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📢 New city manager announced
Friday, Aug. 14 — Hey, it’s Hayden with your weekly Norcross newsletter.
This week’s edition is chock-full of stories from Monday’s council meeting. Among the news coming out of the meeting was the announcement that the city had selected former Henry County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews to take over for retiring City Manager Eric Johnson. Read more on this below.
The forecast looks promising for tonight’s summer concert series at Thrasher Park. The C.O.T. Band, specializing in Latin salsa and funk/disco music, is playing at the second-to-last concert of the season. Per usual, expect some downtown road closures near the park.
⬇️ Quick round-up of things to know:
🏘️ LAST CALL: The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is hosting its annual home tour in Norcross tomorrow. Get tickets here.
📷 Ansley Kelly, our photojournalism intern through the Atlanta Press Club, has an awesome roundup of her favorite photos from this summer. Read all about her favorite photo assignments as she heads into her senior year at UGA.
🗞️ Southwest Gwinnett Magazine launched Norcross/Now this month, a rebrand of its bimonthly publication, with a bunch of stories about the city.
Now for your weekly dispatch,
🖖 Hayden
👩⚕️ Magnolia Veterinary Care– Care that feels different, because it is.Comprehensive, compassionate veterinary care for every stage of your pet’s life. We’re welcoming new patients now -3631 Chamblee Tucker Rd., Suite E. Give us a call today or request an appointment online. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Norcross approves temporary ban on demolishing pre-1950 buildings
🏘️ At its Monday meeting, the Norcross City Council narrowly approved a moratorium on demolition permits for pre-1950 structures until Nov. 2, looking to align policy with the community’s desired historical character.
Originally, the historic preservation moratorium was set through January 2027. Council members opted to shorten the prohibition period to 84 days and focus on defining what qualifies as historic.
The moratorium is citywide, not exclusive to the city’s national historic district. Properties owned by the city and the downtown development authority are exempt.
🏗️ Read more about the council’s debate and other actions here.
Meet the People at the Heart of Perimeter’s Community
SPONSORED BY PERIMETER COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS
🤝 Community doesn’t just happen. It takes people who create reasons to connect.
Meet Rosemary Watts of Create Dunwoody and Nikki Washington of Perimeter Connects, two leaders helping transform Perimeter into a place where people want to gather, explore, and belong.
📹 Watch their stories in the Heart of Perimeter video series and discover what’s bringing people together.
City to unveil new public safety hub at Aug. 22 council cookout
🌭 City officials are inviting the community to check out the new, state-of-the-art Norcross Public Safety Building at an Aug. 22 Cookout with Council, before the official Sept. 2 ribbon-cutting.
Norcross City Manager Eric Johnson, who is retiring to Florida just a few days after staff begins working in the new building, said the $26.9 million project is the most expensive in city history, largely due to soaring construction costs.
“I am very proud of the fact that we have paid for more than three-quarters of the cost of that building with cash … without leaving a legacy of debt for future generations,” Johnson said. “I would suggest, if I were here, that we pay it off five years from now when the first opportunity arises.”
👮 Read about the new building and more from the August council meeting here.
👩⚕️ Magnolia Veterinary Care– Care that feels different, because it is.Comprehensive, compassionate veterinary care for every stage of your pet’s life. We’re welcoming new patients now -3631 Chamblee Tucker Rd., Suite E. Give us a call today or request an appointment online. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Former Henry County manager to be next Norcross city manager
🔄 Norcross Mayor Craig Newton announced on Aug. 10 that former Henry County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews will replace City Manager Eric Johnson, who is retiring in September.
Newton said city officials want to share as much as they can about the recruitment process, which they deliberated on in executive session, away from the public eye. In May, the city began working with its consultant, Arndt Municipal Support, to find, interview, and narrow down candidates.
“She described herself as someone who leads by example and emphasizes explaining the ‘why’ behind her decisions,” Newton said. “Mrs. Hobson-Matthews has managed at a scale considerably larger than Norcross.”
🏛️ Read more about the city’s leadership transition here.
Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries to launch new programs this fall
🆘 Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries (NCM) Executive Director Ryan Jones pitched the nonprofit’s emergency assistance programs and shared updates with community members at a recent Norcross PDC meeting at 45 South Cafe.
Jones, a Gwinnett County native and Brookwood High School alum, said he was called to join the Norcross-based nonprofit about five and a half years ago. The former real estate banker attended Presbyterian College in South Carolina.
🫶 Read more about NCM and community volunteering opportunities here.
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