The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed against the county and six Cobb police officers by a woman who claimed they violated her constitutional rights nearly five years ago.
The board voted 5-0 to pay Sharon DeArmond and her attorney a total of $250,000 stemming from a 2017 incident on Windy Hill Road.
The lawsuit, filed in 2019, alleges that the officers—including Ofc. Collin Robles, Lt. Bruce Danz and Ofc. Kelvin Ramirez who were identified in the settlement agreement—unlawfully detained her.
Her suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, charged police with illegal search and seizure, false arrest and causing her emotional distress.
The suit claims that on the evening of Oct. 12, 2017, DeArmond, an Uber driver, dropped off a passenger at an extended stay hotel on Interstate North Parkway.
She then drove to a parking lot between the Pappasito’s and Pappadeaux restaurants on Windy Hill Road and waited for her next fare, according to the suit.
DeArmond she stopped to light a cigarette when officers approached her with their police lights on and aimed their guns at her.
Her lawsuit claims DeArmond’s phone was taken from her and police searched her car without explaining why. An officer ordered her to be handcuffed and she was told her previous rider was a prostitute.
DeArmond says in her suit she was placed in the back seat of one of the police cars and was taken to a parking lot of a nearby office park, which was poorly lit.
She said an officer searched through her purse and was eventually allowed to drive away, but “was in no condition to continue driving Uber for the night,” the lawsuit states.
According to the settlement agreement, DeArmond will receive $146,238 and her attorney, Lisa Lambert, will be paid $103,762.
The commissioners added the settlement agreement vote to their agenda and did not discuss the matter before the unanimous vote.
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Over protests from poll workers and conservative activists, the Cobb Board of Elections on Monday voted to allow one Sunday of early voting in the 2022 general election.
After hearing lengthy public comments both for and against the measure, the five-member board voted to have early voting on Sunday, Oct. 30, from 12-4 p.m. at the Cobb Elections new office on Roswell Street.
The motion also included providing signage at the former offices on Whitlock Avenue to direct voters to the new location, which opened last week near the Big Chicken.
The vote was 4-1, and moments later, a woman who shouted disapproval was asked to be removed from the meeting room.
“I’ve said it many times,” said Tori Silas, the chairwoman of the elections board, “we’re not going to do that.”
Cobb Elections Director Janine Eveler proposed a three-week early voting schedule (at right) that runs from Oct. 17-Nov. 4 and includes the East Cobb Government Service Center and the Tim D. Lee Senior Center.
Election Day is Nov. 8.
Georgia’s elections law that was passed last year allows for up to two Sundays of early voting, at the discretion of county elections boards.
Proponents of Sunday voting say it will give them flexibility with work travel schedules and caregiving roles.
Cobb resident Lisa Thomas cited both in urging the board to adopt Sunday voting. Sunday is one of the few days of the week her husband, who travels frequently out of the country on business, is home “and there are no meetings.”
She’s also a caregiver for her mother in law, and needs someone to watch her while she votes.
Salleigh Grubbs, Cobb GOP chairwoman, said Sunday voting caters to the agenda of Fair Fight and “the extreme radical left.”
But Cobb resident Bill Allen, who’s been a poll worker, said via a virtual comment period that “there’s ample time to vote” in advance and that “Sunday voting is not necessary.”
He said Cobb Elections is already understaffed and he adamantly said he would not work on Sunday.
Claudia Falk, an area supervisor for Cobb Elections who’s hired and recruited poll workers, said staffing early voting has become a “nightmare” and expanding those hours would be “a bigger nightmare.”
“We’re all tired, we’re all stressed,” she said during the public comment period. “We need to step back and give ourselves time to build strong teams to ensure the integrity and honesty of the elections process.”
Eveler showed slides indicating that Sunday early voting in Fulton and Gwinnett counties had the lowest figures of any days of the week.
“With our reduced number of resources, we need to put those resources where you can take advantage of the most voters,” Eveler said.
She was asked by Silas to provide information on the possibility of Sunday voting at the main location. Eveler said a total of 38 poll workers would be required, costing the county $4,765 in personnel costs.
Cobb elections board chairwoman Tori Silas
Eveler proposed extending existing early Saturday hours, but the motion that the board passed did not include that option.
Sunday voting is a priority of Fair Fight Georgia, a voting access political action committee created by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams.
What it calls its “gold standards of early voting” also includes 7-days a week voting from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and expanded early voting locations.
Some speakers spoke in favor of those measures, including Lisa Cunningham, a Democrat who’s running for a Georgia House seat in North Cobb, who advocates 17 early voting spots.
The Cobb elections board adopted Eveler’s request to have 13 early voting locations, as well as the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekday schedule and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours on two Saturdays.
Salleigh Grubbs, the head of the Cobb Republican Party, said that “Cobb is a target of Fair Fight and the extreme radical left” and “if you vote for Sunday voting” and expand early voting locations, “you’re showing your allegiance for Fair Fight.”
East Cobb resident Debbie Fisher, echoed those comments, saying Fair Fight interests have been pushing for Sunday voting in Cobb when it wasn’t being proposed.
“It’s not a legitimate request,” she said.
But the board’s vice chairwoman, Jessica Brooks, an appointee of the Cobb Democratic Party, made the motion to include Sunday voting, although she didn’t explain her reasons.
The issue of absentee ballot drop boxes also was raised. The new Georgia elections law allows only one drop box per 100,000 people as well as one at a county’s main elections office.
Cobb’s maximum is six drop boxes, including one at the East Cobb Government Service Center. The law permits drop boxes to be open only during early voting hours.
The best drop box there is, said East Cobb resident Pamela Reardon, is by going “to the end of your driveway” and putting an absentee ballot in the mail.
She proposes getting rid of them altogether, and board member Pat Gartland, an appointee of the Cobb GOP, agreed.
“You can mail it in,” he said. “We don’t need drop boxes.”
Gartland was the only vote against the motion by Brooks. His earlier motion to adopt Eveler’s proposal as is failed for a lack a of a second.
Of the other elections board members, Silas and assistant secretary Steven Bruning were appointed by the Cobb legislative delegation–which has a one-member Democratic majority–and secretary Jennifer Mosbacher was appointed by Democratic Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid.
For more information about Cobb Elections, click here.
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There hasn’t been an official announcement other than what’s covering up the windows as renovations continue:
A J. Crew Factory store is coming to Merchants Walk (1311 Johnson Ferry Road).
It’s taking the former Calico Homes space, between the relocated Verizon Wireless spot and the Old Navy store.
Edens, the retail center owner, doesn’t comment on when its tenants are opening, and we’ve reached out to J. Crew for more information.
J. Crew Factory has metro Atlanta locations in Woodstock, Locust Grove, Lenox Square and Perimeter Mall. There’s also a J. Crew men’s store at Ponce City Market.
Set to open this month at Merchants Walk is a Perspire Sauna Studio, in the former Bar Method space. It’s a national chain with existing locations in Sandy Springs, Buckhead and Virginia-Highland, with another opening soon in Alpharetta.
Perspire is is providing updates about the East Cobb location on its Instagram page.
Remodeling is continuing for the Marshalls store where Stein Mart used to be, and while there is a Marshalls sign at the Johnson Ferry Road entrance to Merchants Walk, there still hasn’t been an official announcement.
Taking up a portion of the old Stein Mart store is a new Sleep Galleria store, and Cobb records indicate it’s received a business license.
There’s still no signage up over both of those forthcoming retailers.
First Watch update
Just down the road a bit, a former Wells Fargo Bank has been leveled at the Shops at Woodlawn (1062 Johnson Ferry Road) and will be the site for a freestanding First Watch restaurant.
A reader asked about this last week, and we can add that Cobb County has granted the breakfast and lunch restaurant a beer and wine pouring license.
First Watch hasn’t announced an opening date, as the construction of the new building is just getting underway.
Pure Barre, a gym and fitness center, will be opening soon in the space formerly occupied by the Draisen-Edwards Music Center, near McCray’s Tavern.
Pure Barre also is a franchise and its opening will make four fitness-oriented businesses at Parkaire, along with Anytime Fitness, Pro Martial Arts and CycleBar.
Pure Barre is updating its pre-opening events on its Facebook page, including a private class and shopping event on Aug. 21 at the Athleta store at Merchants Walk.
There also two “pop up” Pure Barre events Aug. 13 and Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. in front of the new studio.
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With the current economic and real estate volatility, East Cobb News is reaching out to local experts to gauge the state of the East Cobb residential market.
We submitted the following questions in bold to the East Cobb office of Harry Norman Realtors (4651 Olde Towne Parkway), and the responses are in regular type. They have been lightly edited for style and punctuation.
We will be conducting similar updates with other East Cobb realtors and real estate agencies in the coming weeks.
Q. How would you describe the state of the local real estate market now, focusing on the East Cobb area?
A. We are seeing a slight uptick in the number of listings that have come on the market in our area. We were so low in inventory at the beginning of the year, that the slight uptick is noticeable. This is seen in homes being on the market for a longer period of time and price reductions.
I believe higher interest rates and so many people taking a vacation this summer (when they didn’t go on as many trips the last two summers) have directly impacted our market here locally and caused the slow down of how fast homes sell. I believe the price reductions are a sign of ambitious sellers, not depreciation.
In fact, we are still anticipating close to 8-9 percent appreciation year over year. To give you a comparison, the 2021 appreciation year over year was nearly 20 percent in our area but 3-5 percent is a historically “healthy” rate of appreciation.
Q. What is different about this current situation compared to the recession?
A. The recession/financial crisis of 2008-2013 created a situation where many builders and trades people ultimately had to get out of the building industry all together. Because of the financial crisis, the nation experienced an under-supply of homes being built for 14 years since there was such low demand.
Now, younger Millennials and the oldest of the Generation Z, which is a very large population section, are in their prime home buying years. They are also the first generation that has had parents and grandparents offer inheritance money to help with their purchases instead of saving that money to give to them in their wills. This has helped fund more cash purchases and helping buyers out-bid one another.
Q. What are your projections for interest rates in the short, intermediate and long run?
A. We will likely see interest rates rise in the near term to control inflation and then once that is under control, the Fed will drop them to help the economy come out of the recession. I’ve seen projections from experts for the later part of 2022 and in to 2023 to be in the 5-6 percent range.
Q. How did the metro Atlanta market become one of the most overpriced housing markets in the country and what has contributed to that?
A. Median home prices in metro Atlanta hit an all-time high of $400,000. We are still considered quite affordable in comparison to other metro areas around the nation and that is what has continued to attract businesses to relocate or open new offices here. Prices that buyers are paying for homes in today’s market are a function of buyer demand and seller supply.
Q. How much is the local market cooling, and do you think there will be a steeper decline or even a crash?
A. Our local market is showing signs of being right in line with 2019, a fabulous year in real estate in our market and in the nation. The years 2020 and 2021 just happen to have been abnormal markets that took off to a supersonic speed. I think we are now back to turbo jet speed.
For a crash to happen, we would have to have a very sharp increase in listings and a very sharp decrease in buyer demand all in a very short period of time. I don’t expect either of those, especially because of the current migration patterns to Atlanta and the Millennials being at their prime home buying years.
Q. What key factors should both buyers and sellers be looking for and how should they be preparing for the coming months?
A. In 2021 and in early 2022, buyers were battling it out with many other buyers in competition for very few homes on the market or before they hit the market. Buyers that “won” multiple offers tended to bid significantly more than the house was priced and did not put many, if any, contingencies in the contract to protect themselves.
Right now, there are still multiple offers on well-priced homes in good condition but there aren’t as many so buyers tend not to have to spend quite as much over list price or remove all of their contingencies to be competitive.
Sellers should be advised that there is still strong buyer demand, but they are looking for homes that are not over-priced and are in tip-top condition. If their home does not meet premium conditions, sellers may see their home sit on the market for a longer period of time before garnering an offer. In this shifting market a well versed and experienced agent can make a big difference on the outcome.
As a buyer you want someone who truly understands where the market is headed so that you don’t overpay based on the recent heated market. And as a seller, you need an agent that knows how to create demand to maximize your return.
Q. What other trends about the local market bear watching through the end of this year and into 2023?
A. I believe seasonality is back in the market. We will likely see more and more listings come on the market throughout the end of this year and I expect to see a strong spring market once again as we historically have. With our community and schools being in high demand, our market tends to revolve around parents making decisions in step with the school calendar. I also anticipate the continued relocation of businesses in to the Atlanta area to impact buyer demand in our area.
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2683 Weddington Place, 30068 (Weddington, Wheeler): Tameika and Donnie Ray Davis to Rahim Sundrani; $1.1 million
2808 Hitchcock Mill Run, 30068 (Princeton Mill, Wheeler): Regan Carter and Brooke Brown to Parthasarathi Murgesan and Vijaya Partha Parasarathi; $525,000
3559 Oak Knoll Drive, 30068 (Heritage Woods, Wheeler): Janis Les to Marcela Rabello; $470,000
July 22
2081 Kemp Road, 30066 (North Landing, Kell): Anne Hills to Brandon and Ivey Burch; $308,000
3872 Clairington Drive, 30066 (Overlook at Chastain, Sprayberry): SDH Atlanta LLC to Cabrina and Douglas Kimes; $395,525
3625 Mere Lane, 30062 (Cochran Lake Estates, Lassiter): David Blackmore to Cyril Wallace; $1.45 million
3594 Trickum Road, 30066 (Lassiter): Juanita Smith to Ahmadreza Sarikhani; $318,000
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Retired Atlanta Falcons kicker Morten Andersen with Laura LaQuaglia, the former art director at Kell High School, and artwork created by former Kell student Kennedy Leggett. Photo: CCSD
It’s taken a couple of years, but some artwork created by former Kell High School students in conjunction with the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame finally got a public viewing this week.
A belated 2020 induction ceremony took place on Monday, Aug. 1, the first day of the new school year in the Cobb County School District, and artwork prepared for each inductee was presented in person.
The Kell art department began a partnership with the Hall of Fame in 2014 when Corky Kell, the late Wheeler High School football coach and Kell school namesake, was inducted posthumously.
Laura LaQuaglia, the former Kell art director who’s now the Supervisor of Learning Design and Visual Arts for the Cobb school district, was on hand for the presentations.
The inductees included former Atlanta Falcons placekicker Morten Andersen, former Atlanta Hawks center Dikembe Mutombo, and ex-Georgia Tech football All-American Calvin Johnson.
Mutombo’s artwork was created by a basketball player—Kya Williams, a star point guard on Kell’s 2020 Georgia High School Association Class 5A state runner-up team.
“The induction ceremony events are always an exciting time where student artwork is celebrated,” LaQuaglia said in a release issued by the Cobb school district.
“Normally, the students would get to meet the esteemed athletes they have researched, but because of the quick notice of the rescheduled event, we were not able to have the former students present at the event.”
Since 2017, the partnership has continued under her successor, Julie Denison.
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Cobb PARKS held several fishing rodeos over the summer to give kids a chance to cast a line and see what they can catch.
At each of the rodeos, including Hyde Farm in early July and Ebenezer Downs Park on July 30, trophies were given for youngsters who caught the five biggest fish overall.
District 3 Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell (pictured above at second from left with Cobb PARKS staff) was on hand as the kids got their awards last Saturday:
1st Place: Sean McGinnis
2nd Place: Maximus Patthammayong
3rd Place: Jackson Woodruff
4th Place: Matthew Martinez
5th Place: Landon Perry
Her office provided the info and photos, and gave a big thanks to Cobb PARKS operations staffers Mackie Temple and Brett Alfosin and Keith Weaver and Michael Sellars with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
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Cobb DOT will remove the “S” curve intersection and place it nearer to the new Walton sports complex.
Design work for a planned realignment of the intersection of Bill Murdock Road and Pine Road at Walton High School will be the subject of a public hearing Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.
It’s one of several Cobb 2022 SPLOST projects by Cobb DOT that requires public hearings because the engineering and design costs exceed $100,000.
Design and engineering work for other road projects in the East Cobb area on Tuesday’s agenda include the following:
Holly Springs corridor improvements
Shallowford at Gordy Parkway West
Canton Road corridor improvements
Barnes Mill Road sidewalk
Those are specified as line items in the Cobb 2022 SPLOST notebook. The Bill Murdock-Pine Road project is not, as it’s lumped into a category for improvements in a school zone.
The realignment is part of ongoing construction at Walton of a new sports complex, which will house a varsity baseball field and tennis courts.
We asked the county for more details about the realignment, and Cobb DOT said that “S” curve will be removed, and pedestrian movements between the school and Pine Road will be improved in coordination with the Cobb County School District.
There’s not a cost estimate for the design or construction work included in Tuesday’s agenda item. A total of $4.1 million has been designated for SPLOST collections for school-zone DOT projects countywide through the end of 2027.
Construction on the Walton athletic complex is just getting underway with groundclearing of the nearly 25-acre tract. That project, which costs $6.7 million and is funded through the Cobb Education IV SPLOST, is expected to be completed by December.
Access points will be on Pine Road for the baseball field and Providence Road for the tennis courts. There will be parking for 80 vehicles.
The Holly Springs Road project is estimated to cost $3.9 million and includes improving the intersection at Post Oak Tritt Road.
The Canton Road corridor improvements have a project cost of $2.4 million and will stretch along much of that route.
Improvements at Shallowford Road and Gordy Parkway West are estimated to cost $700,000.
Those are all “Tier 1” projects in the Cobb 2022 SPLOST, which began collecting sales-tax revenues in January after being approved by voters in 2020. It is expected to generate $750 million in revenues both for county projects and those in Cobb’s six cities.
The Cobb DOT public hearings Tuesday will take place at the start of the meeting, which begins 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 by clicking here; also on the agenda is a final draft of the 2040 Cobb County Comprehensive Plan 5-Year Update to be submitted tothe Atlanta Regional Commission. Agenda item here; final draft 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.
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Caffeine & Octane, an Atlanta-area car show, is relocating to Town Center at Cobb (400 Ernest Barrett Parkway) and will be holding its first exhibition there on Sunday.
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to noon in the parking lot near Belk and JCPenney. It’s free and will include more than 1,000 automobiles from a variety of makes and models.
Caffeine & Octane, which bills itself as the largest monthly car show in North America, will be having monthly events at Town Center. The shows previously were at Perimeter Mall.
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Of course canines are welcome at the Rotary Club of East Cobb’s Dog Days Run.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s going on in East Cobb and environs this weekend from our calendar listings and beyond:
Rotary Club of East Cobb Dog Days Run: The organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year starts at 7:30 a.m. at the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA (1055 E. Piedmont Road) with a 5K run around the communit, followed by a post-race vendor fair, food and other festivities. Cash prizes will be awarded for overall winners, as well as master and senior age groups. $35 registration.
Lutzie 43 Road Race: The 5K to benefit the foundation named for the memory of former Lassiter HS football star Phil Lutzenkirchen takes place at his old stomping grounds, Frank Fillman Stadium (2601 Shallowford Road). The main race starts at 8 a.m., followed by a kids’ run. Online registration is closed but race-day sign-up ($43 for adults and $30 for students) starts at 7 a.m. in the Lassiter gym.
The East Cobb Triathlon: Taking place just down the street from the Lutzie 43 Road Race, starting at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Mountain View Aquatics Center (2650 Gordy Parkway). Swimming, biking and running event, with awards at various age ranges, including kids. Spots are available in six of the seven categories, with registration ranging from $50-$80.
KSU Civil War Collector’s Showcase: The 7th Annual event includes artillery, currency, weaponry, letters and more from the collections of local Civil War buffs. The event is from 9-1 Saturday and is free at the KSU Continuing Education Center (3333 Busbee Parkway, Suite 400).
Aloha to Aging Beer Symposium Benefit:The East Cobb-based agency serving seniors and their caregivers will receive some of the proceeds from a Beer Symposium at The Wing Cafe (2145 Roswell Road) from 2-6. Local beer professionals (from New Realm, Scofflaw, Terrapin and Wild Heaven) and live music are featured. 2 beers from each brewery cost $25, with $5 from each ticket going to Aloha To Aging, Inc. All additional beer tickets will be $5 a piece.
Family Fun Health Fair: Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson has invited health professionals to speak about chronic diseases and how to access resources and assistance in treating them at a health fair Sunday from 1-4 p.m. at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road). All ages are invited.
You can find our calendar listings in one handy place on our site. If you have events to share with the public, please e-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we will post them here.
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Cobb Animal Services announced Wednesday that the animal shelter has fully reopened to the public after being closed since July 22 after a case of strep zoo was diagnosed in a dog.
Appointments are available once again and through Aug. 25, dogs over 25 pounds and all cats and kittens will can be adopted for $25.
It’s called the Christmas in August adoption special, and more information can be found and appointments made by clicking here.
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The following Cobb food scores for the week of Aug. 1 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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Eastside Christian School is announcing it will begin offering high school classes starting in the fall of 2023, starting with the ninth grade.
Dr. Tiffany Stark, the head of school, made the announcement in a video that was posted recently on the school’s Facebook page.
She said the school’s board and Eastside Baptist Church elders “unanimously” approved the addition of high school, with grades 10, 11 and 12 to be added in each of the following three years.
“We have been praying and dreaming about this for nearly two years,” Stark said in the video. “After much discussion and prayer, we believe the Lord is telling us to move forward with a high school here at ECS.”
Eastside Christian, which opened in 1983, for a time offered ninth grade classes. It currently enrolls more than 200 students in grades K-8.
Stark said “many families” of Eastside students have been asking about the possibility of having a high school during the last two years, “and the interest of a high school was clearly present.
“Given the current nature of education in our nation, we know that many families are seeking a place where their children can learn and remain rooted in the truth of God’s word,” she said.
“We believe that God is calling us to start a high school at Eastside to serve that very purpose.”
Eastside will be the third Christian school in the East Cobb area to offer high school, along with Johnson Ferry Christian Academy and Mt. Bethel Christian Academy.
Those also are ministries of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and Mt. Bethel Church, respectively, and they added high school grades one year at a time.
Mt. Bethel’s high school is located on its “North” campus on Post Oak Tritt Road, and began offering classes in 2014. It currently has around 160 students in grades 9-12.
Johnson Ferry Christian Academy has nearly 500 students in K-12.
Eastside has prepared some additional information about its high school offerings on its website. A proposed schedule includes a block format.
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The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted last week to spend nearly $500,000 for an outside consultant to assist county staff in the creation of a Unified Development Code.
Jessica Guinn, Cobb Community Development Director
The vote was 3-2, with the three Democrats voting in favor and the two Republicans opposed. Republican JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in Northeast Cobb objected because she said county community development staffers are best situated to do the work, “because they know the county.”
The proposed UDC has become the subject of some controversy since it was first raised last year, including from some East Cobb citizens who made heated comments that prompted a rebuke from Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid.
Birrell also said that updating the development code can be done through the current practice of updating code amendments twice a year.
But during the commissioners’ regular meeting last Tuesday, Commissioner Jerica Richardson, a Democrat who represents part of East Cobb, said the request for a consultant came from the Cobb Community Development staff.
“They’re telling us they need some help,” she said.
Director Jessica Guinn said “I can’t tell you how much time I spend getting code amendments ready” for that process.
She told commissioners that she would still be the project manager for the UDC process, which she said “is still going to be a huge demand of staff time.”
The consultant is Clarion Associates, LLC, a nationwide land-use and planning consulting firm which has provided services for a UDC in Hall County and design and development guidelines in Savannah.
Clarion also is conducting an overhaul of the zoning ordinance in Fairfax County, Va., an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C.
A UDC is a comprehensive planning guide which incorporates zoning, planning and land-use with design, landscaping, architectural and other guidelines. Local Atlanta-area jurisdictions that have them are the cities of Atlanta and Roswell and DeKalb County.
Guinn has said that Cobb’s zoning ordinance is more than 50 years old and needs an overhaul and needs more than periodic updates during the code amendment process.
Jan Barton, an East Cobb resident, has called UDC “a war on the suburbs” and leaders of the failed East Cobb Cityhood referendum republished a newpaper letter to the editor she wrote on the subject.
But Commissioner Monique Sheffield of South Cobb said hiring a UDC consultant “isn’t a knock against the staff at all. You have more work that you have people.”
Among the tasks include reviewing the project with county staff to assess the current codes and updating the county website, then holding public meetings and related sessions before preparing a draft UDC.
After that, there will be public hearings on the draft proposal, before commissioners would be scheduled to adopt a UDC.
A few virtual meetings an online feedback periods have already been held; Guinn said the consultants’ participation will take between 18-24 months.
“This will be a robust public process,” Guinn said in response to a question from Richardson. “It’s not something that’s going to take place overnight. It’s going to take time. It’s going to be a heavy lift and we’ll be engaging with all of you as well as staff.”
Cobb is currently conducting a five-year update the county’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which will be one of the main documents used during the UDC process.
Commissioners are expected to adopt that update this fall.
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Catherine Pozniak, who is challenging Post 4 incumbent David Chastain for a seat on the Cobb Board of Education, will be away on U.S. Army Reserve duty the next six weeks.
She announced in a video on her campaign website that she is reporting for duty next week, and will return in mid-September.
She is a military government specialist for the reserve’s Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command and advises on educational issues.
Pozniak, a Democrat who graduated from Sprayberry High School, has been holding “office hours” sessions with voters at various coffee shops in the area, including Mzizi Coffee on Johnson Ferry Road.
Those and other in-person campaign events will be discontinued while she is on reserve duty.
Post 4 includes the Kell, Lassiter and Sprayberry clusters; Chastain, a Republican who is completing his second term, is the current school board chairman.
“As a member of the Army Reserve, I proudly join tens of thousands of men and women who stand ready to serve when our country calls,” said Pozniak, who is a captain and is a third-generation member of her family to serve in the military.
“While I am serving, I ask that you continue to engage with our campaign team through our website and social media,” she added.
Pozniak said she’ll still respond to e-mail, though it will be “a little bit slower” and “I will continue to provide virtual updates.”
Pozniak, whose father is a retired Army officer, graduated from Sprayberry in 1997 and attended Daniell Middle School and Kincaid Elementary School.
After teaching on a Lakota reservation in South Dakota, Pozniak was an assistant state superintendent of education for fiscal operations in Louisiana and the head of an educational non-profit in Baton Rouge, La.
She currently is principal at Watershed Advisors, an educational and workforce consultancy. This is her first campaign for public office.
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The Northeast Cobb-based Tommy Nobis Center has produced and distributed more than 2,100 COVID-19 preventtion kits for Cobb school students with disabilities and their families.
The kits contain masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and COVID education materials and were assembled by the center’s EYES (Early Youth Employment Services) summer program participants during the summer.
More from the Nobis Center, which also provided the photo above:
The initiative was made possible by support from the Cobb County Community Development Block Grant and provided hands-on training and work experience for students with disabilities while allowing them to give back to their community and support their peers in a unique and valuable way.
“The recent surge in COVID-19 cases within Cobb County continues to cause concern across our community,” says Dave Ward, President and CEO of Tommy Nobis Center. “This project gave students the opportunity to work and contribute to the wellbeing of their fellow students.”
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Kindergarteners at Tritt ES get off the school bus during a ride-along event Thursday. Photo: Cobb County School District.
This week the Cobb Police Department has been rolling out safety-related information with another school year about to begin on Monday in the Cobb County School District.
The Cobb school district, which serves nearly 107,000 students at 112 schools, is unveiling a new school crisis alert system with the 2022-23 school year. In the wake of the school shooting in May in Uvalde, Texas, the district announced that each school will be having at least one Code Red drill.
In addition to traffic reminders related to bus stops and child pedestrians, police also have provided safety tips for students at school.
On the roads, motorists are required to do the following:
Stop for school buses with safety lights activated and storm arms extended;
Stop and yield to pedestrians crossing at a crosswalk or intersection;
Stop for a crossing guard holding up a stop sign;
Never pass another vehicle stopped for pedestrians;
Obey all traffic signs posted in and around a traffic zone, including speed and parking restrictions.
It’s a violation of state law to disobey the instructions of a traffic control device unless directed by a law enforcement officer.
Students walking to and from school should observe the following:
Never walk while texting; step aside to let others pass by on a sidewalk;
Do not cross the street while using an electronic device;
Look left, then right, then left again before crossing the street and cross only at crosswalks;
Do not wear earbuds or headphones while walking across the street, and stay alert.
Inside the school buildings, police encourage students to take the following measures to protect themselves and their belongings:
Always keep lockers locked and don’t preset the combination to the last number for easy entry;
Secure belongings inside a locker; do not leave them on top, on benches, or in a classroom or bathroom;
Never share a locker combination with anyone;
If riding a bike, lock it to a rack or another stationary object;
If driving, keep the vehicle locked, windows closed and belongings out of sight;
Do not bring certain valuables to school, especially large amounts of cash or expensive jewelry;
Do not bring weapons to school, and if you see one, immediately report it to school officials and resource officer;
Report suspicious activities to the police, school officials, and your parents;
Tell a teacher, parent, or another trusted adult if you feel unsafe or if someone is bullying or threatening you;
Say no to adults if they ask you to do something you know is wrong, or if it makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
For more information about school safety, visit the Cobb County School District’s Cobb Shield resource page; more information about school buses can be found by clicking here.
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The following Cobb food scores for the week of July 25 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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After enjoying plenty of rivalry games over the last two years, five of the six East Cobb high school football teams are no longer in the same region.
The Georgia High School Association did keep three of them—Lassiter, Pope and Sprayberry—in the same region, and reunited two other longtime rivals together in Walton and Wheeler.
But a number of those backyard brawl games remain on their schedules in non-region format for the 2022 season, which gets underway in mid-August.
As has been the case in recent years, Kell and Walton will be getting an early start in the Corky Kell Classic.
The Longhorns, who have a new coach in Bobby May, formerly of Westlake High School in Atlanta, have dropped from Class 6A to Class 5A (classification is based on overall student enrollment).
He’s the only newcomer to the coaching ranks among the six East Cobb schools.
Before Kell gets into Region 6 play, it will be facing neighboring rivals Pope and Sprayberry in September.
In Class 6A Region 7, games between Lassiter, Pope and Sprayberry will take on extra meaning in a region with several schools in North Fulton.
Lassiter is maintaining a non-region rivalry game with Wheeler in the season opener for both teams, and a Pope vs. Walton game continues this season. Pope also will be meeting Wheeler in non-region play.
Walton, which reached the Class 7A semifinals last year, remains there, but is now in Region 5, which includes North Cobb, Kennesaw Mountain, Osborne, Cherokee and Wheeler.
The Raiders will once again play at Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta against Mill Creek in the Corky Kell Classic, then plays at Brookwood.
For the first time since 2017, Walton will square off against Wheeler at Raider Valley on Nov. 4, in the regular season finale for both schools.
The head coaches and select players from all six public high schools in East Cobb will appear before the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce on Aug. 11.
It’s the annual East Cobb Pigskin Preview, and more information and a registration link can be found by clicking here.
Opponents with a * indicate region games.
Kell Longhorns
Class AAAAA Region 6
2021 Record: 6-5
Aug. 17, 5:30 p.m. vs. Cedar Bluff (Corky Kell Classic at Johns Creek HS)
Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. vs. Allatoona
Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m. vs. Pope
Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. at Sprayberry
Sept. 23 7:30 p.m. at Centennial*
Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. at Northview*
Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. vs. Cambridge*
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. at Greater Atlanta Christian*
Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. vs. North Springs*
Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. vs. Chattahoochee
Lassiter Trojans
Class AAAAAA Region 7
2021 Record: 4-6
Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. at Wheeler
Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. at Woodstock
Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. vs. Dalton
Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m. at Johns Creek*
Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. vs. Roswell*
Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. vs. Alpharetta*
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. at Pope*
Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. at Sprayberry*
Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. vs. Blessed Trinity*
Pope Greyhounds
Class AAAAAA Region 7
2021 Record: 7-4
Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. vs. River Ridge
Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m. at Kell
Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. at Walton
Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. vs. North Paulding
Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. vs. Alpharetta*
Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. at Blessed Trinity*
Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. vs. Roswell*
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. vs. Lassiter*
Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. at Johns Creek*
Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. at Sprayberry*
Sprayberry Yellow Jackets
Class AAAAAA Region 7
2021 Record: 3-6
Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m. at Campbell
Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. vs. Paulding County
Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m. at River Ridge
Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. vs. Kell
Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. at Blessed Trinity*
Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m. at Alpharetta*
Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. vs. Johns Creek*
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. at Roswell*
Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. vs. Lassiter*
Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. vs. Pope*
Walton Raiders
Class AAAAAAA Region 5
2021 Record: 9-4
Aug. 20, 7 p.m. vs. Mill Creek (Corky Kell Classic at Mercedes Benz Stadium)
Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. at Brookwood
Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. vs. Pope
Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. at Marietta
Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m. at North Paulding
Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. vs. North Cobb*
Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. at Kennesaw Mountain*
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. vs. Cherokee*
Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. at Osborne*
Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. vs. Wheeler*
Wheeler Wildcats
Class AAAAAAA Region 5
2021 Record: 1-9
Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m. at Centennial
Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. vs. Lassiter
Sept. 2, 7:30 p.m. at South Cobb
Sept. 16, 7:30 p.m. vs. North Atlanta
Sept. 23, 7:30 p.m. at Campbell
Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. vs. Cherokee*
Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. at North Cobb*
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. vs. Osborne*
Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. vs. Kennesaw Mountain*
Nov. 4, 7:30 p.m. at Walton*
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