Earlier this year, Cobb District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr. announced his support of a record restriction help desk. Partners on this project include the Georgia Justice Project, Cobb Circuit Defender Randy Harris, Cobb Solicitor General Barry E. Morgan, and the Cobb Judicial Circuit.
The record-restriction help desk will be known as Cobb Second Chance Desk. It will be housed in the Cobb Circuit Defender’s Office. Cobb’s Second Chance Desk will be the first of its kind in Georgia. It will be staffed by GJP attorneys and the Cobb Circuit Defender’s Office. These attorneys will assist eligible individuals with clearing their record as Georgia law allows.
The ribbon cutting for the Cobb Second Chance Desk was Wednesday, June 16 in front of Cobb Circuit Defender’s Office Building at 10 East Park Square in Marietta.
Second Chance Desks are an invaluable resource to meet this increasing need for record restriction services.
“Georgia Justice Project helps many Georgians each year with their criminal record, but we can’t do this work alone, and we do so with strong partnership support,” says Doug Ammar, Executive Director of Georgia Justice Project. “Since 4.3 million people have a Georgia criminal history, we need to find creative ways to collaborate with our local institutions to serve as many Georgians as possible. We appreciate District Attorney Broady and Solicitor Morgan for joining us in this effort.”
“This is justice in action,” DA Broady said. “Removing barriers that keep nonviolent people from being productive members of society benefits everyone.”
Cobb Solicitor General Barry E. Morgan added that the service provided by the Georgia Justice Project is needed.
“Prosecutors and court clerks cannot give legal advice, and many people are in limbo if they can’t afford to pay an attorney to navigate the additional, cumbersome process required for record restriction,” Morgan said. “This service will help fill a gaping hole.”
Georgia Justice Project has served Georgians who have been impacted by the criminal justice system for almost 35 years. Learn more at www.GJP.org.
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Cobb PARKS staff is hosting its annual Fishing Rodeo in July. The competition is open to children ages 3-16 and trophies will be awarded for the five biggest fish overall. Participants must bring their own fishing gear and bait.
9-11 a.m., July 10 Lost Mountain Park, 4845 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
9-11 a.m., July 17 Ebenezer Downs Park, 4057 Ebenezer Road, Marietta
9-11 a.m., July 24 Hyde Farm Park, 726 Hyde Road, Marietta
9-11 a.m., July 31 Furr Family Park, 4570 Old Westside Road, Powder Springs
The entry fee is $5 per child. For registration or more information, visit cobbcounty.org/parks and click on the “Outdoor/Nature” tab. You can also contact John Purcell at 770-528-8825 or john.purcell@cobbcounty.org.
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Family-friendly movies will be shown the last Thursday of every month through August beginning at sunset. Arrive early to enjoy fun, family activities. Movie titles will be announced at the beginning of each month on our website https://www.avenueeastcobb.com/events/
Summer fun continues on June 24th with the movie:SCOOB! – The never-before told stories of Scooby-Doo’s origins & the greatest mystery in the career of Mystery Inc.
* This movie is FREE with NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED! SAVE THE DATE!
* Family Fun Entertainment from 6-8pm. Enjoy an INFLATABLE OBSTACLE COURSE, BASKETBALL CHALLENGE and a DJ with Trivia and Games!
* Pick up dinner from onsite restaurants Drift Fish House, Tin Lizzy’s, Stockyard Burgers, Panera and Kale Me Crazy. Enjoy sweet treats from Smallcakes Cupcakery or Menchies.
* NO DRIVE-IN SPACES – ALL PICNIC STYLE. Bring folding chairs, tables, blankets. No umbrellas or tents permitted.
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Submitted information from Cobb County government:
During the pandemic, many have realized how much we miss gathering in physical places, including our libraries. This week, we were elated to celebrate the reopening of Switzer Library in downtown Marietta after major renovations to improve indoor and outdoor areas and its administrative and support services spaces. To watch a short video about the history of Cobb’s flagship library and get an inside look at some of the new features, click here.
New features include a family computing space on the main floor, the Accessibility Services Room for patrons with disabilities, sensory processing disorders or in need of a calmer environment, a new children’s programming room and two makerspaces, for both teens and adults. An enclosed outdoor plaza with seating and a garden area is accessible through the Hattie Gaines Wilson Youth Services area. The Georgia Room — the Cobb library special historic and genealogical collection — also now has a dedicated conference room and additional space. This project was mainly funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and also a grant from the Georgia Public Library Service.
Located at 266 Roswell St., Switzer Library is one-half mile from the Marietta Square. For more information, visit cobbcounty.org/library.
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A reader-submitted photo of a motorcycle that crashed with a Lincoln at Roswell and Providence roads Thursday night.
A 58-year-old Marietta man was killed Thursday night after his motorcycle crashed with a car on Roswell Road in East Cobb, according to police.
Cobb Police said Casey Sullivan was pronounced dead at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital after being taken there following the crash, which took place on Roswell Road near its eastern intersection with Providence Road.
Sullivan was heading westbound on Roswell on a BMW R1200 RT that collided with a Lincoln MKX driven by Preksha Bhargava, 22, of Marietta, around 6:54 p.m., according to police.
Police said the Lincoln was headed east on Roswell and was attempting a left turn onto Providence Road when the crash occurred.
Sullivan was thrown from his motorcycle on contact and the car Bhargava was driving crashed into a Toyota Tundra waiting at a red traffic light on Providence Road, according to police.
Police said Bhargava was not injured but a 16-year-old male passenger in the Lincoln had minor injuries. The Toyota driver, Alan Dunbar, 56, of Marietta, and three passengers in that vehicle—Karen Dunbar, 56, of Marietta; Elizabeth Dunbar, 56, of Port Saint Lucie, Fla.; Nathan Dunbar, 18, of Marietta—were uninjured, according to police.
Police said the collision remains under investigation and anyone with information should contact Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.
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An aerial rendering of the proposed Lower Roswell traffic plan, from Woodlawn Drive on the left to Davidson Road on the right. For a larger view click here. Source: Cobb DOT.
The nearly $9 million project (fact sheet; location map) would expand traffic lanes along Lower Roswell between Woodlawn Drive and Davidson Road, create special turn lanes in some areas and construct a raised median along one portion of the route that’s been the subject of numerous discussions.
The project is part of the 2011 Cobb government SPLOST, and it’s taken longer than usual to get to this point, according to Karyn Matthews, a Cobb DOT traffic engineer whose area covers Cobb commission District 2.
Right-of-way acquisitions also have complicated the work, as has research into property deeds and related matters.
“For Cobb DOT, this is a long one,” she said, “but we wanted to get the right concept for the community.”
Cobb commissioners are presented with concept plans for major traffic improvement projects before construction bids are sought.
Matthews said after a concept plan is approved, Cobb DOT needs to purchase 29 of the 32 property parcels required to complete the Lower Roswell project.
There have been several opportunities over the last few years for members of the public to comment on the proposal, including virtual comments collected in April.
Of the 30 or so comments Cobb DOT received, Matthews said many are from local businesses that would be affected by the raised median.
That median would be constructed on Lower Roswell between Johnson Ferry Road and Davidson Road, with two openings for left turns into the McDonald’s and the Kroger store at the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center.
“We have a concept that we feel good about,” Matthews said about the median proposal.
She said Cobb DOT is proposing that solution because the crash history in that area is above average.
Cobb County wants to make a “pocket park” out of land where a 1930s farmhouse once stood at Lower Roswell Road and Woodlawn Drive. ECN file
Other features of the traffic project include creating dual left-turn lanes from westbound Lower Roswell onto southbound Johnson Ferry Road, and creating a two-lane extension on Lower Roswell in either direction west of Woodlawn Drive, to Parkcrest Place.
That’s part of a major overhaul of a long-bottlenecked intersection that will have dedicated right-turn lanes onto Woodlawn from Lower Roswell.
Two of the three parcels the county has acquired are at that intersection: the site of a former produce fruit stand, and the home of Wilse Frasier (above), whose family lived in a farm home for decades until his death in 2018.
The county demolished the home in 2019, and Matthews said what portion of 0.9-acre parcel isn’t needed for the traffic improvements will be proposed as a “pocket park.”
That area would also include bike lanes that would connect with trails on Lower Roswell that are east of Johnson Ferry Road, Matthews said, citing a county master plan calling for bike access extending to Woodlawn.
She estimates that land purchases should take the rest of 2021 and possibly into next year to complete, with the project going out for bids by May 2022.
The estimated time of construction will be around two years, Matthews said.
The Cobb commission meeting begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 2nd floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.
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The following East Cobb food scores for the week of June 14 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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The budget proposal holds the line on the school district’s property tax rate of 18.9 mills and using $51 million in reserve funding to reach a balance (budget summary here).
It was the second vote in as many weeks by the board on the budget, which held a special-called meeting Thursday after concerns that its action last week was improperly done.
The school board held a public budget forum before the vote on Thursday, following complaints that it had not abided by the state open meetings law last week.
Last Thursday’s budget forum was not live-streamed or recorded, due to what the district said were technical issues.
Because of COVID-19 safety protocols, members of the public were allowed into the board meeting room only one at a time if they were speaking during the public comment period, and were escorted out once they finished.
But the state opens meetings law states that when public meetings aren’t available for viewing, they must be fully open to the public.
Among those calling for a do-over were East Cobb parent Heather Tolley-Bauer, who’s a founder of a citizens group called “Watching the Funds—Cobb,” which scrutinizes Cobb school district finances.
Tolley-Bauer, who lives in Post 5 (represented by board member David Banks) was one of two people who spoke at Thursday’s public budget forum. While she didn’t specifically address the FY 2022 budget, she told board members that her group “will continue to provide a watchful eye” not only on the budget, but federal funding sources, SPLOST spending “and every single expense.
“Because no matter what, funds used to make purchases all come from the taxpayers, many of whom support our work.”
The group has more than 1,000 followers for its Facebook page, which is regularly updated with Cobb school district finances and school board activities.
It sprung to action last spring and was critical of the Cobb school district spending $12 million for handwashers and special UV disinfecting lights as COVID-19 safety measures. The district cancelled its contract for the lights in March after lights at Argyle Elementary School malfunctioned, and as the Cobb District Attorney’s Office began looking into the matter.
“As we move into the 2021-22 budget year, we continue to seek real and responsible fiscal stewardship that can only come from transparency and meaningful two-way communication with the stakeholders,” Tolley-Bauer told the school board Thursday.
Board members had little discussion about the budget during their special-called meeting before voting 5-0 to adopt it (board members Jaha Howard and Tre Hutchins were absent).
You can watch replays of both Thursday meetings by clicking here.
Unlike FY 2021, there’s no federal CARES Act funding in the new budget, which takes effect July 1. Also projected for FY 2022, which begins on July 1, is a 5.54 percent growth in the Cobb tax digest.
More Cobb school district budget and financial data can be found by clicking here.
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The Tijuana Joe’s restaurant in East Cobb reopened for business Thursday after closing for nearly 24 hours due to a fire.
Management said in social media postings that it had received numerous messages from citizens and passers-by late Wednesday morning about seeing fire trucks at the standalone building at 690 Johnson Ferry Road.
A small fire started on top of the building around 11:45 a.m. Wednesday and that it was HVAC-related, Tijuana Joe’s said.
“No guests were in the restaurant when this occurred, so that is a blessing,” the message stated. “Our entire team was able to get out of the restaurant safely before anything could worsen, too.”
Stephen Bennett, a spokesman for Cobb Fire, said that the fire was limited to the HVAC area on the roof, and that “crews investigated and eliminated the hazard.”
Tijuana Joe’s management told East Cobb News Wednesday afternoon it was still receiving the go-ahead to reopen: “We are hoping to be only closed for the day, but we are abiding by all rules.”
Around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, the restaurant again posted on social media saying the restaurant was back open for business. “We truly appreciate everyone’s patience during yesterday’s unexpected incident. We look forward to seeing you all for trivia tonight!”
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An Atlanta man alleged to have crawled his way into numerous Cobb County businesses since last fall by breaking or removing windows is accused of stealing more than $21,000 in money and merchandise from the Tokyo Valentino store in East Cobb.
According to an arrest warrant dated June 1, Aron Jermaine Major, 47, burglarized the adult retail business on Johnson Ferry Road early in the morning of Oct. 20, 2020, taking lingerie, sex enhancement pills, CBD products, sex toys and gift cards.
He’s facing more than a dozen burglary and related charges for a spree that Cobb Police said began last September and continued through mid-March of this year.
A dozen warrants were taken out against Major on June 1 for those and other offenses, following a search warrant at his residence, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, which indicate the suspect was taken into custody on that date and remains at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
An arrest warrant for Major states that the Tokyo Valentino burglary took place shortly after 6 a.m. on Oct. 20, with a suspect removing a window pane on the side of the store building (1290 Johnson Ferry Road) to gain entry.
The store manager reported to police that 61 lingerie sets were missing, as were 400 male sex enhancement pills, five pairs of high heels, two fetish straps, two doorway sex swings, 25 sex toys, 500 $25 gift cards, 17 bottles of CBD oil and tincture, six tins of Kratom powder and nearly $1,000 in cash.
The warrant further states that when police got a search warrant for Major’s residence on June 1, they found 447 packets of male sex enhancement pills and a door sex swing, items that the Tokyo Valentino manager verified were from the East Cobb store.
The same warrant states that after leaving Tokyo Valentino on Oct. 20, the suspect tried to go inside the Starbuck’s Coffee shop at 2424 Roswell Road, near East Piedmont Road, by removing a glass window pane and leaving it in a dumpster.
That’s in the vicinity of an oil change shop and a restaurant Major is accused of burglarizing on March 3-4, 2021, according to the warrants.
A warrant states that a man broke into the Havoline Express Oil Change (2525 Roswell Road) between 7 p.m. March 3 and 7:30 a.m. March 4 by removing glass in the front of the business, taking money from a register and replacing the window.
At Peace, Love and Pizza (1050 E. Piedmont Road), another glass window was removed, and the suspect was captured by a surveillance video crawling on the floor to reach a register and taking more than $2,000.
“The images seen on CCTV (clothes, height, weight) as well as the modus operandi is that of the said accused and has been seen in burglaries in multiple other burglaries as indicated” in the warrants, that particular warrant states.
The warrants show that on the same day, March 4, Major burglarized two restaurants on Lower Roswell Road, Ming’s Asian Kitchen and Red Curry Thai.
The suspect took cash from Ming’s (4665 Lower Roswell Road) by breaking into a back door by breaking glass around 11 a.m. and taking a register, the warrant states. At Red Curry Thai (4724 Lower Roswell Road), according to the warrant, the suspect removed a glass pane from the front door to gain access and took cash from a register.
Three other East Cobb restaurants were burglarized by Major during his spree, according to the warrants: The Wing Cafe and Tap House and Fuji Hana on Sept. 22, 2020, and a Mellow Mushroom restaurant on March 18, 2021.
On Sept. 22, shortly after 5 a.m., a warrant states that Major cut away a glass pane at The Wing Cafe (2145 Roswell Road) and pried open a locked door, then attempted to remove a safe. The warrant states that he failed, but managed to open an ATM machine inside the restaurant and took $300 in cash.
Roughly an hour later, the warrant states Major smashed open a pane of glass to enter Fuji Hana (1255 Johnson Ferry Road), and was seen on a video camera stealing a safe and putting it on a rolling cart. The suspect was seen taking cash out of a register and rolling the safe on the cart to the parking lot and leaving with them.
The June 1 search warrant indicated that police discovered business checks from Fuji Hana in Major’s possession.
The last incident that has been connected to Major was a burglary at Mellow Mushroom (2000 Powers Ferry Road) between 5:55 a.m. and 6:18 a.m. on March 18. That warrant states that a male removed a glass panel from the front of the restaurant and crawled inside, looking for cash, alcohol and cigarettes.
Other businesses named in the warrants include restaurants and retail shops in the Town Center, Marietta and Acworth areas.
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The Rotary Club of East Cobb recently recognized Cobb firefighter Shane Belden as its quarterly award recipient.
He was recommended by his superior, Capt. Jeff Robinson, for his work in the community on behalf of needy school children.
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The Cobb Board of Education will conduct a public hearing Thursday morning on the fiscal year 2022 operating budget and hold a special-called meeting to vote on budget adoption.
The budget hearing begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by a special-called meeting at 11 a.m. for budget adoption. Both meetings will be live-streamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.
Those wishing to speak in person during the hearing can do so at the board meeting room at the Cobb County School District’s main office, 514 Glover St., in Marietta.
The Cobb school board had voted without discussion last Thursday to adopt the budget during its monthly business meeting, but the final budget hearing that’s required by law wasn’t open to the public.
The district routinely live-streams its public meetings, but this one wasn’t, so what’s taking place on Thursday is basically a do-over.
According to state open meetings or “sunshine” laws, when a meeting isn’t live-streamed (which isn’t required) the meeting must be open for the public to attend in person.
However, since the Cobb school board returned to in-person meetings last fall, the public has not been allowed to do that, except for those making public comments, in accordance with district COVID-19 safety protocols.
Persons who have addressed the board have been allowed in the meeting room one at a time, and then have been escorted out.
In addition to the school board, the only other people who’ve been allowed inside the board room during meetings have been the superintendent and members of his cabinet, as well as the board’s legal counsel.
The MDJ reported last Thursday that its reporter was not allowed inside the board room for the budget hearing when the live-stream was not available.
The district’s explanation was that it wanted to verify public speakers according to its commenting policies as being Cobb County taxpayers or individuals with a stake in the school district (parents, teachers, students, etc.)
The Cobb school district will be allowing more members of the public to attend in-person meetings with relaxed restrictions starting in July.
Under state law school boards must hold three public budget hearings. The Cobb school board held the first two in April and May.
The budget proposal proposes holding the line on the school district’s property tax rate of 18.9 mills and using $51 million in reserve funding to reach a balance (budget summary here).
Unlike FY 2021, there’s no federal CARES Act funding. Also projected for FY 2022, which begins on July 1, is a 5.54 percent growth in the Cobb tax digest.
More Cobb school district budget and financial data can be found by clicking here.
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The Cobb County School District said Tuesday a special review by its accrediting agency is scheduled for August.
In a release, the district said the review by Alpharetta-based Cognia will take place Aug. 15-18, and will focus on three specific standards set by the accreditor:
Governing authority
Equitable opportunities
Student peformance
The fourth area of examination during the review, the district said, “will also involve interviews between Cognia and individual board members, the Superintendent, District staff, principals, teachers, and community members.”
Cognia announced the special review in April after three Democratic Cobb school board members and several dozen citizens approached it, complaining the board’s Republican majority and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale were ignoring their concerns on several academic and governance issues.
The three Democratic board members said their request to Ragsdale to discuss early literacy, educator and employee support, and board governance training never got a reply.
“The continued silencing of board members who would like to not only talk about positives, but also publicly address challenges, continues. The three of us remain concerned that our governing body is not adhering to the leadership standards set forth by Cognia,” read a Jan. 21 letter to Cognia by the three Democratic members.
Those members include Charisse Davis, who represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters in East Cobb.
The district’s initial response claimed that a special review “can negatively impact college acceptance rates, college scholarships, enrollment, funding, and educator recruitment and retention,” and cited similar situations in recent years in the DeKalb and Clayton school systems.
In its release Tuesday, the Cobb school district acknowledged that more than 50 citizens have complained to Cognia.
The district said it has spent more than 600 hours preparing for the review and “believes that transparency in this process is important and will update our community again as new information becomes available in August.”
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By a 4-1 vote Tuesday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners approved the long-awaited redevelopment of the Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center.
The proposal by Atlantic Realty Acquisitions LLC would convert a blighted retail center into a mixed-use residential and retail development that drew as much opposition as support in a community eager for its redevelopment.
That was the conclusion of District 3 commissioner JoAnn Birrell, who said during a lengthy explanation for her motion to approve that while the plan isn’t perfect, “no plan is perfect.”
Most of the concerns expressed at Tuesday’s zoning hearing concerned traffic issues, especially the development’s main access point on Sandy Plains Road at Kinjac Drive.
The developer had been negotiating with the owner of the Sprayberry Bottle Shop to use part of that store’s parking lot for an entrance.
But those discussions came to an impasse, and on Friday Atlantic Realty filed a new site plan (see below) and a traffic route (shown in the map above) for an offset traffic signal that would contain traffic stacking or backup internally within Sprayberry Crossing.
Commissioner Keli Gambrill of North Cobb was the only vote against, citing the number of parking spaces being below county code.
Her comments drew applause from opponents attending the zoning hearing in person, and after the vote, and a 90-minute discussion, they vocally thanked her for her vote.
Atlantic Realty’s site plan filed Friday. For a larger view click here.
The Sprayberry Crossing development calls for 132 senior apartments (ages 55 and older), 102 fee-simple town homes and a 34,000-square-foot grocery store.
In presenting his clients’ case to the commissioners for the first time, Atlantic Realty attorney Kevin Moore said Sprayberry Crossing has been “an anvil around the neck of this community” that has been on the county’s redevelopment list since 2013.
Rejecting Atlantic Realty’s proposal, he said, would “condemn this site and this property” to many more years of blight.
But opponents said the development would add more traffic to an already congested corridor of East Cobb.
Maureen Ritner of the Ashbury Point neighborhood said the redevelopment would add 3,500 trips a day to a portion of Sandy Plains Road—between East Piedmont Road and Post Oak Tritt Road—that averages more than 41,000 trips a day.
“That’s a comparison to Barrett Parkway,” she said.
Cobb DOT says that also level of service is an “F.”
Tony Raffa, who operates a McDonald’s on Sandy Plains at Post Oak Tritt, said he’s against a Cobb DOT recommendation to prevent a left-our traffic turn from a Sprayberry Crossing access point onto Post Oak Tritt.
DOT officials explained that’s a necessary safety measure because of the Sandy Plains-Kinjac offset signal, and Birrell agreed.
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said of the hundreds of e-mails from constituents there were “as many in support as against” the Sprayberry Crossing rezoning request.
In her presentation, Birrell said that anything developed at Sprayberry Crossing is going to increase traffic.
“Sprayberry Crossing has been an eyesore for 25 years,” she said, adding that she’s been working on the matter during her 10-year tenure as a commissioner. “There have been numerous attempts to redevelop this in the past” but none have come to fruition.
She noted that “the obstacles to this are very challenging.”
In 2019, a judged imposed the first “blight tax” ruling in the county on Sprayberry Crossing, which was built in the 1970s but has sat largely vacant for many years.
During its decay, Sprayberry Crossing was the subject of numerous complaints made to police and code enforcement.
Birrell entered into the record details of those incidents, which she said included 127 calls to police from June 2016 to this May. Since 2004, she said, there have been 391 complaints to Cobb code enforcement staff.
Atlantic Realty’s request was made under what’s called a Redevelopment Overlay District, which is considered separate from typical zoning requests.
There are several stipulations, including that a rezoning on such property is not considered to set a precedent for the area.
ROD was enacted in 2006, but Sprayberry Crossing is the first case to be requested under that category.
The traffic light at Sandy Plains Road and Kinjac Drive aligns with the parking lot of the Sprayberry Bottle Shop. ECN photo.
Birrell prompted it to be removed from the zoning code during recent code amendments, saying Tuesday that “to me it’s flawed.”
She also said she was against multi-family apartments that were part of the initial Sprayberry Crossing request and were dropped from the site plan in March.
Some opponents of Sprayberry Crossing, in addition to being opposed to market-rate apartments, also feared loopholes for senior apartments could be exploited to rent to the general public.
The Cobb County Attorney’s office has concluded that cannot happen.
“They will remain 55 and older age restricted,” Birrell said. “Our attorneys know the law. I’m relying on our expert staff and attorneys for this one.”
In a message to the Sprayberry Crossing Action Facebook group, local resident Joe Glancy, who’s led a citizen effort to redevelop the shopping center, said he’s expecting more traffic and other changes to be made as the site plan goes to final review.
Birrell read off a number of stipulations that include her approval of a traffic plan and townhome design elevations.
“The developer has cleared a major hurdle, but this is not the end of the process,” Glancy said. “I believe there will be further revisions to the access/egress point near Kinjac Rd (Sprayberry Bottle Shop), and possibly Post Oak Tritt as well.”
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A tree commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at the Marietta Square in 2020.
Submitted information:
Cobb County Government together with the Cobb District Attorney’s Office and liveSafe Resources are working on a Yarn Storm project in recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2021.
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) was launched on June 15, 2006 by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations. The purpose of WEAAD is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older people by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.
Cobb County has a multi-jurisdiction organization, The Cobb Elder Abuse Task Force, that addresses the financial, physical/emotional and institutional abuse of seniors. In addition, task force members provide education and awareness training for service providers, law enforcement and community organizations. For more info on the task force, please visit https://www.ceatf.org
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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the shooting death of a man Cobb Police said shot at one of their officers before he was killed by police Sunday afternoon in northwest Cobb.
The GBI said in a release late Monday morning that Luis Rey Ruiz, 20, died at the scene after being shot by Cobb Police during a manhunt on North Shores Road.
That’s close to the residential address of a 911 call reported to authorities around 3:30 p.m. regarding an alleged domestic dispute, according to the GBI.
GBI spokeswoman Natalie Ammons said that when Cobb Police arrived at a home at 5866 North Shores Road in Acworth, a man later identified as Rey shot at one of the officers.
Ruiz then ran from the scene, and Cobb Police deployed a SWAT unit in pursuit, according to the GBI, which said that officers found him at 5870 North Shores Road. Ammons said that several officers shot at Ruiz and he died on the scene, and police later found a firearm next to him.
She said the Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy on Ruiz.
The GBI said the officer he is alleged to have shot during the initial call is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover.
As is the case in officer-involved shootings, the GBI will conduct an investigation and turn over its findings to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.
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The East Cobb Business Association is resuming regular networking events following more than a year’s absence due to COVID-19 protocols.
The ECBA has been holding its annual luncheon meetings since last summer at a new location in hybrid form at the Rich Hart Studios (2030 Powers Ferry Road) the third Tuesday of each month.
The organization has resumed its Friday breakfast networking meetings in a new location, the recently opened Flying Biscuit Cafe at Parkaire Landing (4880 Lower Roswell Road), starting at 7:30 a.m. There’s no admission cost; you don’t have to sign up and pay for what you eat and drink.
On the first Friday of every month, the ECBA’s Professional Women of East Cobb holds a networking luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Marlow’s Tavern Merchant’s Walk (1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 208). Pay for your lunch; no registration is required.
On June 29, the ECBA’s quarterly breakfast events with local newsmakers will return, with Cobb District Attorney Flynn Broady as the featured guest. That event is at J. Christopher’s East Lake (2100 Roswell Road, Suite 2116) from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members and $10 online with advancd registration. The same-day cost is $5 more.
For more information about these and other ECBA events and programs, click here.
Disclaimer: East Cobb News is a member of the East Cobb Business Association.
Hiring Day at The Avenue
Several businesses at The Avenue East Cobb have open positions available, and next Monday you can interview for them.
There’s going to be a special hiring suite near High Country Outfitters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Some of the participating businesses include Amazing Lash, Ann Taylor, Chico’s, Hand & Stone Massage, Lenscrafters, Menchies, Talbot’s, Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma.
After 42 years in business, Edward-Johns Jewelers of East Cobb will be closing its doors soon.
The jewelry store announced on social media Monday that its last day will be July 31, and that all stock is on sale at cost until then.
Edward Johns was started by Johnny Johnson, who in addition to becoming a prominent member of the local business community was a leading civic activist and served on the Cobb Board of Education.
Among Johnson’s many roles in the community was serving as Santa Claus at East Cobb Park Holiday Lights events. He also posed at Santa in Decembers for free photos with children at his jewelry store.
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!
Some residents living near Sprayberry Crossing say multi-family housing, even for seniors only, is not appropriate for their community.
It’s been more than three years since residents pushing for a redevelopment of the Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center organized a town hall meeting to press county officials to address the long-standing blight in their community.
The sentiment was nearly unanimous on that March evening at Sprayberry High School that the eyesore taking up a corner of Sandy Plains Road and East Piedmont Road needed an overhaul.
Two years later, an Atlanta apartment developer filed a rezoning request to do just that, proposing to convert Sprayberry Crossing into a multi-use development with apartments, town homes, a major grocery store, retail space and community trails.
Over the last year, Atlantic Realty Acquisitions LLC has made numerous site plan changes, especially as opposition grew to apartment dwellings.
Before the May Cobb Planning Commission hearing, Atlantic Realty dropped market-rate apartments altogether, but kept senior living (55 and older) in their plans.
That hasn’t been enough to appease opponents who fear the developer could convert senior-living apartments to market-rate apartments, and who also have concerns over traffic.
Those issues were addressed earlier this month by the Planning Commission, which issued a stunning no-recommendation on whether the Sprayberry Crossing rezoning should be approved or not.
That’s where the matter stands as the Cobb Board of Commissioners is scheduled to take up the case on Tuesday.
The latest Sprayberry Crossing site plan, filed in late May, reduces the number of senior apartments to 132 and increases the number of townhomes to 102.
The divisions among some residents who’ve organized for and against the Sprayberry Crossing plan run deep, and after the Planning Commission vote East Cobb News contacted parties on both sides for their perspectives.
Sprayberry Crossing opponents have crafted t-shirts to fight the rezoning case.
Tim Carini is among the vocal opponents of the Sprayberry Crossing request, whom Atlantic Realty attorney Kevin Moore has described as being part of a “mob” to derail what he says is a badly needed redevelopment in the area.
Carini and others have proudly worn “Rod Mob” t-shirts (the case number for Sprayberry Crossing is ROD-1, which stands for Redevelopment Overlay District).
He said the Planning Commission vote is “a disservice to the community and residents of Cobb County, especially with the way it was done and the timing.”
There were only three of the five Planning Commission members in attendance at the June 1 meeting, and Carini says he has been told by a County official that Planning Commissioner Deborah Dance and “[Cobb] Commissioner [JoAnn] Birrell are hellbent on getting this passed.”
He says the site plan doesn’t conform to the ROD code, and “now the County is throwing out significant portions of the ROD code to get this to pass. It’s now zoning at will in Cobb County, and it’s clear it’s at will for the developers and not the community, taxpayer, or voters.”
Moore said at the June 1 meeting that his client wants a vote, saying that contracts with the property owner and Lidl, the prospective grocery retailer, are nearing an end.
“If this was so time sensitive, why did the applicant continue this case for seven months?” Carini said. “Now, with known and publicly criticized traffic and safety concerns from the Planning Commission, this is urgent and had to be pushed through on a Tuesday after a holiday without a full Planning Commission Board.”
Carini and other opponents have created a Facebook page and are pressing for a big turnout at Tuesday’s commission meeting.
Residents demanded county action at the blighted Sprayberry Corners Shopping Center during a 2018 town hall.
One of the leaders of a group of citizens who’ve wanted to clean up Sprayberry Crossing for years is optimistic about Tuesday’s vote.
Shane Spink is a facilitator of the Sprayberry Crossing Action group and has said those in opposition may be vocal, but he thinks they’re a vocal minority.
He said the Sprayberry Crossing case “has basically come down to a traffic/in and out of the property issue that I think should be able to be resolved because frankly, these issues would exist with any development that goes into this particular property.”
Spink noted that Atlantic Realty has worked extensively with the community “to try to meet all of their concerns and demands, including dropping an apartment building and adding more for sale townhomes. So to think it comes down to just an ingress/egress issue is pretty amazing.”
He said his impressions speaking with others in the community—the Sprayberry Crossing Action group has more than 6,000 members—as well as other citizens and business owners in the area is that “the majority of the folks want to see this development go through and are ready for 25 years of blight to finally be over with.
“They want to have a quality development go in and continue the improvement of the Sprayberry area right along with the rebuild of the high school. And look, some opposition will always be there, but in this case I don’t believe they, from what I have seen, reflect the overall sentiment of the community.”
The Cobb Commission rezoning hearing begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday. There will be limited in-person attendance due to COVID-19 protocols, but the hearing will be aired on the Cobb County government’s Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as on the CobbTV public access outlet, Channel 23 on Comcast.
Most portions of the Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center have sat in disrepair for years.
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An Atlanta tradition for 43 years, the Possum Trot 10K has allowed runners to take part in a great race along the beautiful banks of the Chattahoochee River while helping save animals and fund environmental education at the Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC). This year, the runners had the option to select an in-person or virtual race. The in-person race begins at 7 a.m. on June 19.
Participants will receive free professional photos as well as a commemorative t-shirt. Winners in each age group will receive medals. Runners receive free admission to CNC’s 127 acres all day.
Tamara Kinmon, CNC Event Program Director, said, “We are so excited to be able to offer runners an in-person and virtual race option in 2021. After having to move to an all-virtual race in 2020 we look forward to the 2021 participants starting in waves and enjoying the flat, fast race along the Chattahoochee River.”
All proceeds from the race benefit the Chattahoochee Nature Center’s environmental education programs focused on the Chattahoochee River and its watershed as well as CNC’s wildlife rehabilitation efforts.
So far this year, CNC has taken in over 400 injured animals. The on-site staff works tirelessly to help the injured animals and return them to their habitats, if possible.
In addition to helping wildlife, CNC traditionally hosts more than 40,000 students from more than 400 schools in the metro Atlanta area, teaching them all about the importance and science of nature. For many students, CNC is the first time they are out in nature or on the Chattahoochee River. This past school year we offered virtual field trip options to keep students connected to nature.
“We are grateful to our presenting sponsor Northside Hospital,” said DeAnn Fordham, Senior Director for Development at Marketing at CNC. “Their support allows us to implement our health and wellness opportunities and connect people to nature.”
Please note: There is local construction in the area and the Chattahoochee Nature Center can only be accessed from the east near Azalea Drive. CNC is open during construction and we can’t wait to see visitors this summer. For more information, please visit https://www.chattnaturecenter.org/visit/.
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!
Cobb County Branch of the NAACP invites everyone to celebrate Juneteenth Saturday, June 19, in Glover Park on the Marietta Square. The free cultural festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and feature live music and entertainment, arts and crafts, vendors, face painting, food, a health fair and free health screenings. Masks are recommended. If you are interested in being a vendor or volunteering, contact the Cobb NAACP at 770-425-5757.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of end of slavery. Dating back to 1865, it was June 19 when Union soldiers led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and all enslaved people were free. This was two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The celebration of June 19 was coined “Juneteenth” and grew with more participation from descendants. Juneteenth today celebrates African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.
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!