Month: April 2022

Cobb advance voting guide for primaries, Cityhood referendums

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Favorite East Cobb 2020 photos
The East Cobb Government Service Center will once again be an advance voting location.

Starting Monday, Cobb voters will be able to cast in-person votes ahead of the May 24 primaries and three Cityhood referendums, including one in East Cobb.

Advance voting goes from May 2-20 at various locations in the county, including the East Cobb Government Service Center and the Tim D. Lee Senior Center. Voters can vote early at any location in the county, and not just one that’s closest to them.

Voters in East Cobb will have contested primaries in several key races, including District 3 Cobb Commission (Republican), Georgia Senate 6 (Democrat and Republican), Georgia Senate 32 (Republican), Georgia House 43 (Democrat) and Georgia House 45 (Republican.)

We’ve conducted interviews with the candidates in the contested Republican primary for Cobb Commission District 3: Incumbent JoAnn Birrell; and challenger Judy Sarden.

A big Republican field also is on the ballot in the 6th Congressional District, and several sitting statewide office holders are being challenged. They include Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.

A number of non-partisan judicial elections also are on the ballot; see our previous story on all who’ve qualified.

Voters will have to choose from three separate ballots, samples of which are linked to here:

Non-partisan candidates will be included on the party ballots, but no party-specific candidates will be included on non-partisan ballots.

The sample ballots above are countywide; to get a sample ballot customized for you, and to check which races you will be able to vote in, click here.

The East Cobb Cityhood referendum will be on the ballots of eligible voters who live inside the proposed boundaries; check the interactive map by clicking here. Also visit our Cityhood tab for more information about the referendum.

A photo ID is required to vote in-person and absentee, and you can check which ones are accepted by clicking here.

What follows below is a graphic from Cobb Elections on where, and when, you can vote in-person in advance:

Cobb 2022 Advance Voting schedule

Cobb Elections is providing real-time updates on estimated wait times at the early voting locations and here is the link.

If you wish to vote via absentee ballot, you have through May 13 to request one, and you can do that by clicking here.

Those casting absentee ballots can return them via standard mail, or at a designated dropbox as noted above.

Unlike the 2020 elections, the drop boxes will not be located outside buildings for 24/7 deliveries; following a new state law passed this year, they must be returned inside during opening or voting hours.

All absentee ballots must be returned before the polls close at 7 p.m. on primary election day, May 24.

There also will be a May 3 runoff between Democrat Dustin McCormick and Republican Mitchell Kaye to determine the successor to Matt Dollar, a Republican who resigned his Georgia House seat representing District 45 in February.

The winner will hold office only through the end of the year, the end of Dollar’s term.

McCormick has qualified for the May 24 primary for the redrawn District 45. The Republican primary candidates are current District 43 State Rep. Sharon Cooper and Carminthia Moore.

Voters eligible to cast votes in that race will go to their assigned precincts on Tuesday, and not the early voting locations.

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Candidate profile: JoAnn Birrell, Cobb Commission District 3

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After narrowly winning re-election in 2018, JoAnn Birrell said there was plenty of unfinished business for her to address in her third term as a member of the Cobb Board of Commissioners.Commissioner Birrell recognized

That term, which is coming to an end this year, has been an eventful one for the District 3 commissioner, who’s been at the center of some major zoning and development issues in her area and around the county.

Birrell, who is seeking a fourth term as a Republican and has an opponent in the May 24 primary, said she’s running again because there are other matters to address and because “I want to continue to serve the public.

“There are some things I want to see come to fruition,” said Birrell, including a rebuild of the Gritters Library branch and the construction of a new Cobb Police precinct off Sandy Plains Road that are both underway and a future repurposing of Shaw Park.

She’s also supporting efforts to create a veterans memorial in Cobb and continued pay incentives for public safety personnel.

Birrell’s campaign website can be found here; her GOP opponent, Judy Sarden, was profiled here by East Cobb News.

The winner of the primary will advance to the general election in November against Democrat Christine Triebsch, a former candidate for the Georgia State Senate.

Sarden was critical of Birrell’s votes on the Sprayberry Crossing redevelopment, a residential rezoning on Ebenezer Road and the East Cobb Church rezoning, saying they’re too dense for the area.

Birrell said she’s been working for years to clean up the blighted Sprayberry Crossing, which is finally being demolished for a mixed-use development.

It’s taken time for the previous owner to sell, and for efforts to push public officials to address the situation with a blight tax and other pressures.

Birrell credited residents Joe Glancy and Shane Spink, who spearheaded a citizens’ drive to tear down an eyesore and prompt a redevelopment that’s been touted as transforming the community.

Critics of the project have traffic concerns and didn’t like general apartments initially proposed (and which were dropped due to her opposition).

“Anything that goes there is going to create traffic because it’s been dead for so long,” Birrell said.

Some opponents of the rezoning still insist the senior age-restricted apartments could be converted.

Birrell said county attorneys have told her the latter is not the case; of the 132 planned senior apartments a maximum of 26 could be rented out to younger people due to federal housing law.

Cobb Commission District 3 (2022)
For a larger version of the new District 3 map, click here.

Birrell voted for the East Cobb Church rezoning, which she said initially contained residential plans that were too dense.

That case also was delayed for several months after many revisions.

“I told them to get into compliance with JOSH [a new master plan which outlined maximum residential density of five units an acre], which they did,” Birrell said, referring to a final site plan allowing up to 5.1 units an acre.

She also noted there is nearby residential zoning in a similar RA-6 category that was approved unanimously when the area was in her district.

“I know [opponents] are saying it’s too dense, but it was at five units per acre and it meets the JOSH plan,” Birrell said. “My defense is that they did what we asked them and the district commissioner (Jerica Richardson) supported it.”

The Ebenezer Road rezoning was a straight R-15 (single-family detached residential) and not RA-5, a higher-density proposal that was dropped.

“No way was RA-5 going in there,” said Birrell, adding that the applicant, Pulte Homes, has pulled out of developing the property.

Birrell pointed to her vote against the MarketPlace Terrell Mill project on Powers Ferry Road as an example of rejecting what she said was too much density.

“They want to pin me as high-density,” she said of her critics, “but I’m not. And I can back it up.”

Birrell opposed East Cobb Cityhood when it first came up in 2019, but said she is neutral about the May 24 referendum. The proposed city would be entirely in the new District 3.

“I get that they want local control,” she said of East Cobb Cityhood supporters, who have said that a local commissioner can get outvoted by those not representing the community. “But I don’t think they will have that problem with me.”

She also proposed a code amendment to take away the discretionary power of commissioners on rezoning matters around the Dobbins Air Base Reserve.

A controversial residential rezoning approval last year near the base’s accident potential zone  resulted in a land swap with the county following heated opposition from other elected officials and the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

Birrell’s code amendment got the votes of fellow Republican Keli Gambrill and Richardson.

“We got the issue resolved, but I went a step further to take it out of the code,” Birrell said.

After reapportionment, the new District 3 is a more Republican stronghold, something she said the current boundaries are not.

Birrell had been part of a 4-1 Republican majority that ended with the 2020 elections. Democrats now have a 3-2 edge.

She said of the current commission—which is all-female as well—that while she’s “keeping my conservative values . . . we really try to work together. There are things we are never going to agree on, but when we can work together, I’m all in.”

Birrell opposed Chairwoman Lisa Cupid’s proposal for a 30-year transit tax that has been dropped, saying anything more than 10 years “is just too long.”

She also is against hiring outside consultants for a proposed Unified Development Code that has drawn some criticism from citizens who think it will lead to more urbanization.

“It should be done in-house,” she said of the Cobb community development staff. “They know Cobb County.”

Birrell said her top budget priority is to continue to build out a pay-and-class salary structure for public safety personnel that started three years ago.

She’s touting her experience and deep relationships across the county to voters as she seeks another term.

“I can get things done,” Birrell said. “I know the county, and I want to continue to serve.”

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Candidate profile: Judy Sarden, Cobb Commission District 3

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Judy Sarden admits that until recently, she “never had aspirations about politics.”Judy Sarden, Cobb commission candidate

A real estate attorney who is a homeschooling advocate, Sarden had been the chief of staff for a county commissioner in Jefferson County, Ala. (Birmingham).

The quest for a more traditional suburban life was behind her family’s move Northeast Cobb from Smyrna several years ago, but she admits now that what’s propelled her to campaign for public office is that she’s “not happy with the direction of the country.”

In qualifying for the May 24 Republican primary for District 3 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners, Sarden said she is “modeling the kind of behavior I want to teach my children.”

And running at the local level as a first-time candidate, Sarden said in an interview with East Cobb News, is as important now as ever.

She’s challenging three-term incumbent commissioner JoAnn Birrell in a redrawn district that includes most of East Cobb.

Sarden’s campaign website can be found by clicking here. East Cobb News also has interviewed Birrell and her campaign profile can be found here.

Early voting begins Monday in the primaries.

The winner of the primary will advance to the general election in November against Democrat Christine Triebsch, a former candidate for the Georgia State Senate.

A former representative for development interests whose husband is a commercial architect, Sarden is critical of some of Birrell’s votes on zoning cases.

“I felt like my background is better-suited for dealing with zoning issues,” said Sarden, who lives with her husband and two children in the Sprayberry High School area.

She jumped quickly into discussing high-profile zoning cases in that vicinity last year, including the Sprayberry Crossing redevelopment, but also a rezoning on Ebenezer Road to turn 50 acres of undeveloped land into 99 homes.

Sarden also pointed to the East Cobb Church rezoning at the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford intersection that she said includes housing that’s too dense for the area.

Cobb Commission District 3 (2022)
For a larger version of the District 3 map, click here.

While all three of those cases had some community support, there also was vocal opposition.

“A lot of people are not happy here and in the JOSH area,” Sarden said. “I’m not happy with it.”

The Ebenezer Road case, she said, is “completely urban-style, pack ‘em in.” The site plan included mail box banks, she said, because there isn’t room in front of every home. (Pulte Homes, which applied for the rezoning, has since pulled out of the project.)

Sarden said Cobb doesn’t require enough of developers to avoid results like that.

As for the Sprayberry Crossing case, while she said she’s glad general apartments were taken out (Birrell wouldn’t support it), Sarden is skeptical that the senior age-restricted units will stay that way.

She also thinks the rezoning decision, which was delayed for months, still lacks sufficient traffic and parking solutions.

“That eyesore needed to go,” Sarden said of the Sprayberry Crossing retail center, “but they needed to flesh out some more details. There were some more things that could have been done.”

Sarden said that while Birrell has been in office for a while, “there appears to be a decided lack of getting into the weeds.”

The focus on zoning and development in Cobb comes as a Democratic-led commission has been in the spotlight in high-density cases around the county.

Sarden referenced statements by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, who “has made no bones about the feeling that she wants to urbanize. Nobody wants East Cobb to urbanize.”

Some of those decisions, she said, have led to cityhood movements, including East Cobb, which will have a referendum also on May 24.

Sarden said she is neutral on the subject of East Cobb Cityhood, but supports the right of voters “to determine their own destiny.”

Should cityhood votes be approved, she said, “there’s definitely going to be an impact to the county.”

But Sarden thinks Cobb is likely to be in good shape because of a growing tax base (projected for an increase of 10 percent this year).

In addition to zoning votes, Sarden also says she doesn’t think Birrell is doing enough to stand up to the Democratic majority on other issues, including affordable housing.

“She’s at all the photo-op events, but I’ve been talking to a lot of people,” Sarden said. “I’m running as a public servant, not as a politician.”

While Birrell raised extensive campaign funds in her 2018 re-election campaign and easily won the GOP primary, she defeated a first-time Democratic candidate with only 51 percent of the vote in the general election.

Sarden is conducting a grassroots campaign while she homeschools her two children and does some business and homeschooling consulting.

She said she’s not against growth and development in Cobb, but insists that it must follow future land-use maps and master plans, such as was done in the JOSH area before the East Cobb Church case.

But a failure to adhere to those blueprints, she says, is a source of continuing concern.

“If you keep doing a bunch of one-offs, then there’s no cohesion to the county,” Sarden said.

She said Cupid talks about affordable housing and workforce housing “interchangeably. I fear she is going to continue to push this agenda.

“I feel like I will be in a better position to counter this,” Sarden said. “That’s why I’m putting my hat in the ring.

“I’m not afraid to stand up and I’m not concerned with all that politically correct stuff.”

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Paper Mill Village seeks rezoning but plans to stay the same

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Paper Mill Village rezoning revisions

Most of the Williamsburg-style buildings at Paper Mill Village are painted in an airy, light color, with some occasional canary-colored trim and furnishings.

With spring abounding, the mixed-use retail, restaurant and office complex at Johnson Ferry Road and Paper Mill Road may also be getting a rezoning refresh soon.

Healey Weatherholtz Village LLLP, Paper Mill Village’s manager, doesn’t want to change anything about the open-air, pedestrian-friendly complex, which has been operating in a neighborhood-focused fashion for more than 40 years.

But it wants to revise what had been some court-ordered zoning categories that it says are out of date, and make it more challenging to maintain the facilities and attract future tenants.

Paper Mill Village rezoning changes
Paper Mill Village features an array of restaurants, retail shops, medical offices and other small, local businesses.

Healey Weatherholtz Village has filed a rezoning application to convert 6.83 acres from future commercial (CF) and two low-density residential designations, R-40 and R-80, to neighborhood retail (NRC).

(You can read the application and zoning analysis by clicking here.)

That request is scheduled to go before the Cobb Planning Commission on Tuesday, and it’s on the consent agenda, meaning that there’s not known opposition.

In filings with the Cobb Zoning Office, Healey Weatherholtz Village says the shops, stores and businesses located there now fall into the NRC category, and the land has been designated as a Neighborhood Activity Center in the Cobb Future Land Use Map.

In a stipulation letter dated April 27 (you can read that here), Healey Weatherholtz Village attorney Garvis Sams wrote that “over the years, scores of developers, builders, lenders, property owners and others have sought clarity with respect to the governance of Paper Mill Village,” which was zoned into the unusual mix of categories following 1973 and 1982 orders in Cobb Superior Court.

Paper Mill Village rezoning changes
The nearly seven acres includes a vacant outparcel building on Johnson Ferry Road that had been a real estate office.

(Among those involved in the legal proceedings was Sams’ father, who was the Cobb County Attorney.)

The zonings included the CF use—sort of a placeholder for future development under specified commercial categories—which is no longer an active zoning category.

“In the interim decades, the BOC has approved amendments to certain uses by amending the Court Order through the submission of Applications for Rezoning, Other Business Applications, Special Land Use Permits and/or Variances, dependent upon the individual circumstances concerning each property thus revised or amended,” Sams continued in his letter.

He said that Healey Weatherholtz Village is proposing no new construction, but getting NRC designation would enable it to address future utilization of the property “with relative ease rather than the cumbersome process of proceeding through a Rezoning or other types of Entitlement applications and the attendant process every time a prospective tenant presents itself.”

Sams said he has met with county staff, notified all property owners within a thousand feet of the property and discussed the application with neighborhood officials from Chattahoochee Plantation, Hampton Farms and the East Cobb Civic Association.

His stipulation letter also includes a number of prohibited uses, and the architectural style of the 11 commercial buildings will remain the same.

The Cobb Zoning Office is recommending approval of the request, including a new site plan submitted in March (you can see that here) and adherence to the Johnson Ferry Design Guidelines.

The Cobb Planning Commission meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).

The full agenda can be found here; a link to the summary agenda can be found here.

The hearing also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.

The board’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which will hold a zoning hearing on May 17.

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East Cobb Food Scores: Heirloom BBQ; Boston Market; more

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Heirloom BBQ, East Cobb food scores

The following Cobb food scores for the week of April 25 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Boston Market
2014 Powers Ferry Road
April 26, 2022 Score: 88, Grade: B

Harry’s Pizza & Subs
2150 Powers Ferry Road, Suite C
April 25, 2022 Score: 90, Grade: A

Heirloom Market BBQ
2243 Akers Mill Road, Suite 110
April 26, 2022 Score: 91, Grade: A

Jet’s Pizza
4401 Shallowford Road, Suite 102
April 25, 2022 Score: 100, Grade: A

Wings & Tings
2555 Delk Road, Suite A8
April 25, 2022 Score: 97, Grade: A

Wingstop Delk
2900 Delk Road, Suite 100
April 25, 2022 Score: 90, Grade: A

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East Cobb Cityhood debate at Pope HS to be livestreamed

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There’s one more scheduled East Cobb Cityhood debate, next Wednesday, May 4, at Pope High School.East Cobb Cityhood debate livestream

It’s sold out for in-person attendance, but Blaine Hess of the Rotary Club of East Cobb, which is sponsoring the event, said it will be shown  via livestream on its Facebook page for those who can’t be there in person.

The debate lasts from 6:30-8 p.m. in the new auditorium on the Pope campus (3001 Hembree Road).

And like the previous debate on April 19, the second forum will include representatives of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood and the East Cobb Alliance, which opposes the referendum.

As we reported earlier today, a Cobb judge has ordered that the East Cobb, Lost Mountain and Vinings referendums take place as scheduled on May 24, after lawsuits were filed to try and stop the votes.

Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Leonard ruled that he would hear the suits on the merits after the referendums, a day after the chairman of the East Cobb Cityhood group filed a motion to intervene as a defendant in the East Cobb lawsuit.

Advance voting starts Monday for the referendums and Democratic, Republican and non-partisan primaries begins on Monday; click here for details.

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Cobb judge orders East Cityhood referendum to proceed May 24

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Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Leonard
Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Leonard

A Cobb Superior Court Judge ruled Thursday that Cityhood referendums in East Cobb, Lost Mountain and Vinings will go ahead as scheduled on May 24.

Chief Judge Robert Leonard issued an order to stay that notes he may hear the merits of three lawsuits filed to stop those votes after the referendums take place.

The lawsuits challenge the constitutionality of the charters for the proposed cities of East Cobb, Lost Mountain and Vinings.

But in his order (you can read it here), Leonard said that Colin Brady, the plaintiff in the suit to stop the East Cobb referendum, “seeks relief prematurely, and this matter is not yet ripe for review.”

Leonard said that Brady is asking the court to rule on the constitutionality of “a proposed law that may or may not go into effect.”

The judge further concluded that Brady, who is an opponent of East Cobb Cityhood, “is entitled to campaign against it” like any other citizen.

Leonard also wrote that “this Court declines to interfere with the legislative process and remove the referendum from the ballot.”

If the referendum fails, “the case will be moot and will be dismissed” and if it passes, Leonard added, the plaintiff may petition the court “and the complex issues presented in this case can be heard with the benefit of full briefing and argument, rather than with an abnormally shortened and rushed timeline.”

(Advance voting for the referendums and Democratic, Republican and non-partisan primaries begins on Monday; click here for details.)

The Committee for East Cobb Cityhood praised the ruling, issuing a statement Thursday from chairman Craig Chapin:

“The anti-city opposition’s desperate attempt to legislate from the bench and deprivation of East Cobb citizens’ right to vote has been recognized by a judge. We know the people in this community are smarter than what the opposition gives them credit for, but we still appreciate it when judges see through these tactics so that democratic processes can proceed without interference or manipulation. We are pleased that citizens will have the opportunity to vote on the Cityhood referendum questions for the cities of East Cobb, Vinings, and Lost Mountain on May 24th.”

He filed a motion Monday seeking to intervene in the East Cobb lawsuit as a defendant.

Attorneys for both sides in all three lawsuits met with Leonard late Wednesday before he issued his order.

(Leonard also will be on the primary ballot in a non-partisan race as he is seeking re-election. He is being challenged by Charles Ford, a public defender in Fulton County, and private attorney Matt McMaster.)

Allen Lightcap, an Atlanta attorney, filed all three lawsuits on behalf of residents in East Cobb, Lost Mountain and Vinings.

He said legislation in all three cases setting up the referendum and creating city charters is unconstitutional.

He said proposed city charters included in legislation that passed this year violate state home rule provisions regarding the provision of services by local governments.

Specifically, the suits say that the legislation in all three cases takes away the discretion of local governments to provide supplementary powers.

He said those powers can be enumerated only through general law applying to all local jurisdictions in the state and not via local law, which the three Cobb cityhood bills were.

In his suits, Lightcap said the referendums must be stopped because voters may think they’re voting for services that they may not end up getting.

In response to a request for comment from East Cobb News, Lightcap issued the following statement:

“We appreciate the Court’s thoughtful decision to stay the cases rather than dismiss them, as advocated by the County and the Intervenors. 

“By staying the cases, the Court recognizes that the cases present important constitutional questions that should be heard if any of the referenda are approved by the voters. 

“Ultimately, the plain language of the constitution specifically forbids the City-Lite provisions of these charters. If any of these cities pass, the Court will be squarely presented with an unconstitutional charter, and these important challenges will proceed.”

There’s one more scheduled East Cobb Cityhood debate, next Wednesday, May 4, at Pope High School.

It’s sold out for in-person attendance, but Blaine Hess of the Rotary Club of East Cobb, which is sponsoring the event, said it will be shown  via livestream on its Facebook page for those who can’t be there in person.

The debate lasts from 6:30-8 p.m. in the new auditorium on the Pope campus (3001 Hembree Road).

And like the previous debate on April 19, the second forum will include representatives of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood and the East Cobb Alliance, which opposes the referendum.

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East Cobb Cityhood leader seeks to intervene in lawsuit

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East Cobb Cityhood debate
Craig Chapin, president of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood, is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit filed last week to stop or delay referendum.

There’s a new development in the lawsuit filed last week to stop the East Cobb Cityhood referendum on May 24.

On Monday Craig Chapin, the president of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood, filed a motion to intervene as a defendant in the suit.

He’s also requesting consolidation of his complaint with similar motions filed in support of cityhood votes in Lost Mountain and Vinings, also on May 24.

Chapin has the same attorney who’s involved in the motions seeking interventions on behalf of the Lost Mountain and Vinings referendums.

Allen Lightcap, an attorney in Atlanta, has filed lawsuits to stop the East Cobb, Lost Mountain and Vinings referendums, challenging their constitutionality.

He said proposed city charters included in legislation that passed this year violate state home rule provisions regarding the provision of services by local governments.

Specifically, the suits say that the legislation in all three cases takes away the discretion of local governments to provide supplementary powers.

He said those powers can be enumerated only through general law applying to all local jurisdictions in the state and not via local law, which the three Cobb cityhood bills are.

In his motion (you can read it here) Chapin claims that East Cobb resident Colin Brady, a plaintiff in the lawsuit who is opposed to Cityhood, “seeks to use this Court as a tool in his efforts to suppress the right of East Cobb’s citizens to vote for the creation and charter” of a new city.

“The right to vote is a sacred and Constitutional right that that should be respected by all citizens and elected officials,” Chapin continued. “Unfortunately, [Brady] is actively seeking to deny this fundamental right to vote without any basis in law.”

While the lawsuit was filed against the Cobb Board of Registration and Elections, the motion claims that the county can’t be relied on to defend the suit “since Cobb County has engaged in a pattern and practice of conduct that is hostile to allowing an East Cobb referendum.”

Chapin’s motion continues by repeating claims that Cobb County officials are improperly using taxpayer funds and making misleading statements in their information sessions about Cityhood.

All three lawsuits have been assigned to Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge Robert Leonard.

Pro-Cityhood forces in Vinings and Lost Mountain, including State Rep. Ginny Ehrhart of West Cobb, have filed similar motions as Chapin to intervene and consolidate the legal actions.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr also has filed notices of interest (amici curiae) in all three suits. That means he’s not an official party, but is following their proceedings.

As of Wednesday, no hearing on any of the Cobb Cityhood lawsuits has been scheduled.

There’s one more scheduled East Cobb Cityhood debate, next Wednesday, May 4, at Pope High School.

It’s sold out for in-person attendance, but Blaine Hess of the Rotary Club of East Cobb, which is sponsoring the event, said it will be shown  via livestream on its Facebook page for those who can’t be there in person.

The debate lasts from 6:30-8 p.m. in the new auditorium on the Pope campus (3001 Hembree Road).

And like the previous debate on April 19, the second forum will include representatives of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood and the East Cobb Alliance, which opposes the referendum.

Related:

 

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East Cobb real estate sales for the week of April 11, 2022

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4340 Paper Mill Road, East Cobb real estate sales
Atlanta Country Club

The following deeds for residential East Cobb real estate sales were filed the week of April 11 with the Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office Real Estate Department.

The addresses include ZIP Codes and the subdivision names and high school districts are in parenthesis:

April 11

4870 Rockford Ridge Drive, 30066 (Greyson Ridge, Kell): William Morrill Jr. to Kylee and David Howard; $600,000

4531 High Rock Terrace, 30066 (Highland Pointe, Lassiter): Marc and Mary Kallaoun to Andrew and Kelsey Bunker; $785,000

1130 Blackwell Road, 30066 (Sprayberry): Chris Lucas to Orchard Homes III LLC; $750,000

3448 Windrige Road, 30066 (Blackwell, Sprayberry): Shaadie Khoury to OpenDoor Property Trust I; $357,000

838 Stansbury Drive, 30066 (Colleton Plantation, Sprayberry): Andrew Alicea to Nancy and Tarabay Fakhreddine; $495,000

3492 Princeton Corners Drive, 30062 (Princeton Corners, Walton): Joseph and Jessica Vicars to Kathryn and John Rainer; $700,000

3209 Royal Oak Drive, 30068 (Walton): Anthony Rintala to Rohan Kelkar; $1.95 million

2293 Collinworth Drive, 30062 (East Lake Ridge, Wheeler): Carol Jones to Uavechanichkul Jaed; $355,000

896 Fawn Way, 30068 (Fawn-Quail Ridge/Pinecrest): Roy & Rafie Homes LLC to Thomas Kalousek and Kaitlin Monson; $555,000

2313 Bent Pine Overlook (Spring Creek, Wheeler): Michael Henry to Olana Peavey and Timothy Daniel Jr., $450,000

249 East Valley Drive, 30067 (East Valley Estates, Wheeler): Jimmie Stockie to OpenDoor Property Trust; $458,000

April 12

4452 Inlet Road, 30075 (Lamplighter Cove, Kell): Ruby Clayton to Maty Juarez; $375,000

4484 South Landing Drive, 30066 (North Landing, Kell): James Michael Turner and Ariel Crooks to Steven Klenk; $390,000

4053 Longford Drive, 30066 (Longford, Kell): Dexter Huggins to Wallace and Tamara Fulmer; $401,000

4062 Wesley Chapel Road, 30062 (Lassiter): Douglas Dobbins to Erin and Luke Hayes; $520,000

4201 Manor House Drive, 30062 (Mar-Lanta, Pope): Jaclyn Loy to Donald and Kimberly Hartley; $471,000

1833 Tree Top Court, 30066 (Piedmont Bend, Sprayberry): Robert Busby to Jeffrey Linderman; $475,000

1775 Poinsettia Drive, 30062 (Hasty Acres, Sprayberry): Ian Woolworth to Robin Adele Reed; $475,000

865 Fox Hollow Parkway, 30068 (Fox Hollow, Walton): N-Rae LLC to Isabell and Jason Wells; $625,000

399 Lott Avenue, 30067 (Cloverdale Heights, Wheeler): Jordan Fernie to Jill and Andrew McTyre; $365,000

4340 Paper Mill Road, 30067 (Atlanta Country Club, Walton): 12 Bray LLC to Christal Bemont and Stephen Roberts; $4.7 million

April 13

4999 Turtle Rock Drive, 30066 (Turtle Rock, Lassiter): Torque System Co. Ltd. to Hyper Cat Co. Ltd.; $318,000

2020 Abode Way, 30066 (Courtyards at Ebenezer, Sprayberry): Traton LLC to Richard and Carole Glaser; $640,000

1312 Nantahala Trail, 30062 (Indian Ridge, Walton): Jing Xu to Marion and Melchor Gomeyac; $695,000

3312 Birchfield Court, 30068 (Indian Hills, Wheeler): Brandon Burnett to OpenDoor Property Trust; $550,800

April 14

3475 Cochran Shore Cove, 30062 (Cochran Lakes Shores, Lassiter): B.H. Cochran LLC to Bercher Homes LLC; $297,807

3479 Cochran Shore Cove, 30062 (Cochran Lakes Shores, Lassiter): B.H. Cochran LLC to Bercher Homes LLC; $297,807

2465 Castle Lane, 30062 (Newcastle, Pope): Timothy Burson to Paul Findlay; $464,000

3791 Lower Roswell Road, 30068 (Walton): LRMB Homes LLC to Sophie Tan and Xiang Ao; $935,000

171 Shadowlawn Road, 30068 (Fox Hills, Wheeler): Peter Wagner to OpenDoor Property Trust; $434,000

3558 Turtle Cove Court, 30067 (Dover Mitcham, Wheeler): Gleaves Daiquiri to Catherine and Lawrie Jordan; $650,000

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East Cobb/NE Cobb YMCAs to hold Healthy Kids Day festival

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The McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA (1055 East Piedmont Road) and the Northeast Cobb YMCA (3010 Johnson Ferry Road) are taking part in the Healthy Kids Day Saturday.East Cobb YMCA Healthy Kids Day

The hours for the festival are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at both locations. Activities include live DJ music, family yoga and Zumba demonstrations, water and swimming safety demonstrations, inflatables and obstacle courses, healthy refreshments and more.

At the McCleskey-East Cobb branch, there will be a grand opening of its Greenfields outdoor exercise area at 12 noon.

Admission is free, and the YMCAs also will be marking their own Community Day events with free access to facilities.

Members who join by Saturday will have their signup fee waived.

The YMCA of Metro Atlanta is partnering with Publix Super Markets Charities.

For more information about Healthy Kids Day, click here.

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Walton, Wheeler students receive National Merit scholarships

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Two students each from Walton and Wheeler high schools in East Cobb have been named recipients of corporate-sponsored scholarships by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

The scholarships are provided by corporate organizations from a variety of industries and are awarded to the children of their employees or who are students who live in communities the companies serve or are planning to pursue college majors the sponsor encourages, according to an NMS release.

The specifics of each scholarship were not announced, but typically range between $1,000 and $10,000 for four years of undergraduate study. Recipients can use the funds at the college of their choice.

Neerav Ravirala of Walton, whose probable career field is molecular biology, was named the recipient of a Walgreen Co. scholarship.

Another Walton student, Franklin Zhao, has been awarded a Siemens scholarship with the intent of studying physics.

Pranav R. Devarinti of Wheeler is interested in the computer science field and is a recipient of an ADP Henry Taub Memorial Scholarship.

Also from Wheeler is Kyle Hampton, who will receive a General Dynamics Corp. scholarship with a probable career field in industrial design.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation said the recipients were chosen after filling out an extensive application, presenting academic testing results, providing information about extracurricular and community activities and writing an essay.

More recipients will be announced later this spring, with an estimated 7,500 students receiving more than $28 million in scholarship aid.

The National Merit Scholarship program is in its 67th year. For more information click here.

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Summer session set for Cobb Citizens Public Safety Academy

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A summer session of the Cobb Department of Public Safety’s Citizens Public Safety Academy will start in June.Cobb public safety appreciation

The 13-week program gives citizens an inside look at how the county’s public safety agencies operate, including police, fire, emergency 911 and animal services.

Some of the planned activities include tours of public safety agencies, demonstrations on firearms safety and defensive tactics, and taking part in the Cobb Fire Department’s special operations classes (Hazardous Materials, Heavy Rescue Squad, etc).

The first day of the session is June 8 at the Cobb Public Safety Police Academy (2435 East West Connector, Austell).

Participants must be at least 21 years old and either live in Cobb County or work for Cobb County government or the Cobb County School District.

Those applying must fill out a firm and undergo a background check. You can get an application in-person at the academy or receive it via e-mail by contacting Sgt. Verola at Victor.Verola@cobbcounty.org.

Completed applications must be delivered in-person at the Cobb Police Internal Affairs Department (545 S. Fairground St., Marietta). Applicants myst bring their driver’s license.

The deadline to apply is June 1.

For questions about Cobb County Citizens Public Safety Academy, contact the Police Academy at 770-499-4100.

 

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United Military Care to sponsor resource fair for veterans

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The East Cobb-based non-profit United Military Care and Cobb County government are organizing what it’s calling the We CARE Resource Fair to assist veterans.United Military Care Veterans Resource Fair

The fair takes place May 13-14 from 9-5 each day at the Cobb Civic Center (548 S. Marietta Parkway). Admission is free, as is a snack bar for participants.

The purpose is to assist veterans with accessing benefits and services, including health care, housing, food assistance and job opportunities.

According to  release sent out by United Military Care, the goal is to reach 500 veterans needing help with those and other challenges.

More than 100 charitable and public agencies will be on hand to provide information and line up assistance for veterans, including financial and legal firms, the Georgia Department of Labor and private employers, Cobb Works, Meals on Wheels, vision screening and hearing aid vouchers from the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation, the U.S. Veterans Administration, Cobb Collaborative, Highland Rivers Behavorial Health and the Marietta Veterans Center.

Free COVID-19 vaccines will be administered by Cobb and Douglas Public Health, and veterans can get on-site showers and laundry service from the Community Incident Response Foundation.

Other agencies include a variety of veterans organizations, MUST Ministries and the Social Security Administration.

More details about the resource fair, including downloading free tickets, can be found by clicking here.

The event includes a special presentation of Quilts of Valor on May 13 at 11:30 a.m. honoring a Post 9/11 Veteran Public Figure and Vietnam Veteran.

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The Avenue East Cobb’s transformation swings into high gear

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The Avenue East Cobb transformation
Lilac Wine, an Atlanta acoustic trio, is returning to The Avenue East Cobb’s Electric Avenue Friday concert series on May 27.

With warm sunshine splashing down on a glorious spring Friday evening, the easy rhythms of Lilac Wine reverberated from an impromptu stage.

The Atlanta acoustic trio covered popular tunes from the 1970s and later for a couple dozen onlookers at The Avenue East Cobb as part of the retail center’s Electric Avenue concert series.

Among them was a bluesy rendition of U2’s “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” that featured a bass solo.

Every Friday through October, local bands will be featured in what’s being called The Avenue’s Central Boulevard—the middle of the parking lot between the Kale Me Crazy eatery and the Banana Republic store.

It’s being envisioned as a permanent greenspace-style plaza surrounded by new restaurants with patios and retail shops, the heart of The Avenue’s reimagination that includes shopping, dining out and a growing array of entertainment activities.

Last summer, North American Properties—which developed the Avalon complex in Alpharetta and overhauled Colony Square and Atlantic Station in Midtown—entered into a joint partnership with present owners PGIM to manage the 23,000-square foot The Avenue, which opened on Roswell Road just east of Johnson Ferry Road in 1999 on the site of a former golf driving range.

Changes in the retail landscape and a desire to create a more dynamic lifestyle destination space prompted a dramatic conceptual revision.

The Avenue East Cobb transformation
A relaxing start to the weekend at the Electric Avenue concert.

In a recent interview with East Cobb News, NAP officials said they’ll soon be presenting site plan changes that need approval of the Cobb Board of Commissioners and going public with other details.

Four or five new restaurants are in the works, and some new retail tenants are expected to be signed soon, according to Brittni Johnson’s NAP’s public relations director.

In addition to Electric Avenue, the stage is the venue for a Comedy Live series featuring acts from the Punchline Comedy Club. A number of regular kids’ events have been added, and there are ongoing outdoor fitness and yoga classes at barre3, cooking workshops at the Olea Oliva store and cornhole leagues.

“Everyone feels it has all this potential to be tapped into,” said Sara Hemmer, NAP’s director of marketing.

PGIM was ramping up beyond some of its longstanding holiday-themed events when NAP signed on. At Avalon, NAP schedules more than 200 events a year.

But that’s a much larger facility than The Avenue, and the NAP team started with a Fall Fest and Halloween events and has built from there.

A first-ever Menorah lighting was a success, drawing several hundred attendees, and plans are to make that an annual event, along with Christmas-themed activities.

Initially, the plaza area was planned for the front of the mall. But Hemmer said there were some noise complaints from nearby residents following some of the concerts.

“That was another reason to move it to the middle,” Hemmer said.

The reconfigured location is in close proximity to nearby restaurants, and as Lilac Wine continued to play, a couple emerged from Stockyard Burgers & Bones, beers in hand (guests can bring their own food to stage events but not beverages).

The Avenue East Cobb transformation
A rebranded swag bag

The new Vanilla Café e Gelato coffee shop is also within earshot.

As the overhaul planning has continued, NAP has met with residents of the nearby Easthampton subdivision, as well as the East Cobb Civic Association.

Michael Saadaala, director of property operations at The Avenue, said that they don’t want the community to have any unexpected surprises as the final plans are presented.

NAP officials are scheduled to visit the retail center this week before those plans are formally submitted to the county. Hemmer said that barring delays, construction could begin by August, with completion in the first quarter of 2023.

Another key feature will be a valet and concierge service for those who want it. But it will be optional, and self-parking will still be available.

“For those who want to spend the money, they’re going to get the service,” said Saadaala, who spent 18 years in hospitality operations with the Four Seasons hotel and resort chain.

He’s part of a current NAP team onsite that has four people, but that could grow to around 15 once the valet and concierge services begin.

“They will be face and voice of our property,” Hemmer said in reference to the concierge staff. “They’ll be putting the hospitality component into our events.”

Another part of the overhaul that goes beyond bricks-and-mortar is a rebranding of The Avenue, including a new logo.

A branding design guide includes messaging such as “The Avenue is the shopping center known for being East Cobb’s every day adventure” and “East Cobb’s gathering spot to shop, eat and say hello.”

While some of the new concept is geared around drawing in families with younger children, the comedy shows are aimed at ages 13 and older.

The overall idea, Hemmer said, is to appeal to “everyone who is coming here,” noting that some of the more avid cornhole participants are empty-nesters.

“We want everyone to feel like there’s something here for them to enjoy.”

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East Cobb special election runoff early voting gets underway

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Early voting takes place this week for a special election runoff to fill a Georgia House seat in East Cobb.Georgia runoff elections

Republican former legislator Mitchell Kaye and Democrat Dustin McCormick are vying to fill the remainder of former State Rep. Matt Dollar’s seat in District 45 through the end of the year.

The runoff was necessary after a “jungle” special election April 5 in which none of the four candidates got a majority of the vote.

Kaye got nearly 47 percent of the vote and McCormick had 38 percent.

Eligible voters in District 45 can vote in-person from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road).

The facility also is serving as an absentee ballot dropoff location, also during the hours stated above. The dropbox is located inside the building and will not be available after hours.

Absentee ballots also can be dropped off at the Cobb Elections Office Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 736 Whitlock Ave., Marietta.

There will be no early voting on Saturday; the final day of voting in the special election runoff will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, at regular precincts.

The current District 45 includes some of East Cobb and a portion of North Fulton.

But the lines for the May 24 primary for the new District 45 will be different.

McCormick has qualified as the only Democrat; the Republican primary candidates are current District 43 State Rep. Sharon Cooper and Carminthia Moore.

Early voting for the primaries in all races in Cobb County starts next Monday, May 2.

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East Cobb Quilters’ Guild marks 40th year with special tour

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East Cobb Quilters' Guild, Georgia Celebrates Quilts Show
A quilt on display at the Sewell Mill Library gallery in 2019.

The East Cobb Quilters’ Guild is partnering with the Cobb County Public Library System and the Arts Division of Cobb PARKS for a quilt tour that continues through early June.

The tour began April 14 at the Mable House Arts Center, and expands starting Thursday through May 28 at the gallery of the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road).

The exhibit is called “Cabin Fever” and includes 25 challenge quilts from a competition among guild members.

The tour also will be at The Art Place (3332 Sandy Plains Road) from Friday through May 28. “Quilted Jewels,” a series of jewel-toned quilts made by members, will be featured.

An opening reception will take place Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and tickets will be available to win a “Rhapsody” raffle quilt.

There will be 15 jewel tone quilts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Art Place and the 40th (ruby) anniversary of the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild.

Several Cobb library branches will be displaying quilts starting Saturday through June 12, including East Cobb (4480 Lower Roswell Road) and Mountain View (3320 Sandy Plains Road).

Finally, a quilting extravaganza will take place June 9-11 at the Cobb Civic Center (548 S. Marietta Parkway) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. While the other showings are free to the public, this one includes a $10 admission charge per person.

It’s part of the culminating Georgia Celebrates Quilts event, which is in its 18th year, and will feature more than 300 quilts.

Tickets to Georgia Celebrates Quilts be purchased at the door or online at www.georgiacelebratesquilts.com/tickets.

Raffle tickets for the quilt can be purchased at the show and online at https://georgiacelebratesquilts.ecqg.com/raffle-quilt-tickets/.

For more information about the East Cobb Quilters’ Guild tour, click here.

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Lassiter students honored in WaterSmart photography contest

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Lassiter students WaterSmart photography contest
Photo by Molly Shugart, Lassiter High School

Seven students from Lassiter High School in East Cobb were among 11 high school students from around Cobb County named winners of the 3rd annual WaterSmart Photography Contest.

Lassiter students WaterSmart photography contest
Photo by Lilly Kowal, Lassiter High School

The contest, sponsored locally by the Cobb County Water System and the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, encourages young people and other citizens to learn about water conservation.

The winning Lassiter students are Haley Saulinskas, Hollis Weber, Jacob Haller, Laine Halloran, Lily Kowall, Madeleine Quinlan and Molly Shugart.

The photos were submitted in six categories:

  • Water at Play
  • Water at Work
  • Water in Nature
  • Water and People
  • Protecting Water
  • Conserving Water

The winning photos will be made into notecards and distributed around the county, according to a Cobb government release.

You can see all the winning entries by clicking here.

Lassiter students WaterSmart photography contest
Photo by Laine Halloran, Lassiter High School

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Cobb DA’s Office to observe National Crime Victims’ Week

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The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office is taking part in National Crime Victims’ Week (April 24-30) with several events designed to raise awareness about the issues and rights of crime victims.Cobb DA Office National Crime Victims Week 2022

The DA’s Victim Witness Unit will commemorate the advancement of victims’ rights with the presentation of a homicide memorial, a social media campaign and an office-wide virtual 5K walk.

Local non-profits agencies that provide support services to victims also will be recognized, including LiveSafe Resources, Inc. and Safepath Children’s Advocacy Center.

LiveSafe Resources provides the only emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence in Cobb County.

 Safepath Children’s Advocacy Center works with with law enforcement to provide a comprehensive approach to allegations of child abuse.

For more information about National Crime Victims’ Week visit the DA’s website; contact the DA’s Victim Witness Unit at 770-528-3042 to assist with crime victims.

The national event is being organized by Office of Victims of Crime and the National Organization for Victim Assistance.

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Brumby ES principal retiring; Sprayberry HS architect approved

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Brumby ES principal retiring
Brumby Principal Amanda Richie (in black dress) at the 2018 ribbon-cutting for the new school campus on Terrell Mill Road.

The Cobb County School District announced Thursday that longtime Brumby Elementary School principal Dr. Amanda Richie is retiring.

The district’s human resources officer, Keeli Bowen, said Richie’s retirement is effective July 1.

Richie’s successor will be Sanda Alford, currently an assistant principal at Pitner Elementary School and a former assistant principal at Dickerson Middle School.

The news was announced after the Cobb Board of Education held an executive session where personnel decisions are discussed.

During a Thursday night voting meeting, the board voted 7-0 to approve a contract for $3.4 million and hire CGLS Architects Inc. of Atlanta to design the new classroom building at Sprayberry High School.

Although the funding for the Sprayberry rebuild is coming from the Cobb Ed-SPLOST VI that begins in 2024, starting the architectural planning work now is necessary, district officials told the board.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said that the project will be similar to those at Wheeler and Osborne high schools, which were rebuilt in increments.

He also said starting right away makes sense given a current project at Sprayberry to construct a new gymnasium and a new CTAE (Career, Technology and Agricultural Education) facility.

The board also approved a request to issue a formal “closeout” of the Eastvalley Elementary School campus on Lower Road.

That facility will remain open while a replacement school is constructed on the former site of East Cobb Middle School on Holt Road.

But a closeout declaration needs to be submitted to the Georgia Department of Education before construction can begin, according to Chief Technology and Operations Director Marc Smith.

The board also recognized four wrestlers from East Cobb high schools who won state championships: David Panone, Lassiter (Boys 6A traditional 138 pounds); May Prado, Lassiter (Girls All-Classification traditional 132 pounds); Joey Robinson, Pope (Boys 6A traditional 160 pounds); and Zyan Hall, Wheeler (Boys 6A traditional 170 pounds).

Hall finished his senior season with a 26-0 record and will be attending the U.S. Naval Academy.

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Kell, Walton football teams to play in 2022 Corky Kell Classic

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In what’s becoming an annual occurrence, the varsity football teams from Kell High School and Walton High School have been selected to compete in the 2022 Corky Kell Classic.Corky Kell Classic 2022

The season kickoff event, named after the late Wheeler High School coach, takes place at various locations from Aug. 17-20.

Kell is slated to play in the very first game on Aug. 17, at 5:30 p.m. against Cherokee Bluff in Johns Creek.

The Longhorns have been reclassified to Class 5A by the Georgia High School Association and have a new coach in Bobby May, who had been at Westlake High School in Atlanta.

Kell was 6-5 in 2021 and reached the first round of the state playoffs under former coach Brett Sloan, who resigned after five seasons. He is now the offensive coordinator at Collins Hill, the defending Class 7A state champion.

Walton Raiders once again has been chosen to play in Mercedez-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta. They’ll face Mill Creek at 4 p.m. on Aug. 20.

The Raiders reached the Class 7A semifinals in 2021.

The Corky Kell Classic features 32 teams and has added a spring jamboree in May that includes Marietta High School. Other Cobb teams taking part will be Kennesaw Mountain, and McEachern.

For more, visit Score Atlanta.

 

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