneducated consumers
and the general public. 

Police officials confirm that it costs taxpayers $58.40 for every dispatch -
a number that does not truly reveal the severity of this problem until
multiplied by the 38,405 invalid false alarm dispatches.  Calculations
indicate that over $2.2 million in taxpayer dollars are wasted each year on
false alarms.  In a time of budget shortfalls, this is a significant problem
that businesses and residents alike should be attentive to.

The police have provided these few tips:

.       Mare sure the type of alarm is the right type for your particular
business
.      Use the correct motion sensor in the appropriate location.
Circulating air can move wall mounted items tripping the motion sensor.
.      Make sure employees are trained properly and have established
protocols for when employees accidently activate an alarm.
.        For repeated false alarms, contact your alarm monitoring company for
an analysis of your system.

This article has been posted to Suwanee Talk with the express consent of Chuck Warbington.

                                                            
                                                            Come to my house:
                                                           MySuwaneeHome.com

Article written by:  Carole Townsend/Gwinnett Daily Post

Driving through Suwanee, a newcomer might think the historic district and the thriving Town Center look like a postcard or a well-designed movie set. Three young men - couldn't agree more.

The next notch on the progressive city's belt of accomplishments will be a movie set. Filming of "Exit 111", an independent film will begin in April, 2009. "It's a story we know, about people we know," said Joel Hoffman, director, executive producer and one of the writers of the script.

Picture a hybrid flick with the feel of TV's popular "Friends," humor like "American Pie," with the sharp, quick pace of Aaron Sorkin's old "West Wing" dialogue. That's what the guys behind this film intend to create in "Exit 111".

"It's about three guys who grew up together here in Suwanee. It's their last weekend before one of them leaves for law school, and they are going to try to do as much as they can in that weekend, said Hoffman. What happens during that weekend, the twists and characters' personal struggles that result, are the backbone of the plot.

Adam Zappia, the film's producer and another 1999 NGHS graduate, is excited about making Suwanee the setting for the film.

"As a kid, I used to hunt and fish right here where we're sitting," said Zappia of Suwanee's Town Center. "There's definitely a small-town feel here. A different director couldn't capture that."

Hoffman has lived in Log Angeles for about 3 years and Zappia is moving to the West Coast at the end of September. It's been a dream of both to work together on a film, and the ability to bring in their hometown is just an added bonus.

"We think this film will be something people in Suwanee will be proud of," Hoffman said.

While the lead roles will be cast in Los Angeles, pivotal character roles and all the extras will be selected from local talent. Both Hoffman and Zappia feel strongly that there is untapped talent to be found locally, and they are eager to give locals a chance they might never otherwise get.

The team's production company, Quarter Water Entertainment, is laying the groundwork for the film and building local support. Hoffman and Zappia are scouting locations and talking with Suwanee business owners and city leaders.

"We want people to know we're not just a couple of kids running around town with DV camera," said Zappia.

"Our goal is to take the film to Sundance (Film Festival) in 2010," Hoffman said.

 THANK YOU TO GWINNETT DAILY POST AND CAROLE TOWNSEND

• This article was printed in the Gwinnett Daily Post on Wednesday, September 24, 2008. The article was written by Carole Townsend
• Permission was granted by Gwinnett Daily Post and Carole Townsend to post this article to "Suwanee Talk"