Rest Haven Continues Journey To End Existence
Rest Haven is home to 66 people according to 2017 Census data. It’s like an island on the edge of Gwinnett and Hall counties.
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There’s a city in Gwinnett County that’s trying to cease to exist, but the process for Rest Haven to dissolve has been a difficult one.
Rest Haven is home to 66 people according to 2017 Census data. It’s like an island on the edge of Gwinnett and Hall counties.
Gwinnett County commissioners don’t seem to know much about the small city. At a recent meeting, they peppered each other with questions about the city’s status. They settled with the idea that Rest Haven is alive and well but about half the size it once was.
Part of that is because of legislation state lawmakers passed three years ago that allowed the city of Buford to annex the eastern part of Rest Haven’s land into its city boundaries.
Due to an earlier lawsuit, Rest Haven has to break itself up piece by piece. Gwinnett Commissioners voted earlier this week to de-annex 2.8 acres from what’s left of the city.
That land is also slated to become a part of Buford.
Amy Henderson, with the Georgia Municipal Association, said smaller cities tend to want to end their being when larger ones surround them.
“It’s just something that just happens over time,” Henderson said. “Especially those really small ones that may have difficulty providing the services that state law requires them to provide. So it just makes sense for them to not be cities anymore at that point.”
The remaining portion of Rest Haven is still hanging on. The ultimate goal officials say is to fully become part of the city of Buford.
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