Mayor’s Message January 2025

2024 was another great year for our community, and it’s not just us who feel this way. Others are taking notice as well.  Travel and Leisure magazine named us the number one best suburb to live in the country. According to safewise.com, Johns Creek was the second safest city in the United States. The Newtown Dog Park was named the second best in the country by USA TODAY Readers’ Choice.  To put that one in perspective, however, please note that the number one dog park is its own island off the coast of California, so I consider Newtown the best NON-ISLAND dog park!

These accolades are due to you, our residents, our businesses, and because of the efforts of our city staff.  I hope these superlatives mean that we are making noticeable, positive impacts on the quality of life in our community. 

We are one of the best communities anywhere in America, but we are not resting on our laurels. We continued to make progress on many projects.

Some highlights that are anticipated to be completed in 2025 are:

• Rogers Bridge/Bell Rd trail
• Buice Rd trail to Johns Creek
• Pedestrian tunnel under 141/Medlock Bridge Rd connecting to the Town Center
• Jones Br Rd (Waters to State Bridge) Summer 2025
• Current segment of Abbotts Bridge Rd 2026

Projects anticipated to start in 2025 are:

• McGinnis Ferry Rd from Sargent Rd to Douglas Rd
• Two intersection improvements in the Town Center area
• Buice Rd bridge replacement
• Barnwell Rd trail assuming pre-construction preparations remain on track

The three main parts of the Town Center continue to move along nicely. The Innovation Hub, aka our concentration of larger tech businesses, is growing with the expansion of existing businesses and the expected completion of the new Boston Scientific campus sometime mid-year.  Creekside Park behind City Hall is now under construction and is scheduled for completion in 2026. Medley has also begun construction, with an official groundbreaking set for mid-January. The grand opening of Medley is tentatively in late 2026 and is likely to feature a popular boutique grocer!

We continue to seek ways to add additional value, build a greater community, and to further support quality of life.  In front of us are three important opportunities and challenges.  

Stormwater management is a challenging issue that the city has been actively addressing.  While it remains a complex problem, it is one that the Council takes very seriously. We are committed to exploring additional strategies to mitigate its destructive effects and protect our community.

Permitting and government requirements of homeowners and businesses need to be seriously reviewed for possible reforms.  The city needs to examine our processes and fees to ensure we are being as fair and evenhanded as possible. 

Our parks are a tremendous source of pride for our community. Despite the exciting new additions, like Cauley Creek, I believe we are still falling short in fully meeting the needs of our residents, particularly in youth programming. While there are many recreational programs available for our youngest residents, there remain notable gaps. My goal is to bring together our community — partnering with non-profits, schools, private businesses, and the City of Johns Creek — to provide meaningful opportunities for our youth from little league through high school for more unified, comprehensive access to programs that eventually culminate in our high schools. 

This represents a significant shift from the current scope of recreation programs that have been offered in the past.  Alongside the goal of establishing a performing arts center, I believe this is another critical step we must take to make Johns Creek the best community it can be.  Together, we will continue to move Johns Creek forward.

Happy holidays and happy new year to you and yours!

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