Neighbors pushing back on truck stop plan for Buford intersection
Some Buford residents want Gwinnett County officials to pump the brakes on plans to build a truck stop at a busy intersection.
A developer plans to build a convenience store with three truck bays and gas pumps at the corner of Camp Branch Road and Gravel Springs Road.
Buford City Manager Brian B. Kerlin tells CBS News Atlanta that a conditional special use permit was approved by the board of commissioners in May.
Some residents are against the plan, saying they're fighting to protect the peace and safety of their community.
"The safety is not there. It's totally unsafe, and the infrastructure is not there," Susan Rogers said. "We're not against trucks because the truckers say, 'You gotta get your goods.' Bring them on, but not at this exit."
Jim Z has lived in a subdivision off Camp Branch Road for 25 years and has fought other developments in the area, including a warehouse development near the entrance to Interstate 85.
"Last Sunday, it took me two green lights to make the left turn on Gravel Springs Road," he said. "We haven't had one truck come out of that nightmare across the street."
Neighbor Nancy Griffith worries that the truck stop could bring illicit activity to the area and could lower her property values.
"I'm afraid if we put our house on the market now—which I don't want to do—we've just been there six years. I don't know what we'd get for it," she said.
The city says the Georgia Department of Transportation and Gwinnett County are working on a traffic plan and improvements to the area.
It's unclear when construction could begin.