Infrastructure

A strong infrastructure is the life-blood of a strong business community. Experts agree that, “Cumming and Forsyth County have done a remarkable job in planning for future infrastructure needs.” The county continues to expand heavily traveled arteries in order to promote accessibility to vital business centers. In July 2002, the ARC (Atlanta regional Commission) 25-year regional transportation plan was approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation, providing $36 billion in metro area road improvements. Forsyth County falls under the ARC blueprint, thus furthering the county’s future road improvements. The County also completed a Livable Cities Initiative in the spring of 2006 that creates mixed use corridors along GA 400 for future planned growth.

In addressing the community’s growing sewer and water treatment needs, the philosophy is not to react to problems as they arise, but to prepare for the challenges that are waiting in the wings. For this reason the county’s first water treatment facility, a $17.3 million state-of-the-art plant paid for by SLOST (Special Option Local Sales Tax) money was completed in April 2002. The treatment facility, one of the first of its kind in the state, uses ozone to purify water. This is in addition to almost 300 hundred acres on Big Creek that have been purchased for the construction of a wastewater reclamation facility and 1.1 million gallons of sewer capacity purchased from local sewer plants and reclamation facilities in 2001. The City of Cumming continues to upgrade their raw water intake system and added an additional 6 million gallons of sewer capacity in 2006.

Telecommunications

Technology has advanced to a state in which the delivery of voice, video, and data create an integrated communications environment. Whether it’s your telephone or IT infrastructure, state-of-the-art high-speed connectivity is vital. Connection to a data or virtual network is only as strong as its weakest link. One of the biggest bandwidth problems affecting the growth of the virtual enterprise has been local access. Businesses located in Forsyth County benefit greatly from their neighbors when it comes to this telecommunications hurdle. Many telecommunication giants, including Bell South, Advanced Telecommunications Corporations, Comcast and Scientific-Atlanta, are headquartered in Atlanta while MCI, US Sprint and AT&T all maintain regional headquarters here. In the local area data link and physical layer technologies include copper wiring, fiber optic cable, wireless transmission, Ethernet, Token-Ring, ATM, plus the latest in ever-changing capabilities. To address global services the wider area employs technologies such as T-carrier, SONET, wave division multiplexing, and ATM to help meet all of your telecommunication needs. This direct access allows you to maximize advanced communications services and guarantees that the most reliable, cutting-edge technology is readily available.

Fast Facts

• World class business parks and available green space to meet future demands.
• State of the art telecommunication infrastructure with service to all areas of community.
• Aggressive public infrastructure growth strategy to meet the needs of future development.
• Use of local option sales tax to fund major improvement projects within school system and city and county governments.
• Comprehensive land use and zoning plans to accomodate mixed use master planning.
• Healthcare and Education infrastructure planning will assist in providing stable job growth and creation.

"Technology Park is proud to be a part of the corporate infrastructure in Forsyth County.  Since we became a part of the development community in 1985, we have been impressed with the county's proactive business stance.  Our development and the many businesses located here have come to rely upon the cooperative nature and consisten desire by county officials to provide a strong base for viability and growth."

Rick O'Brien,
                                          Managing Principal Technology Park