Cobb commissioners approve Guthrie's Chicken rezoning

Guthrie's Chicken files for rezoning for East Cobb restaurant

Despite concerns from a local civic group about traffic issues, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a rezoning request for a drive-through chicken fast food restaurant at the Lower Roswell-Johnson Ferry intersection.

By a 5-0 vote, commissioners voted to rezone a 3.17-acre parcel from planned shopping center (PSC) to neighborhood retail commercial (NRC) for a Guthrie’s Chicken location.

East Cobb Guthries LLC wants to convert an empty medical building for a two-lane drive-through-only restaurant and purchased the property last year.

The Cobb Planning Commission recommended approval earlier this month on the consent agenda.

But the matter was placed on the commissioners’ regular agenda after the East Cobb Civic Association expressed concern about traffic near a busy intersection and was unsure about the restaurant’s opening hours in a revised stipulation letter.

At Tuesday’s hearing, ECCA president Richard Grome asked if Cobb DOT had seen a new traffic study, which determined that traffic-stacking wouldn’t be an issue.

The revised site plan calls for right-in, right-out access only on Lower Roswell Road.

That’s also where Cobb DOT is planning a major improvement project.

Grome also wanted to know why the operating hours—initially specified as between 10 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.—weren’t mentioned in the new stipulation letter.

Kevin Moore, attorney for East Cobb Guthries, didn’t specify, but said “it’s not a 24-hour operation.”

The 1,500-square-foot building would have 10 parking spaces, and there will be no inside dining.

During a brief discussion, it was noted that there are several restaurants in the Lower Roswell-Johnson Ferry Road that have widely differing opening hours.

A Zaxby’s at the same intersection is open from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, and there’s a Waffle Hours that’s open 24 hours and sit-down restaurants with shorter opening hours.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners voted to hold an application for a gas station and convenience store in Northeast Cobb yet again.

A request by Quiktrip to convert a former pharmacy at Canton Road and Jamerson Road from general commercial to neighborhood retail will be scheduled for February (Commissioners do not hear zoning cases in January.).

The applicant revised a site plan to reduce the proposed number of pumps from 16 to 12 and is working through a shared parking agreement with business owners at an adjacent retail center.

But commissioner JoAnn Birrell asked for the delay to locate the pumps closer to Jamerson Road, among other issues.

The Canton Road Neighbors civic group opposed the request, saying there are traffic dangers in that area and that it has a glut of similar gas-convenience stores.

“Gas stations on every corner—that’s America,” Birrell said, acknowledging that “the traffic still has some concerns” and suggested right-in, right-out access only along Canton Road.

Commissioners also voted to delay a major mixed-use proposal along I-575 near Chastain Road.

SDP Acquisitions wants to develop 57 acres for warehouses, townhouses and apartments in a case that’s drawn significant community opposition.

Birrell said she couldn’t support any warehouses (365,000 square feet have been proposed) and wants the developer to revise a site plan with the only planned village community (PVC) category.

Her motion also calls for the applicant to conduct a traffic study, provide landscaping and tree buffers and prohibits any variances.

More than 30 people turned out in opposition, including the Bells Ferry Civic Association, which also expressed concerns about the density of the proposed housing (135 townhomes, 200 senior apartments) and 30,000 square feet of retail space.