Special Report:“Under Siege” North Forsyth and Cumming’s High Density Housing Explosion
North Forsyth County is facing an unprecedented number of apartment and high density zonings which threaten to further overload roads that are already at capacity. Our research team has pulled together a comprehensive review of the approved and proposed zonings in North Forsyth, including the city of Cumming.
Quick Background: All Forsyth County zonings are voted on by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners, and all zonings in the City of Cumming are voted on by the Cumming City Council. While many residents believe they live in the City of Cumming due to their mailing address, about 7,000 of the 260,000 residents of Forsyth County are actually in the City of Cumming. The City is under 10 square miles, centered around the Courthouse, City Hall, and Jail, while Forsyth County is just under 250 square miles. Most of Forsyth County is unincorporated.
Records show over 3,000 high density apartments, quadplexes, and townhomes have been approved in the 10 square mile city of Cumming in recent years. This includes about 1,500 apartments in projects such as West Shore, The Statemen, Sawnee View, and Mashburn Villages.
The County has been providing their fair share of high density approvals as well. Over the past ten years, there have been about 3,000 housing units approved in North Forsyth (County Commission District 1 and 4) outside of the City of Cumming, with another 2,291 currently under consideration, many of these are high density, and some even being proposed by County initiated zoning.
Of the units approved, 49% have been approved with a RES4 or higher zoning category. Of those currently under consideration, 76% have applied for a high density zoning designation.
Traffic has become a concern for North Forsyth residents, and data shows the numbers are increasing. According to GDOT’s traffic counts, some of the busiest roads in Forsyth County are now in North Forsyth.
GA400 at Keith Bridge Road has daily traffic volume of 54,500 cars, and Keith Bridge Road at Browns Bridge has a volume of 21,900. Browns Bridge Road west of GA400, the site of the proposed high density town center has a daily traffic count of 18,800 cars.
Many residents say they hoped North Forsyth would develop differently than South Forsyth, with a focus on larger lots and preserving the rural feel. However, very few true low density neighborhoods have been approved in North Forsyth over the past ten years, concerning residents that North Forsyth may ultimately turn into an even more dense version of South Forsyth.
