The following East Cobb food scores from July 8-19 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:
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Rhoda Gunnigle, the franchisee for a forthcoming Frenchies Modern Nail Care location in East Cobb, writes in to say the opening date is Aug. 16.
The business will located at 3154 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 102, in the Shallowford Falls Shopping Center in a small strip facing Johnson Ferry.
In addition to offering manicures and pedicures, the Frenchies also is available for private parties.
East Cobb is one of three new or soon-to-open locations in Georgia for Frenchies, which started in 2014 in Colorado and operates 26 franchises. Gunnigle said the East Cobb store will be the flagship in metro Atlanta, with future locations planned for Woodstock, Sandy Springs/Dunwoody, Cumming, Roswell and Milton/Alpharetta.
She and her husband Grant are the East Cobb franchisees, and they’re parents to a special-needs son. One of her objectives with this business, she tells us, is “is to provide part-time employment for this population as well as our seasoned nail specialists.”
More information and e-mail sign-up for discounts and specials is available at the Frenchies East Cobb site, and they’ve also got a Facebook page with more frequent updates.
“I want to offer clean, natural and affordable nail care to Marietta, and also create healthy career opportunities for cosmetologists and nail specialists,” Gunnigle says. “Frenchies offers a modern, clean and social vibe, with services at prices that make regular visits accessible.”
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The Cobb Board of Education voted unanimously Thursday to keep the property tax millage rate at 18.9 mills after a new board member had asked earlier in the day about possibly rolling back that number.
Chris Ragsdale, Cobb school superintendent
The 7-0 vote at the board’s regulation meeting Thursday night came with little discussion. But at a work session earlier Thursday, Jaha Howard, who represents the Osborne and Campbell clusters, suggested the possibility of reducing the rate.
Howard asked Brad Johnson, the Cobb County School District’s chief financial officer, about dollar figures for one mill ($26 million) and a tenth of a mill ($2.6 million).
“With the county doing better, I think it would be good at least to explore what it would like to have a very small adjustment—over time,” Howard said.
But superintendent Chris Ragsdale quickly interjected that it was important to keep the same 18.9 bills the Cobb County School District has levied since 2007.
Even though the district is collecting $23 million more in revenues for its fiscal year 2020 budget of $1.7 billion, he said the additional funding is vital to hold in reserve and use judiciously.
“Yes, we are getting more tax revenue with the same millage rate,” Ragsdale said, adding that factors like inflation, additional utility costs and similar expenses have to be taken into consideration.
He said the idea of rolling back the millage rate “feels good, sounds good for about 10 seconds, and then you quickly realize how painful that would be that next year, if [the district financial situation] turns, and we would need to say we need to raise the millage rate.”
The district had to advertise a tax increase because of the additional revenue, although the millage rate is staying the same. The rollback rate would have been slightly more than 18 mills.
Ragsdale said unspent revenues are rolled into the district’s fund balance to be used for on a “rainy day” basis.
He applauded Cobb school boards for sticking with the 18.9 mills, even during the recession with 10 percent drops in the tax digest, which Ragsdale said was “simply amazing. It would have been a blink of an eye if it had been raised to 20 mills [the legal millage rate maximum Cobb schools can levy].”
The real pain of that situation, he said, was cutting more than 800 teaching positions (with more than 600 of them eventually re-filled).
“That was a total nightmare,” Ragsdale said. “I understand where you’re coming from, but there are so many things in the budget . . . but I would always caution against the idea of a reduction of the millage rate.”
The school board voted on Thursday night to spend $4.5 million for the construction of a new secondary data facility. It’s to serve as a backup to the district’s main data facility, and is expected to be completed by next March.
Here’s what the secondary data center is all about, according to CCSD:
“The secondary data center will house critical hardware and software components that provide the district fault tolerance and daily business continuity. It will also serve as a ‘back-up’ to guard against the possibility of a catastrophic event at our primary data center.”
An East Cobb-related item to note from Thursday’s meeting: Tommy Perry, an assistant at Dickerson Middle School, is leaving to become the principal at South Cobb High School, effective Friday.
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An East Cobb man who is charged with the robbery and attempted robbery of three pharmacies, including two in East Cobb in early April, has been indicted on those charges.
According to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office, Matthew Colozzi, 40, of a Sandstone Place address, was indicted by a Cobb Superior Court grand jury on June 27 of seven counts relating to the robbery spree:
robbery by intimidation
criminal attempt to commit a felony
aggravated assault
possession of a knife during the commission of a robbery
possession of a controlled substance
obstruction of police officers
He remains without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, where he was taken into custody on April 14, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.
That’s the date of the last of three robberies Cobb Police say Colozzi committed or tried to commit in a one-week span, as he demanded oxycontin and other prescription drugs.
According to the indictment, Colozzi entered the CVS on Cobb Parkway in the City of Kennesaw on April 7, brandished a knife at a store employee and demanded OxyContin, although he left without any drugs.
Four days later, on April 11, he is accused of going to a CVS in the 3900 block of Shallowford Road, near Lassiter Road, handing a note to an employee and saying he had a gun or knife and demanding oxycodone and Alprazolam. Police said Colozzi left with those substances and some Xanax.
Colozzi was arrested on April 14 at the Walgreens at 2580 Sandy Plains Road after he made a similar demand to an employee there. When police arrived at the scene, Colozzi tried to get away, but was tased, and officers found him in possession of narcotics.
Also indicted last week is Mazda Massieh Davoudi, 19, of a Trickum Road address, on two counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of hit and run and criminal trespass.
According to the indictment, Davoudi was driving a Honda Accord on Feb. 18 on Bentwood Drive, near Old Canton Road, when he intentionally hit and injured Ryan Smith, a pedestrian, and did not stop after the collision.
Davoudi was arrested on April 9 and has been held without bond since then at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.
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A worker at an East Cobb assisted living facility is facing up to 20 years in prison after being convicted this week for elder abuse in the death of a 91-year-old resident there in 2017.
But Landon Terrel, 35, of Powder Springs, was found not guilty of murder and two counts of elder abuse in the death of Adam Bennett at the Sunrise at East Cobb facility, according to the Cobb District Attorney’s office.
A mistrial was declared in the murder case after a Cobb Superior Court jury failed on Wednesday to reach a unanimous verdict, after three days of deliberations.
“Too often we think of justice as a result, instead of a process,” Cobb senior assistant district attorney Jason Marbutt said in a statement. “This was a tough case, with tough facts. We respect the verdict delivered by the jury.”
Terrel had been an overnight caregiver at Sunrise on that date. Around 7:30 a.m., Bennett was found with facial bruising, fractured ribs and a punctured lung. He was rushed to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, but never regained consciousness and died three days later.
The Cobb Medical Examiner’s office ruled the death was caused by blunt force trauma due to an assault.
According to a release from the Cobb DA’s office, Bennett had apparently told another caregiver that Terrel had punched him. That claim was introduced during the trial last week. Terrel denied that, telling police he caught Bennett earlier that evening after he fell out of bed, and said that the elderly man’s chest struck the bed.
Terrel said he checked on Bennett the remainder of the night and admitted to having “poor judgment” by ignoring Bennett’s complaints about being in pain.
Terrel’s sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19 before Cobb Superior Court Judge Lark Ingram.
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A spokeswoman for Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson said Wednesday night the East Cobb Republican was taken to a hospital Tuesday after fracturing several ribs during a fall at his apartment in Washington.
Amanda Maddox said Isakson was admitted to George Washington University Hospital after fracturing four ribs. She said “he is in pain, but resting and doing well. Senator Isakson looks forward to fully recovering and getting back to work for Georgians.”
Isakson, who is 74, is in his third term in the Senate. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015 and occasionally walks with the assistance of a cane.
He was re-elected in 2016, and the following year underwent two back surgeries for a stress fracture and to address spinal deterioration due to arthritis.
Congress is back in session after the July 4 holiday.
Isakson has kept a heavy schedule since his diagnosis, and is the only senator to lead two committees: Veterans Affairs and the Select Committee on Ethics. He also serves on the foreign relations and health, education, labor and pensions committees.
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Following up last week’s story about the delayed finish to the Post Oak Tritt-Hembree roundabout project: You’d best avoid that intersection on Thursday.
That’s because traffic is being rerouted for most of the day so contractors can lay down asphalt in the intersection.
Around noon today, Cobb commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Bob Ott issued a map below that isn’t terribly legible, but they also say in an accompanying note that the work will take place Thursday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and that police officers will be redirecting traffic.
As we posted last week, weather and utility delays pushed back completion from this month to next March. Here’s more from the note that went out today:
“This project remains a priority for Cobb DOT, who will continue to make every effort to ensure that the project is safe throughout the remainder. Thank you for your patience!”
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The Cobb Board of Education is scheduled to adopt a millage rate for the new fiscal year 2020 budget on Thursday.
The board will take action at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Cobb County School District central office, 514 Glover St., Marietta.
At noon Thursday is the second of three public hearings the board is required to hold about the millage rate. It’s scheduled to take place at the same place, to be followed by a work session at 1 p.m.
The third and final public hearing precedes the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.
The new $1.7 billion Cobb schools budget year began on July 1, holding the line on a rate of 18.9 mills that has been levied for many years.
That is not formalized before the Cobb Tax Assessor establishes the county tax digest in late June. This year, it’s projected to be $39 billion, surpassing last year’s record of $36.2 billion.
That means that the Cobb County School District will be collecting more in tax revenues than in 2018. When an elected body doesn’t roll back the millage rate accordingly, that’s considered a tax increase, and it must advertise and hold three public hearings.
This year the tax revenue increase for Cobb schools is 4.88 percent. A recent history of the schools millage rate levy can be found here.
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Milton City Hall, which opened in 2017 near a mixed-use development in Crabapple, was built with funding from a $10 million bond issue. (ECN photos)
We’re still waiting to hear back about the work of the East Cobb cityhood financial committee (we were told in late June it would be “a few weeks.”)
In the meantime, we pulled the latest budget and financial information we could find for similar municipalities in Cobb, and in particular, some of the newer cities in North Fulton.
The seven cities we looked at all provide more than what’s being proposed now in the East Cobb cityhood legislation—a state-mandated minimum of three services, in this case police, fire and community development.
While it’s possible a proposed City of East Cobb, should it come to pass, could add services as some others have, for now its “independent” financial committee is limiting its work to those three called for in the bill.
The audit group is scouring through a Georgia State University study released in December that declared the proposed City of East Cobb “financially feasible” with annual revenues of around $49.5 million and a nearly $4 million surplus to start.
The goal of the finance committee, cityhood leader Rob Eble said last month, is to come up with a workable budget. So those numbers are likely to change, perhaps a good bit, especially if the proposed city boundary lines are altered.
Eble told us last month the cityhood group wants to have a town hall meeting in August or once the financial work is complete.
Modeling after Milton
One of the cities the East Cobb group has referenced in its public statements as a model is Milton, the northernmost municipality in Fulton County, and which voted to incorporate in 2006.
It offered police, fire and community development to start, and has added public works and parks and recreation.
Milton’s population of just under 40,000 is less than half of what’s being proposed for East Cobb now, but it’s affluent with similar demographics, per capita income and median home values, as well as public school rankings.
Milton’s current fiscal year 2019 budget of $29.2 million is calculated on a millage rate of 4.39, which has held steady since the city began.
That’s one of the talking points made by East Cobb cityhood leaders, who’ve said in town hall meetings this spring that property taxes wouldn’t be higher than what’s currently levied in unincorporated Cobb.
While some East Cobb cityhood skeptics are dubious about the claim to hold the line at 2.96 mills, Milton’s been able to make major capital improvements due to bond issues. After leasing office space for more than a decade, a city hall building opened in 2017, funded with a $10 million bond issue approved by Milton voters.
The Green at Crabapple Market opened in 2018, across from Milton City Hall.
The two-story building includes event space and is located near a three-story mixed-use development, featuring shops, restaurants and high-end townhomes, in the historic Crabapple district.
For now, possible City of East Cobb plans would be to purchase and utilize the East Cobb Government Service Center on Lower Roswell Road. The facility houses Cobb Police Precinct 4 headquarters and Cobb Fire Station 20, as well as a Cobb Tax Commissioner satellite office.
But there’s nothing in the proposed charter referencing where a city hall and municipal court may be located.
Linked below are the latest budget documents for six other cities in Cobb and North Fulton. Sandy Springs and Johns Creek also came into being in 2006; the others are decades-old cities that have offered a variety of services for many years.
That’s especially the case in Marietta, whose overall budget of $331 million includes its operations of the Marietta Board of Lights and Water (expected 2020 revenues of $168 million). That overall figure, plus the general fund budget and millage rate, are both included in the table below.
Community leaders in Mableton have had a bill filed in the legislature, similar to East Cobb’s. That municipality would have a population near 90,000, with proposed services including community development, but not police and fire.
The South Cobb Alliance group pushing Mableton cityhood is still raising money to fund a required financial feasibility study.
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The newly opened Credit Union of Georgia branch on Johnson Ferry Road won’t be displaying an electronic message board.
The financial institution located at 1020 Johnson Ferry Road at the intersection of Little Willeo Road) had requested permission from the Cobb Board of Commissioners for a stipulation amendment to build a six-foot high LED sign.
But by a 4-0 vote, commissioners turned down the request. Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb said the electronic message board is incompatible with the neighborhood, including the newly opened Solana East Cobb senior residential facility on the opposite side of the intersection.
The reason Cobb zoning staff recommended denial, Ott said, is because “there’s a whole lot of history at this intersection.”
The Credit Union of Georgia standalone building formerly housed several bank branches, most recently BB & T. It’s also across from Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.
One of the original stipulations for the property, dating back to 1984, says any sign “shall not be backlighted and . . . no neon-type signs shall be used.”
“This would be introducing the neighborhood to a whole new element,” Ott said before making a motion to deny the request.
The only existing electronic sign in that part of the Johnson Ferry corridor is a static sign listing movies playing at the Merchants Walk Cinema.
Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce recused himself from voting, saying he had a “financial relationship” with the applicant.
In other business Tuesday, commissioners voted to continue until September a request by Geneva Roswell, LLC to divvy up the former L.A. Fitness location at 4905 Alabama Road—just up the road from Sandy Plains Village—into multiple retail parcels (view the case file here).
The case has drawn nearby opposition, and Kevin Moore, the applicant’s attorney, was going to withdraw the application without prejudice.
One of the objections to the application was a stipulation to allow for a truck dock for a potential retail occupant, and to construct a ground-based monument sign.
The county zoning staff had issues with the sign request, saying violated sewer easement setback restrictions.
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A few weeks ago we saw the renovations underway for a new Clean Juice organic smoothie and juice location at Woodlawn Square Shopping Center (1205 Johnson Ferry Road), in the former space of Edward Johns Jewelers)
The store is announcing this week that its grand opening will take place on Saturday from 10-6. Free smoothies and Açaí Bowls are among the day-long promotions they’ll be giving away. More updates on its Facebook page.
Clean Juice is a Charlotte, N.C.-based company with nearly 60 franchises in 18 states, including stores in Alpharetta, Sandy Springs and Westside Atlanta.
The East Cobb opening hours will be Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 8-8 and Sunday 9-6.
Get your Sushi Burrito fix
Tomorrow’s News Today reports that Roll On In, an Ohio-based franchise eatery specializing in sushi burritos and bowls, will be opening soon (likely by the end of the summer, according to the store’s Facebook page) at Woodlawn Commons Shopping Center (1100 Johnson Ferry Road), next to La Vida Massage.
The store is one of three planned for the Asian Fusion chain’s foray into Atlanta, with others slated for Alpharetta and Roswell.
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Last summer the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road) staged the inaugural “Minicon,” a day-long celebration of the arts and crafts of comics, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and gaming. On Saturday, it’s coming back for its second year, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The schedule is similar, including a costume contest (as seen above last year), along with gaming and other demos, cosplay and other workshops, face painting, food, vendors and many other activities.
What follows below more detailed list of what’s being featured. Anyone in the public is welcome to attend, and there is no admission:
Artists and Vendors:
BUTTON GIRL
CAIN 9 SEWING DESIGNS
DORIAN DARKSTAR
DOUBLE PRIMER
EK STUDIO
FELT NERDY
FLINT & FEATHER
GEMINI AND THE WOLF CANDLES
GENE MARKEY
GIGA-BITES CAFE
GOTHBOT
THE HAPPY KAT
JEWELRY BY JACK COLLINS
KNITS BY CAREY
LEGACY A.D.
MARK’S MUGS
MARLENA FRANK
MEGANEBII
MORBID SMILE
P.C. HESTER
SHINY TURTLE STUDIOS
WE THE DREAMING DESIGNS
Food:
COOL BEANS COFFEE
DADDY O’BRIEN’S ICE CREAM
GOOD FOOD
TOM + CHEE
ZAXBY’S
Featured Panel:
THE GREAT JAWA BUILD WITH GEORGIA 501ST
Workshops:
COSPLAY Q&A
FX MAKEUP FOR BEGINNERS
MINIATURES PAINTING* (Limited Space. First come first served)
WEB COMICS
ZINE MAKING
Featured Activities:
COSPLAY CONTEST (ADULTS AND TEENS)
CHILDREN’S COSTUME PARADE
CRAFTS
DEMOS BY THE MAKER STATION
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
FACE PAINTING
FANDOM MEETUPS
PALM READINGS BY HANDFUL OF STARS ($20)
PATHFINDER
TABLETOP GAMING WITH GIGA-BITES CAFE
TRIVIA
For information contact the Sewell Mill Library at 770-509-2711.
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A second round of public meetings concerning the development of new Cobb parks properties begins this week and continues into August.
The only property purchased in East Cobb with funding from the 2008 Parks bond program is on Ebenezer Road (above).
A meeting seeking public input to guide that master plan takes place on Wednesday, Aug. 7, in the sanctuary of the Noonday Baptist Church (4121 Canton Road), from 6:30-8 p.m.
Cobb Parks previously hosted a series of public input meetings to discuss planning for the future of new park properties purchased through the 2008 PARKS Bond program.
Although there is currently no funding for the development of these properties, public input is being sought in the planning for future development once funding is identified.
Comments and information from the first meeting involving the proposed Ebenezer Road Park in February can be found below:
The schedule for other Cobb Parks master plan meetings is as follows:
District 1: Anderson property — Thursday, July 18. West Cobb Senior Center, 4915 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
District 1: Price property — Wednesday, July 31. West Cobb Senior Center, 4915 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
District 1: Kemp property — Monday, Aug. 5. West Cobb Senior Center, 4915 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
District 4: Henderson property — Thursday, Aug. 8. South Cobb Community Center, 620 Lions Club Drive, Mableton
District 4: Old Westside property — Monday, Aug. 12. Ron Anderson Recreation Center, 3820 Macedonia Road, Powder Springs.
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Rev. Clay Smith and his wife, Terrica, and their children, Madison, Molly and Miller.
On Sunday morning Johnson Ferry Baptist Church announced during its services that a call has been issued to Rev. Clay Smith to be its new senior pastor.
Smith is currently the senior pastor at First Baptist Church of Matthews, N.C. (a suburb of Charlotte) and most of his ministry has been spent in the Carolinas.
He’s a native of Greenville, S.C., and earned a master’s degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where he is currently a Ph.D. student.
According to George Ethridge and John Farish, co-chairs of the Johnson Ferry senior pastor search committee, Smith will be preaching all five services on Aug. 4 as the church’s sole candidate to succeed the Rev. Bryant Wright, who announced in November he would be retiring.
Wright is the founding pastor at Johnson Ferry, which started in 1981, and later became a president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
In a video message also unveiled Sunday, Wright said that “there is no doubt in my mind that Clay Smith is the man that God has chosen for this role.”
Here’s more about Smith from a message Johnson Ferry is sharing with the community:
His central passion for ministry revolves around the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). This includes a biblical concentration in three major areas: evangelism, relational discipleship and missions.
Clay has been the Senior Pastor of First Baptist, Matthews, NC since August of 2014. Prior to that he was Minister of Adults under Dick Lincoln at Shandon Baptist in Columbia, SC from 2008 to 2014, and Associate Pastor, Outreach & Education at Alice Drive Baptist in Sumter, SC from 2005-2008. While in seminary at Southwestern Baptist in Ft. Worth, TX, Clay served as an Intern to Senior Pastors Dr. Jack Graham & Dr. David McKinley at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX from 2002-2005. In his free time he enjoys running, playing golf, reading (history) and looking for great greasy spoon restaurants. In addition, you will also find him pulling for his alma mater, the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Clay’s life verse is Galatians 2:20 (NASB). “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered himself up for me.”
All congregants are invited to view the recap below from the Senior Pastor Search Committee to see how the Lord has been evident throughout the search process.
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Andy Lee White, at left, an East Cobb resident and author of the newly published “Atlanta Pop in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s” writes in to say that he and his co-author, John Williams, at right, will be having a signing event July 26 on the Marietta Square.
Their book, published in April by Arcadia Publishing and the History Press, focuses on Bill Lowery, an Atlanta music talent scout and promoter who discovered and developed homegrown Cobb County talent that includes Billy Joe Royal, Joe South and Ray Stevens.
Lowery also launched the careers of Atlanta natives Tommy Roe and Jerry Reed and managed and recorded The Tams. The emergence of Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, Atlanta Rhythm Section and Classics IV also are included in this book, which covers a critical period in the history of Southern rock and popular music.
White and his wife Trisha operate the Your Extra Attic storage business on Lower Roswell Road near Johnson Ferry Road, but he’s also a singer, songwriter and musician who’s played live music and released two solo albums.
His most recent album, he says, is being completed with Rodney Mills, the noted Atlanta-area music producer and engineer.
This is White’s first book (he’s working on another, he says, that will include “some local Cobb County names and personalities and centers around a story that, for the most part, takes place in Marietta.” Williams, who has taught English at LaGrange college, is a published author, essayist, playwright and novelist.
The book signing event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. July 26 at The Local Exchange (130 S. Park Square), and books can be purchased on-site.
The event takes place right before an 8 p.m. concert at Glover Park featuring The Tams, an Atlanta-based vocal group that had several hit records in the 1960s, including “What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)” and “Be Young Be Foolish and Be Happy.”
“Atlanta Pop” features a chapter on the Tams, who also are included on the book’s cover, and who are scheduled to appear at the book signing.
The authors have created a Facebook page with more information about the book and related events.
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Jill Dent, the branch manager of the Delta Community Credit Union branch on Johnson Ferry Road, and Regional Manager Eddie Johnson, the former East Cobb manager.
Submitted information and photo:
The Delta Community Credit Union branch at 1205 Johnson Ferry Road has a new manager. While the role is new to Jill Dent, her passion for serving members, especially at this branch, is not. She worked in customer service positions for more than a decade before coming to work for the Cobb County-based credit union.
“I’ve also been a member of Delta Community for more than 20 years, so I knew that any credit union that takes such good care of me as a customer would also be a good employer,” explained Dent. “I came to work in our Johnson Ferry Branch in 2016, and now I love this team, and I love this community.”
After beginning her career at Delta Community as a Member Service Agent, Dent was promoted to Assistant Manager of the Johnson Ferry branch in 2017. This month, she was tapped for the manager position after former manager Eddie Johnson was promoted to oversee all the Delta Community locations in North Fulton and Cobb County.
“We have a large number of business members who do their company’s banking here, thanks to the large number of nearby restaurants, retail stores and medical offices in East Cobb,” said Johnson. “Our members have very high expectations for hands-on customer service, and many of them will ask for a specific teller by name, and are willing to wait to see their favorite. Jill is well prepared to address members’ needs for trustworthy, dependable financial advice and products.”
Dent says she plans to continue being involved in community events, such as the East Cobber Festival, and partnerships with nearby schools like Walton and Pope High. But most of all, she’s excited to continue offering the superior service to our members they have come to expect.
“Many of our members visit on a regular basis – sometimes twice a week,” added Dent. “We have many wonderful opportunities to help them with their day-to-day banking needs, and also with those more complex, ‘lifetime’ milestones, such as buying a new home, or opening a business. I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to help.”
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After another standstill over a proposed annexation and rezoning case on Lower Roswell Road that has dragged on for months, the Marietta City Council voted Wednesday to continue the delay.
By a 5-1 vote, the council approved a measure that would “stay” the annexation and rezoning proposals, along with related action to update the city’s future land use plan, for 90 days.
That’s to provide time for all the parties to discuss Cobb County’s objection to the rezoning based on density grounds and possibly to reschedule mediation between the city and county that was called off last month.
The stay was proposed by council member Michelle Cooper-Kelly, whose East Marietta ward would include the 7.46 acres at Lower Roswell and the Loop that Traton Homes wants to develop into 52 townhomes and single-family homes.
Residents in the adjacent Sewell Manor neighborhood in unincorporated Cobb have opposed the proposal, saying it’s too dense and would worsen traffic woes they face daily.
Many of them were on hand in Marietta council chambers Wednesday, bringing yellow “Save East Cobb” signs they have used during their fight.
Because of the proposed density of the project—nearly seven units an acre—the county had the right to object, but didn’t formalize that stance in January until it was too late.
The Marietta council twice delayed voting on the annexation and rezoning, which was recommended for denial by the city planning commission in April.
Last month Cobb commissioner Bob Ott met with Sewell Manor residents about their concerns, and told them there’s nothing legally preventing Marietta from annexing and rezoning the land.
A couple weeks later, another notice went up in Sewell Manor about Wednesday’s agenda item, but some residents said they weren’t sure until the last minute what might transpire.
The only council member voting against the delays on Wednesday was Joseph Goldstein, also of East Marietta, who urged there be public hearings before the 90-day period ends.
Cooper-Kelly’s motion would allow Traton, if nothing else happens, to withdraw its application after 90 days without prejudice, meaning it could refile and restart the annexation and rezoning process.
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Shane Spink of the Sprayberry Crossing Action group told East Cobb News there’s still not a conceptual plan for a possible mixed-use development.
Some of the group’s leaders, including Spink, met last week with the developer, who’s been identified as Atlantic Residential of Atlanta, that specializes in residential and mixed-use developments.
The group, which counts more than 4,700 followers on Facebook, was informed last month about the developer’s interest, after years of haggling with the county and NAI Brannen Goddard, the managing agent for the Sprayberry Crossing Partnership owners, to do something about a long-standing eyesore at Sandy Plains and Piedmont.
Spink said while he was encouraged that the developer wants to get community input, “the details were a little fuzzy and I’m not sure they know exactly what they want to do there, mainly because there could be some larger commercial involved that would take up more space. This was a grocery chain and that didn’t seem concrete yet.”
He said the developer appears to prefer a project with a largely residential component, featuring townhomes, senior living and multi-family units on the 16-acre tract that now houses a few businesses, but that has been largely empty for years.
The details there, Spink said, are still to be revealed, “so we are waiting for the final draw up to see where we are and what we think the community will agree to.
“Bottom line is the community wants change so let’s see what they put on paper. It is such a complicated site with all the different parcels and of course the cemetery in the middle.”
A timeline for discussing a conceptual plan, after a survey and design are completed, may come about in a few weeks, Spink said.
“The bottom line on the residential is that it’s going to have to have a larger component [than what has] been proposed in the past just because that site isn’t going to work as 100 percent commercial. So the community is going to have to accept residential there or it’s probably not gonna work for any developer.”
Joe Glancy of Sprayberry Crossing has added some more details, including the map below of the current property. The green area would be redeveloped, with the yellow area currently containing commercial property.
The commercial portion of the new development, he said, “will likely be ground floor below the residential. The developer could envision that including a small grocer – but that is way down the road and far from certain.” Some greenspace figures to be contained as well.
“According to the developer, one of the reasons why this property is more attractive for residential development is that it sits enclosed with no street visibility and is already fronted by retail development. Additionally, the abundance of retail space surrounding the property makes a large retail commitment unlikely.”
He said Atlantic Residential will continue to survey the site over the next few weeks, develop a plan and bring it to the community.
The developer, he said, isn’t going to seek rezoning “until they are satisfied they have the support of the community.”
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A few Cobb citizens addressed county commissioners Tuesday in the first of three required public hearings on the proposed Cobb fiscal year 2020 budget and millage rate.
The $475.8 million proposed for general fund spending is nearly six percent over the current FY 2019 budget of $454 million.
The overall budget proposal, which includes fire and E911, debt service and other categories outside the general fund, comes to $998.9 million, up from the current $966 million.
After several weeks of pressure from public safety employees and citizens, the budget proposal includes a seven-percent pay increase to boost salaries and benefits as well as retention issues.
It’s part of what commission chairman Mike Boyce has said is the beginning of a longer-term process toward step and grade raises and other incentives for police officers, firefighters and sheriff’s deputies.
No millage rate increase is proposed, but the anticipated tax digest is growing by an assumed 3.4 percent, to a record $39 billion.
Therefore, the county has to advertise the current millage rate as a tax increase since no rollback to the current year’s tax digest total of $36.7 billion.
Even with additional coffers for FY 2020, the proposal includes using $18.4 million in contingency (or reserve) funds to balance the budget.
That flustered Pamela Reardon, a real estate agent in East Cobb. After last year’s tax increase, she told commissioners, “you told me we would have plenty of money. And now we don’t have any money. What happened?”
She apologized for suggesting in such harsh terms that the contingency “looks like it’s being used like a slush fund.”
Reardon also said she thought a seven-percent raise all at once seems excessive. “I’m not opposed to raises, but who decided that?” she said.
That raise would amount to $5.2 million of the proposed contingency spending, with the largest chunk, $7.5 million, for a four-percent raise for other county employees.
Another $2 million would be earmarked for police operating and capital contingency, with another $1 million for undesignated use by the commissioners.
What’s missing from the budget is $850,000 in non-profit spending that in the past has gone to social-service agencies like MUST Ministries and the Center for Family Resources.
State. Rep. Mary Frances Williams, a Marietta Democrat who represents part of northeast Cobb, and who is a former advocate for non-profits, calculated that amount to less than 0.0020 percent of the budget.
But removing it completely would have a far greater detriment that tax dollars saved, she said, since county funding provides “seed money for nonprofits to get matching matching grants.”
Additional public hearings on the budget will be as follows:
Tuesday, July 16, 6:30 p.m.;
Tuesday, July 23, 2019, 7 p.m.
The final date is also scheduled for budget adoption. The meetings take place in the second floor board meeting room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.
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