Gwinnett County's board of commissioners has announced it will not move forward with plans to use eminent domain to take over two parcels of land that are part of a historic African American community in the south end of the county.
County officials have been looking to create a park in the "Promised Land" community and have already acquired four parcels of land in the area south of Centerville near the DeKalb County line. The first step taken was the acquisition of the property including the historic "Maguire-Livsey Big House" on Anderson Livsey Lane.
On Wednesday, the county had announced plans to take action on acquiring the final two parcels at an upcoming board of commissioners meeting on April 25. A legal notice was issued stating the county could use eminent domain to take control of the property.
However, on Friday, a new release from the county said the government "will not move forward with taking formal action on the eminent domain proceedings on April 25."
In Wednesday's release, Gwinnett County Government officials say the history of the community goes back more than 200 years.
"The past century of the property’s history represents a time when descendants of slaves from the plantation that once occupied the area purchased land and created a thriving African American community," the release said.
Promised Land resident, and grandson of the property's current owner Thomas Livsey, C.W. Livsey made a number of posts on social media speaking out against the county's plans and asking other members of the surrounding community to help fight against the acquisition.
A statement issued by the board of commissioners said they appreciated the feedback from the family.
“As a board, our decisions are shaped by the valued feedback from our main stakeholders – the community," the statement read. “We respect the right of Mr. Livsey, Sr. and his wife, as a private landowner in determining the best use of this property, and we will work with Mr. Livsey, Sr. and his family to reach a joint decision about how best to support the vision and wishes of Mr. Livsey Sr. and his family for the future use of this property.”
The statement also said no final decision on how the property will be handled in the future has been made.
