🌱 County Considers New Development + Free Bluegrass Concert Tonight

Good morning, neighbors! It's me, Sean Peek, your host of the Cumming Patch newsletter. Let's get this Friday started off right, with a quick dive into the most important things happening these days in town. In today's issue of the newsletter, we'll cover these stories and more:

• County Commissioners considered the proposed development called The Gathering
• Pinecrest Academy is getting a new principal
• School Street Playhouse announced auditions for "The Producers"

But first, today's weather:

Warmer with showers around. High: 74 Low: 54.

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Here are the five top stories in Cumming today:

1. Forsyth County Commissioners looked at renderings and plans for a proposed 100-acre development in South Forsyth called The Gathering. The development would include an 18,500 seat arena, 1.6 million square feet of office and retail space, a community center, 2,400 residential units, and a 1.2 mile trail along Big Creek Greenway. At the commission's work session on Tuesday, commissioners asked pointed questions about funding for the development but ultimately voted 4-0 to hear a zoning request from The Gathering at their May 9 meeting, which will be open to public comments. (Urbanize Atlanta)
2. Pinecrest Academy is welcoming a new principal for grades PK-8 for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. Dr. Blanca Snyder will take over the position in July when the current principal Lenni Forti retires. Dr. Snyder has over a decade of experience in educational settings, including experience in educational policy and research. (Subscription: Forsyth County News)
3. Bluegrass artist Becky Buller is playing a free concert this evening at Lou Sobh Amphitheater from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. This concert is the 2023 Grounded Truck Gathering & Cruise-In. The cruise-in will happen from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the City Center, and the grounded truck event will take place tomorrow at the Cumming Fairgrounds from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more details about the concert, click here. (Cumming City Center via Facebook)
4. School Street Playhouse has announced auditions for an upcoming production of the Tony Award-winning musical, "The Producers." Auditions will be held on May 8 and May 9 at 7:00 p.m. with call-backs happening on May 13 at 10:00 a.m. Auditions will include singing and dance components, as well as a one-minute monologue and cold-reads from the script. For more information, visit this link. (School Street Playhouse via Facebook)
5. In case you missed it, Forsyth County is in the process of updating its transportation plan for the first time since 2018. The update will include drafting an action plan with project recommendations and transportation-related improvements. County officials are inviting residents to engage in the process through in-person meetings scheduled for August and September or by clicking this link to complete a survey. (Appen Media)

From our sponsor:

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Today in Cumming:

• Explorer Tots At Cumming Library (11:00 AM)
• Little Shop Of Horrors At Forsyth Central Stage (7:00 PM)
• Funny Money At School Street Playhouse (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• A new study by Bumper.com found that electric vehicle 'charging deserts' – places where charging stations and ports are in short supply – stretch across states, largely divided by economic and racial lines. On average in Georgia, there are 2.22 charge ports per 10,000 people. Learn more about EV charging rates in Georgia and nationwide at the link. (Bumper.com)
• Cumming Elementary School issued a shout-out to Eastern Star for donating $200 towards student lunch accounts as well as an entire pallet of school supplies! (Cumming Elementary School via Facebook)
• Today is the last day to order a personalized brick to be placed in Steam Engine Pocket Park. Bricks that are ordered now are expected to be placed in July. (Cumming City Center via Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you around.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.