Gwinnett County zoned our special area as “R-100” back in 2006.   Unfortunately, an international investment company, Drapac Capital Partners and their subsidiary US company St. Bourke has initiated and requested Gwinnett County change the zoning on several parcels (500+ acres) near the beloved Mulberry Park off of Mineral Springs Rd. to accommodate the following: to change the zoning from R100 (in 2006) to allow for “a variety of housing that is suitable for a broad range of household types, including townhomes, villas, small, medium, and large single-family homes.” 
** Subsequently changing the current (R-100) homesites and increase it to 1,382 dwellings within the same acreage = 427 fee simple townhomes and “villas” and 935 single family homes. 
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My personal take on the current R-100 zoning…  It’s the category and zoning of R-100 that has allowed our families to flourish and create an area of quality custom houses, but even more so a place we all call HOME.  It’s an escape from the hustle and daunting Atlanta. It’s our healthy balance between the “busy lifestyle” and the convenience of raising our children in a quaint small-town atmosphere.  At the end of the day it’s the local restaurants we enjoy escaping to for dinner and speaking with the pastor or friend from the gym while not having to fight the traffic of going “into the city”. Let’s be honest, it’s our personal space to recharge our batteries while maintaining that special thing called work/life balance.   

Gwinnett County’s own version of R-100: 

Chapter 210. Base Zoning Districts.
Section 210-10. RA-200 Agriculture-Residence District.
210-10.1
210-10.2 210-10.3 210-10.4
210-10.5
Purpose and Intent.
This district is comprised of land having a predominantly rural character. It is the intent of the regulations of this zoning district to provide for agriculture, forestry and very low density residential uses and to discourage the subdivision of land for urban development requiring such urban services as a public water supply and sanitary sewers.
Permitted Uses.
Uses permitted in the RA-200 District are listed in the Table of Permitted and Special Uses found in Section 230-100, provided that they comply with the Supplemental Use Standards of Section 230-130.
Accessory Uses and Structures.
Accessory uses and structures shall be permitted in the RA-200 District in accordance with Section 230-100 Table of Permitted and Special Uses and provisions detailed in Section 230-120 Accessory Use Standards of the UDO.
Special Uses.
Special uses may be permitted in the RA-200 District in accordance with Section 230-100 Table of Permitted and Special Uses. Special uses shall be subject to approval of a Special Use Permit as provided in Section 270-30 and may be subject to additional Supplemental Use Standards established in Section 230-130 of the UDO.
Property Development Standards.
Property in the RA-200 District shall be developed in accordance with Section 230-10 Dimensional Standards of Zoning Districts and the applicable site-related provisions of Title 3 of the UDO and the following additional standards:
A. The development of lots in this district is permitted with septic tanks if public sewer is not available.All septic tank
installations are subject to the approval of the Environmental Health Section.

Link:

Gwinnett County’s Unified Plan and Zoning

What does the request to change the zoning mean for our little slice of home town paradise? 

• Historic Monuments (some documented as Indigenous burial sites have been damaged and will continue to be damaged as this development company Drapac Capital has had no respect or regard thus far.  They went even so far as to deceive Gwinnett County and place a disclosure that none existed on the parcels in question.  
• Home Values decrease (Each of us researched this area extensively and chose to believe in the leadership in Gwinnett County as they developed the 2040 Unified Plans with our resources and tax funds. At minimum there was a fiduciary responsibility on behalf of Gwinnett County that was established.  Each of us invested here to achieve Estate Living based on those plans that were sold to all of us by Gwinnett County Leadership.) 
• Flooding (Poole Mountain is just that - a Mountain.  There are already too many inadequate flooding and run off concerns for this concentrated area- if the vegetation was removed as a result of these plans it would only cause more infrastructure issues and added expense to each homeowner and surrounding developments. The 2040 Unified plans explicitly explain this. Again, Poole Mountain is a Mountain requiring extensive and intrusive (ie: explosives/dynamite and emulsion) to create a foundation to build. 
  Also, it shall be noted no permits were pulled, requested, or acquired on these parcels in compliance with county, state, or federal EPA requirements prior to tree removal and historic/ archeological monuments being moved, damaged, etc.) *Federal Clean Water Act. (Extensively documented) 
• Traffic (If 1,382 homesites are approved with the census avg stating 3 occupants per dwelling in Gwinnett County -that’s an excess of 4,162 potential citizens living in less than 500 acres. What does that look like on a manic Monday when you have a meeting or functions to attend?) 
• Crime Increase (I can honestly look at this topic from multiple perspectives as I have seen first hand the hardship these cookie cutter developments place on our departments. Turn over is high and resources for succession plans are minimal.  It’s not fair to the agencies, officers, and surrounding citizens.) 
• Natural landscape quickly turns to brick and mortar and over crowding.  (We invested here for green space that was confirmed and promised to us.  This wasn’t up for debate. This was the plan Gwinnett County officials provided to us and was not established or deemed a guideline.)  
• Classroom overcrowding 
• Etc. 

The Drapac Family who are headquartered in Australia have the intentions of making their money off of Americans living the American dream and lifestyle.  Home Values will decrease and the Drapac’s shouldn’t be allowed to profit and infringe on our families, investments, and home equity at our expense.  There isn’t anything positive or productive to come from this rezoning request other than lining the pockets of the Drapac family and the small group of internal leadership assisting to quietly change and rob us of the quaint plans Gwinnett County themselves sold us in their previous unified plans.  The money is going back to Australia. Their corporation is set up that way and the interviews with the Drapacs don’t hide those facts.) 

I strongly encourage our local friends and family, our local customers and clients to quickly educate yourselves with this documentation Sebastian “Bassi” Drapac / St. Bourke and his attorney, Melody Glouton submitted the first week of October 2022 to Gwinnett County in an attempt to initiate this rezoning request.  

I hope you will take a moment to sign this petition and share it amongst neighbors and friends as we do our best to exhaust our due diligence in protecting this place as a space our children can visit to understand and appreciate our heritage and the sacrifices made by those before us to make it what it is today. 

All my best, 

Lindsay Paul

@KeepMulberryGreat