Cobb commissioners deny Terrell Mill-Delk self-storage plans

Even after late support surfaced for a self-storage proposal—including from one of their former colleagues—Cobb commissioners on Tuesday rejected a request to build such a facility at the intersection of Terrell Mill and Delk roads.

By a 4-1 vote, commissioners denied a request by ADP Terrell Mill to rezone 2.55 acres of residentially zoned land at 1140 and 1150 Terrell Mill Road for a 120,000-square-foot self-storage facility and a small community meeting room.

The case was initially heard in December, but commissioners voted to hold it to February, even after the Cobb zoning staff and Cobb Planning Commission recommended denial.

The land, once owned by the late Ruby Inez Fridell, is currently zoned R-80, the lowest residential density in the Cobb code, and has two older long-abandoned homes.

A new townhome development is adjacent on Terrell Mill, and nearby residential zoning ranges from R-20 to RA-6. But the Cobb future land map has designated those tracts as very-low density residential.

The vote to deny came after District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson initially made a motion to approve the proposal, but couldn’t get support from her colleagues.

Her predecessor, former commissioner Bob Ott, spoke in favor of the self-storage facility. He lives nearby at Terrell Mill Estates, only a hundred feet from the Fridell property, and said that self-storage would create less traffic than townhomes suggested by opponents.

The facility would be built by Shamrock Building Systems, a prominent self-storage builder in the Atlanta area, and would include exteriors that look like townhomes.

Ott said during his time in office, the land in question was proposed for much more intense development, including a gas station and townhomes, that would have had a more detrimental impact on the community.

“We know what has been considered for this intersection,” he said, noting that there have been more than 20 accidents there since early 2020.

“Folks who live a mile or more from this property—they’re not impacted like we are.”

Ott said he thinks the stigma of self-storage is what’s driving the opposition. Much of that came from residents in the Amberley Park neighborhood, located further down Terrell Mill next to East Cobb Middle School.

Resident Kevin Nicholas, who ran to succeed the now-retired Ott in 2020, repeated his concerns that the land should remain residential, since it’s a residential area.

“There’s a vast majority of people who don’t want another self-storage in the community,” Nicholas said.

Among them are one of his neighbors, Steve Rowe, a real estate developer, who said self-storage “won’t enhance the value of the surrounding community.” He said that “transitional townhomes would be the obvious choice.”

ADP Terrell Mill attorney Kevin Moore said there’s strong community support from the Terrell Mill Estates, Millridge and Cobblestone subdivisions that are closer than Amberley Park.

Richardson said the case was “a tough one,” and as she tried to make a motion, she admitted to the audience hers was “a real-time decision.”

After making a motion to approve with a new stipulation letter, however, three of her colleagues, including District 3’s JoAnn Birrell, said they wouldn’t vote for it.

Birrell’s district was reapportioned to include the Terrell Mill property but because of the county’s home rule challenge over redistricting, Richardson led the discussion of the case.

“It should remain residential,” Birrell said. “It’s hard to look at R-80 going commercial.”

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid acknowledged that the architectural design of the building is “beautiful,” but that “self-storage is a difficult use. It’s impossible to see the compatibility of this.”

The only vote in favor of the rezoning and companion land-use permit required for self-storage facilities was Keli Gambrill of North Cobb.

Commissioners later vote 5-0 to remove a single-use stipulation for a Walgreens pharmacy on Johnson Ferry Road at Waterfront Drive.

The 1.28 acres at 3033 Johnson Ferry Road was zoned for a pharmacy-only in 2000. But Kenneth Weinstein, an attorney Mid-Atlantic Commercial Properties, LLC, said the Walgreens will soon be closing and his client wants to have some flexibility in redeveloping the land.

The East Cobb Civic Association and the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford (JOSH) advisory group appointed by Richardson submitted lists of nearly 30 prohibited uses, including drive-through and a grocery store.

After a nearly hour-long discussion, Richardson also struggled to make a motion, and wanted to ask for a 60-day continuance.

Weinstein said his client would likely walk away with another delay.

She eventually proposed to approve the pharmacy-only stipulation and add the civic groups’ list of prohibited uses.

Richardson’s motion said removing the pharmacy-only use was contingent on a new proposal to come back before commssioners.

Commissioners also voted on the consent agenda Tuesday to approve rezoning for Lidl to build a grocery store at the intersection of Canton Road and Piedmont Road.

Birrell thanked Lidl, the Canton Road Neighbors civic group and others in the community to make changes following several continuances.

It’s Lidl’s third attempt to locate a store in the Northeast Cobb area, after being denied rezoning at Gordy Parkway and Shallowford Road and abandoning plans for the Sprayberry Crossing redevelopment.

“I’m really forward to this opening soon,” Birrell said.

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• East Cobb rezoning cases held until February
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