Mulberry residents push back on new development as Georgia's newest city faces rapid-growing pains
Mulberry is barely a year old — officially incorporated in 2024 — but with a population topping 40,000, it's already the second-largest city in Gwinnett County. Local control was the driving force behind its creation. Many residents hoped forming a city would slow down the pace of residential and commercial construction they felt the county had pushed forward too quickly.
Mulberry Mayor Michael Coker says the city is now inheriting a backlog of major projects that were approved before Mulberry even existed.
"Unfortunately we are dealing with some of the sins that came before us," Coker said. "Some of the neighborhoods you're seeing around here were already approved… by the county."
One of the biggest concerns on the table: a proposal for nearly 250 new apartment units between State Route 124 and I-85 — a sizable project for a city that hasn't yet celebrated its first birthday.
"How much growth is too much?"
At a recent community meeting at Hamilton Mill Church, residents and developers sat down to discuss yet another proposal — more than 30 new single-family homes averaging 2,800 square feet on half-acre lots along Braselton Highway.
The top concern in the room was clear: traffic.
Residents say the roads aren't keeping up with the pace of development.
"We want the roads to be able to keep up," one resident said during the meeting.
"We're not telling you that nothing is ever going to be built in Mulberry. We're just saying the growth we do have—we want it to be responsible and according to a plan."
Another resident put it more bluntly: traffic has already gotten worse, and they fear this is only the beginning.
Balancing "small-town charm" with metro-area growth pressure
As housing demand continues to grow outside Atlanta's urban core, cities like Mulberry are caught in the middle — not quite rural, not quite suburban, and increasingly attractive to developers.
Many longtime locals fear Mulberry's original character may not survive the changes.
At the meeting, journalist Brian Unger read aloud a comment from a resident frustrated with the latest proposal:
"Just what we don't need. Gwinnett County overcrowded the area and it's ruining the small town charm and limited traffic we used to have."
Coker agreed the sentiment reflects exactly why the city was formed.
"That's why Mulberry was created," Coker told CBS News Atlanta.
"Unfortunately we are dealing with some of the sins that came before us."
What counts as "responsible growth"?
That question depends on who you ask.
"You know it when you see it," Coker said.
"If you're sitting in traffic going five miles across the city and it takes you 35 minutes — that's probably irresponsible growth."
Residents argue they're not anti-development; they simply want smart, measured planning that keeps pace with infrastructure and preserves the city they voted to create.
What happens next?
The proposed developments — including the Hamilton Mill subdivision — are expected to move forward for consideration by Mulberry's mayor and city council early next year.
Unless the projects face broad, organized opposition, city leaders will soon have to decide whether to approve new construction — or pump the brakes to protect the quality of life Mulberry residents say they're fighting to preserve.