Tad Leithead is Lilburn’s CID’s New Executive Director
Tad Leithead officially became LCID’s executive director on July 1, 2019. His in-depth experience helping to form other CIDs in Midtown, Perimeter, Fulton and Cobb counties, along with his previous positions as board chair and executive director of the Cumberland CID made him the ideal candidate to succeed Emory Morsberger.
For more than 25 years, Leithead has been deeply involved in the community through organizations like the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, where he served as board chairman in 1994 and on the board of the Atlanta Regional Commission from 2000-2014, serving as Chairman from 2010-2014. In addition, Leithead’s commercial real estate experience with Cousins Properties and Childress Klein Properties combined with his experience in governmental, development and transportation relations through his consulting firm, Urban One Associates, will aid him well in developing relationships with the City of Lilburn, Gwinnett County and local community groups to better serve LCID.
Newly elected board members include Joe Comonte, general manager of Plaza Las Americas and David Freeman, real estate broker and commercial property owner within LCID. Comonte has been a long-time supporter of LCID, offering up the Plaza Las Americas venue to support the Indian Trail small area study during Lilburn’s National Night Out as well as the LCID informational meetings regarding the Gwinnett Transit Referendum special vote in March 2019. In addition, Freeman’s knowledge of the Atlanta/Lilburn commercial real estate market as well as his private investments within the district, will make him an invaluable asset to the LCID board.
“I am excited to be heading up the LCID,” said Leithead. “I look forward to working with the membership, the board, the City, and the community to complete the current projects and to initiate new ones that will continue to improve this vital area.”
Leithead hit the ground running after his first board meeting and is currently finalizing plans for the remainder of the year.
Construction is underway for a new Lilburn trail running along the south side of U.S. 29 from Jackson Creek to Postal Way. A partnership of the City and the CID, The Jackson Creek Trail received $700,000 in funding from the Transportation Enhancement Grant and $175,000 in SPLOST funds.
CMES, Inc. won the bid to clear and grub, landscape and install two pedestrian bridges of the nearly one-mile-stretch of trail. The project was managed by the City of Lilburn, who contributed $311,884 to the project, and was designed in conjunction with Lilburn CID, which has pledged $100,000 toward landscaping. The project is scheduled for completion at the end of 2019.
Lilburn’s National Night Out
The City of Lilburn will be holding its 10th annual National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6, at Plaza Las Americas. The civic event is aimed to support anti-crime efforts and strengthen neighborhood spirit by building relationships with local law enforcement and other civil servants.
Police departments from neighboring cities, Gwinnett County Police and the Georgia State Patrol, along with representatives from emergency responders such as the fire department and EMTs, will also be in attendance. The Sweetwater Masons will be providing a free child identification program inside the mall.
For more information on this free event, please visit the City of Lilburn website.
Shuttle Service from Lilburn to CDC
The Express Commuter is a limited-stop bus service that currently exists in Gwinnett County as an alternative for long-distance commuters during peak traffic hours on heavily congested routes. A proposal to expand the Express bus system is currently being considered that would create additional pick up points in Lilburn to existing destinations in downtown Atlanta and the CDC near Emory University.
A direct shuttle service from Lilburn to these destinations would tremendously benefit many of the developers and property managers eyeing LCID for multifamily developments and their future residents.
MARTA Hires New Chief of Bus Operations
MARTA has named Collie Greenwood, former chief service officer with the Toronto Transit Commission, as the new chief of bus operations. Greenwood, who has more than 30 years of transit experience, will be responsible for daily operations and maintenance of MARTA’s bus system, including its fleet of 532 buses and paratransit vans.
MARTA’s bus operations service an average of 152,400 people a day and is committed to improving services with the goal of world-class user experience. MARTA’s long-term initiative includes a 2020 budget funding for “The Year of the Bus (YOTB),” aimed at delivering high quality service with the formation of The Bus Operators Task Force. Greenwood will also assume leadership of this team to develop best practices that address recruitment, training, hiring and retention of skilled bus operators.
Doors Open – Harmony Through Understanding 2019 at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Please join the community Saturday afternoon, August 17, at 3 p.m. for a unique open house at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn. Discover Hinduism — and experience the beauty and meaning of the Mandir.
Learn more about the event on the BAPS Mandir website.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
460 Rockbridge Road NW
Lilburn, GA 30047
CID Project Updates
Killian Hill Road Widening Project
The City of Lilburn and Gwinnett County have come together in a joint effort to widen Killian Hill Road from two lanes to five lanes between Arcado Road and Church Street. The $25 million SPLOST-funded project will begin construction in the next four to five years, however the intersection of Killian Hill and Lilburn Industrial Way has received approval to begin construction on a new traffic signal, due to be completed within the next 12-18 months.
Lawrenceville Highway/U.S. 29/ SR 8 at Jimmy Carter Boulevard
Improvements are scheduled for the intersection of Lawrenceville Highway/U.S.29/SR 8 and Jimmy Carter Boulevard that will include adding turn lanes and signal improvements at the intersection. Additional funding from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is being requested for planning and engineering.
Pleasant Hill Road at Ronald Reagan Parkway
LCID is exploring alternatives to provide a pedestrian crossing on Pleasant Hill Road at the Ronald Reagan Parkway ramp. LCID plans to present this to the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation to review.
To have your business or event included in our next CID newsletter, please contact Tad Leithead or email [email protected]. Sign up for the LCID newsletter here.
188 individual parcels
$123 million in total value
158 property owners
$300 million is the goal amount to have join the CID
$600,000 annual funds to CID from assessed millage