Tucker, GA — When Lennar Corporation announced plans to convert Heritage Links Golf Course into hundreds of housing units last year, Tucker residents sprang into action.

Hundreds of people attended a community meeting, virtually and by phone, in August 2020 hosted by Lennar. A non-profit community organization, Good Growth Tucker (GGT), was created by residents concerned about the impact of Lennar Corporation’s proposed development of 200 acres of land.

Lennar is currently under contract on the 27-hole golf course near Britt Road and Old Norcross Tucker Road – a property that straddles DeKalb County and Gwinnett County.

On March 23, GGT member Charlton Allen, a Tucker resident and attorney, presented a history of the property and update on Lennar’s progress.

In the land use application, Lennar is proposing 334 single-family homes surrounding Burns Lake in Tucker. The plan shows small and medium lots, zoned R-60 and R-75.

Across the street in unincorporated Gwinnett County, the other half of the golf course, the builder is proposing mixed-use development, including 104 townhomes and 11,000 square feet of commercial space. Lennar built a similar property in Forsyth, on a larger scale.

“That’s quite a big change of the residential population for this area,” said Allen.

Allen noted a lack of communication from Lennar while gaining approval from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) and Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). Currently, the proposal is being modified to satisfy requirements of ARC and GDOT.

According to the City of Tucker’s planning and zoning webpage, Lennar’s application is on hold while changes are being made to the Gwinnett County side of the development. A date has not been set for Lennar to present to Tucker Planning Commission.

GGT now plans to recruit members to attend meetings and talk with city council members about density, health and safety. Roads and traffic are not an issue that legal fall under zoning, and cannot influence a city’s decision to stop or alter development.

Allen explained, “Georgia courts have said because the county is responsible for maintaining the roads and dealing with traffic, whether or not a new development goes in, traffic is not a zoning issue. It cannot be used as a reason to deny zoning.”

GGT updates can be found on Facebook, and through their email list. GGT member Claire Fuller stressed that the group does not plan to disband after the Lennar deal.

“The purpose is to build a community that we want… I assume you have specific ideas about neighborhoods needs and desires and common goals, and would love to have your voice as part of this,” Fuller said.

The Tucker Observer is a new community news website owned by Decaturish.com. We provide locally sourced news about Tucker, Clarkston and Stone Mountain.

For more Tucker news, follow us on Facebook by clicking here. Follow us on Twitter by clicking here. 

Want the latest news from the Tucker Observer delivered to your inbox every morning? Click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter. 

To become a paying supporter of Tucker Observer, click here.