GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A fight over hundreds of homes near a wildlife sanctuary spilled over into a town hall.
The developer wants to rezone nearly 30 acres along Stone Mountain Hwy. near the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary in Lilburn.
Sanctuary supporters told Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson that they are not going to stop fighting back.
County leaders say they plan to wait until summer.
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Some people who want to protect the sanctuary came to a town hall in Centerville looking for answers about more than 200 homes being proposed nearby.
Commissioner Ben Ku represents the district where the sanctuary sits and he had a message for anyone saying he has already picked a side.
"I have not made any public opinion one way or the other on these matters, and anyone who claims that I’ve taken a position one way or another is spreading misinformation," Ku said.
He pointed to a June 2 planning commission hearing and a potential June 23 vote by the Board of Commissioners.
“We don’t decide what rezonings private property owners submit to us. Anyone has the right to request whatever rezoning they would like on a property,” Ku said.
Nearly 8,000 people have signed a petition urging the county to deny the rezoning for several reasons, including traffic concerns.
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In March, Middleburg communities sat down with neighbors at a separate meeting to answer questions about the project.
Sanctuary owner Jonathan Ordway worries about runoff and noise pouring onto a property that has stood for 40 years.
“They’re building a island of residential in the sea of commercial and industrial on a zoo,” Ordway said.
He says thousands of kids walk through his gates every year and he is asking their families to stand with him.
“Hopefully, we can create some stewards for the next generation,” Ordway said.
The developer said in another town hall says they are open to working with the community.
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