Plans for new Tim Hortons location alarm residents, business owners

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Plans for a Tim Hortons coffee shop on the corner of State Bridge Road and Abberley Lane have disquieted residents of the subdivision next door, who are worried about noise and traffic congestion.

Contract purchaser Abid Khutliwala intends to use a .84acre parcel for the location, which sits only a few feet away from the

Abberley Township gate. The property holds a joint-access easement, connecting Abberley’s private drive through a strip mall to the Goodwill parking lot, that would be used in the business’ drive-thru.

Khutliwala owns commercial businesses in other cities, like Popeyes, Checkers and Moe’s Southwest Grill, but if the zoning application is approved, Tim Hortons would be Khutliwala’s first business in Johns Creek. He hopes to own more.

“There’s only two good cities in the area: Peachtree City and Johns Creek,” Khutliwala said. “And I’m already living in one.”

Khutliwala is in the process of buying the property to begin development, a project with a price tag of at least $2 million. The Johns Creek Planning Commission has yet to give feedback on project plans. Following a deferral, Khutliwala requested the group meet April 10.

Other locations have been considered, but Khutliwala said, “The price points are so heavy that you can’t even touch it.”

Public outcry

A public input meeting took place in January, where over 20 Abberley Towneship residents voiced their concerns over the use of the easement. Khutliwala’s lawyer, Shaun Adams, confirmed another meeting around early March for residents who couldn’t attend the meeting at Johns Creek City Hall.

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Video captures suspect stealing mailroom items

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek

Police arrived at the Arium Johns Creek apartment complex on Medlock Crossing Parkway Feb. 13 for a burglary report involving stolen mail.

The property manager received three emails Feb. 9 from a company the complex uses to access the mail/ package room attached to the leasing office. The email was about the theft of numerous packages.

The property manager showed police security videos from overnight inside the mailroom. According to the police report, there’s a yellow duffle bag full of mail next to the door at the start of the video, and a suspect is seen loading a red, plaid duffle bag with multiple packages off various shelves and walking out with both bags.

The suspect later returned with a blue duffel/roller bag, locked the deadbolt to the door and continued loading packages.

The suspect was also observed opening a few of the larger boxes before exiting with the roller bag and another large box, the report said.

Police spoke with one tenant who had been victimized. The woman said she received a notification Feb. 8 that a package of vitamins valued at $342, and shampoo valued at $28 had been delivered to the mailroom. The packages were missing, the woman said.

Since the incident, the property manager reported boosting security for the mailroom door.

The property manager was not familiar with the suspect, the report said, so it is unknown if the suspect is a tenant.

Business manager accused of stealing $1.8 million

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The co-owner of a Medlock Bridge Road business reported than an employee had embezzled $1.8 million over a 10-year period from 2009 to December 2019.

The executive said a manager embezzled money from the practice for her personal use by using business credit cards to cover personal purchases and writing checks to herself.

The owner told Johns Creek Police Feb. 13 that his attorney had three large binders documenting the financial transactions. The employee signed a promissory note dated March 2020, agreeing to pay back the embezzled funds.

But the employee stopped paying on the note in April 2022, the police report said, around the time she filed a criminal complaint of rape against him.

The owner said he wished to pursue criminal charges against the employee and her husband. He also said he had been friends with her husband and thinks he assisted in the scheme.

Hampstead Way home ransacked by burglars

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Shortly after 8 p.m. Feb. 16, Johns Creek Police arrived at a residence on Hampstead Way after its alarm system sounded.

Upon arrival, police located forced entry to the back door. All other exterior doors of the residence were locked.

Police said the bottom windowpane of the door appeared to have been kicked in. Police observed multiple rooms had rummaged through.

Police made contact by phone with the homeowner, who said she and her husband were away in California.

The homeowners were referred to a detective with the Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

Fast food employees attacked with machete

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Police was dispatched to Taco Bell/ KFC on State Bridge Road Feb. 16, following a reported assault.

The first of two victims said a man walked up to the takeout window, trying to order an 8-count baked chicken meal, but the location doesn’t serve the item. The first victim said the man became angry and threw a bag into the serving window and proceeded to walk to the front of the store, banging and kicking the glass door.

The first victim and a second victim went to confront the man and told him they could give him a refund. But the man was not satisfied, the police report said.

The man dragged the first victim out into the parking lot starting a fight. During the fight, a passenger wearing a blue hoodie got out of a black Ford pickup truck the customer had arrived in and brandished a machete.

The second victim tried to stop the passenger from hitting the first victim with the machete. During the fight, both victims received lacerations — one to the left eyebrow, and one had lacerations on his left hand near his thumb.

Another man joined the fight to assist the employees and received a bloody nose.

After the altercation, the two suspects got back in the truck and drove away turning right on State Bridge Road.

According to the police report, a video of the incident is being acquired from management. Both victims were transported to North Fulton Hospital for their injuries and want to press charges.

Around 50 attendees gather Feb. 22 to hear from the Appen Media newsroom at a ‘Meet the Press’ event downtown Alpharetta.