182nd Marietta Campmeeting starts Friday with picnic and service

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Marietta Campmeeting

One of the oldest continuing events in all of Cobb County begins anew Friday night on the Marietta Campgrounds on Roswell Road—it’s the 182nd Marietta Campmeeting, a religious revival that traces its roots to the earliest settlers of what’s now East Cobb.

Friday’s opening service begins at 7:30 p.m., but it’s preceded by a picnic from 6-7, and you’re invited to bring a dish to share.

During the service, special music will be performed by the Open Door Trio, a metro Atlanta gospel group. The opening sermon will be delivered by Rev. Ike Reighard, senior pastor at the Piedmont Church in East Cobb and president and CEO of MUST Ministries.

There are twice-daily services during the week, daily services on the weekend and a number of special events during Marietta Campmeeting, including a watermelon cutting after the Saturday evening service and an ice cream social on Tuesday.

For the full schedule, click here.

The campmeeting began in 1837, five years after Cobb County was carved out of Cherokee County, on land east of Marietta on Roswell Road.

Visiting ministers came in the summers, before there were many organized churches, and many of the longtime campmeeting families lived in tents during the revival.

They include names familiar to East Cobbers today—Sewell, Garrison, Murdock, Lassiter, Allgood, Hamby and other families who farmed in the area.

Many of their descendants continue attending today, as the Marietta Campground is now part of East Cobb United Methodist Church across the street.

That’s where overflow parking is available for attendees. The main parking lot is between the Arbor and Roswell Road, at the Campground entrance at 2300 Roswell Road.

All events and services at the Marietta Campmeeting are free and open to the public.

 

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Post Oak Tritt-Hembree roundabout project delayed several months

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Post Oak Tritt-Hembree roundabout

Motorists who travel through the Post Oak Tritt-Hembree Road intersection will have to wait a few months longer for the roundabout project underway there to be completed.

Cobb commissioners on Tuesday approved a request by the contractor, Glosson Enterprises, to push back the scheduled completion date to March 31, 2020.

There’s no additional cost increase for the $1.3 million project, which was to have been done this month.

Cobb DOT director Erica Parrish said the delay (summary here) was caused by utility and weather issues.

“I am ready to see this finished, and so is the public,” said District 3 commissioner JoAnn Birrell. “I appreciate the public’s patience.”

In other transportation-related action Tuesday, commissioners approved a contract for $308,901 with Tri Scapes Inc. for an eight-foot wide sidewalk with curb and gutter on the west side of Bells Ferry Road, from the Noonday Creek trailhead driveway to Big Shanty Road.

The total length of the project is approximately 0.32 miles. The funding comes from the Cobb 2016 SPLOST.

The county also will be saving $145,460 from the final cost of intersection improvements at Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway. Glosson also was the contractor for the $1.86 million project, which has been completed.

 

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East Cobb food scores: El Jinete, Scooter’s Cafe, Mr. Wonton and more

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El Jinete, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb restaurant scores from June 24-July 5 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:

Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins
2885 Canton Road
June 24, 2019 Score: 86, Grade: B

El Jinete Mexican Restaurant
4651 Woodstock Road, Suite 440, Roswell
June 24, 2019 Score: 70, Grade: C

Firehouse Subs
4648 Woodstock Road, Suite 250, Roswell
July 1, 2019 Score: 91, Grade: A

Mr. Wonton
3595 Canton Road, Suite 358
July 1, 2019 Score: 81, Grade: B

Scooter’s Cafe
2943 Canton Road
June 24, 2019 Score: 96, Grade: A

Smoothie King
4648 Woodstock Road, Suite 230, Roswell
July 1, 2019 Score: 96, Grade: A

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It’s our birthday! East Cobb News marks 2nd anniversary

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Mabry Park Opening

Today’s a special day around here: On July 8, 2017, I published the first post on East Cobb News, as I pushed the button on a venture I couldn’t have imagined not long ago.

I’ll admit I was a bit anxious as I pushed that inaugural publishing button, about the Skip Wells Memorial Ride at Sprayberry High School.

I’ve been a reporter for a long time, but not like this. I’ve covered my community before, but not with this ultimate objective:

To report the news for the East Cobb community, and not just about it.

There are plenty of news outlets that do that, when there’s a crime or a fire or a wreck or a storm or a controversy or a novelty.

And then they’re gone.

That credo sounds simple, but as I’ve learned over these last two years, it’s a lot more difficult to carry it through.

My focus all along has been to make East Cobb News distinctive, and not just because this community is my home, where I grew up.

Over the past year, as I built on my first year of publication, I got plenty of encouragement from readers, citizens and many others.

One of the things I heard on occasion was: You don’t have an agenda.

What they meant was that they thought the stories they read here were straightforward and objective.

While that’s certainly something I aim for with everything I post, there are times when it’s important to state a clear perspective about something important going on here.

The East Cobb Cityhood issue certainly fits that bill, and the next few months will be very important ones in the future of this community for that reason.

East Cobb cityhood group

This time a year ago, we didn’t know there would be an effort to carve out a part of the community for a new city.

That effort, which we’ve reported on extensively, has galvanized the public like nothing in quite a few years around here. It figures to garner even more scrutiny as the legislature is set to act on a bill that could drop a referendum in East Cobb voters’ laps next year.

The truth is I do have an agenda, as noted this time a year ago, and it bears repeating: To “meet the news and information needs of this dynamic community we all call home, and to promote local businesses who help make it better.”

In this third year, as East Cobb News reaches around 30,000 unique visitors a month—a healthy number for a young, locally focused publication—my chief objective will be to help local businesses grow with us.

If you run a local business or organization, and want to reach community-minded customers, please check out our advertising philosophy, which includes flexible rates and options for any kind of enterprise.

We have a business directory that’s ideal for new businesses, solopreneurs and mom-and-pop shops that includes a 25 percent discount for display advertising on East Cobb News.

I realize that readers and advertisers have other options. This a competitive market for news and advertising, but only East Cobb News is totally devoted to covering news and events every day, as they happen.About East Cobb News, Wendy Parker

If that’s important to you, I ask that you have a look around the site, if you’re not familiar already, and see for yourself.

I also encourage you to sign up for the East Cobb News Digest weekly e-mail newsletter, which comes out every Sunday. It contains all of the past week’s top headlines, plus calendar listings, a community guide and so much more.

It’s free and easy to sign up, all in one click below.

 

We also invite members of the community, including individual citizens, groups and non-profit organizations, to share their news with us.

Please send along news tips by e-mailing: editor@eastcobbnews.com.

You can also send calendar listings to: calendar@eastcobbnews.com.

For advertising inquiries, contact us at: advertising@eastcobbnews.com.

Thanks to all of you for visiting East Cobb News, subscribing to the newsletter and following us on social media. We’re excited for what Year Three has in store!

As always, feel free to get in touch with feedback and questions: wendy@eastcobbnews.com.

Or you can call me anytime at 404-219-4278.

Mountain View Library to hold Census job information sessions in July

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Mountain View Regional Library

Submitted information:

The U.S. Census Bureau is presenting 2020 Census Job Information Sessions this summer at Cobb County Public Libraries.

A Census official will discuss 2020 Census job opportunities and answer questions about applying during the free sessions. Area Census Bureau positions include assistants, clerks, office operations supervisors and census takers. Pay ranges vary based on location and position.

The upcoming 2020 Census Job Information Sessions at Cobb libraries include:

  • Each Tuesday afternoon through July 23 from 2 pm to 6 pm at Powder Springs Library, 4181 Atlanta Street, Powder Springs 30127. 770-439-3600
  • Wednesday, July 10 from 4 pm to 7 pm and Monday, July 22 from 11 am to 4 pm at Mountain View Regional Library, 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta 30066. 770-509-2725
  • Friday, July 12 and Friday, July 19 from 10 am to 3 pm at South Cobb Regional Library is located at 805 Clay Road, Mableton 30126. 678-398-5828

For information on applying for 2020 Census jobs, including application requirements, visitwww.2020census.gov/jobs and click Apply Now. Potential applicants seeking information and assistance may call 1-855-JOB-2020 (562-2020) or use the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

 

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East Cobb traffic alert: Roswell Road eastbound at Old Canton reopens after crash

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Roswell Road Old Canton Road crash

That’s the scene from a Georgia 511 camera at Roswell Road and Old Canton Road about 2:55 Friday, as Cobb Police and Cobb Fire are investigating a crash in a busy intersection that’s blocking eastbound traffic on Roswell.

UPDATED 3:40 PM: Cobb Police say all lanes of traffic are now open.

Police are urging motorists heading east on Roswell (the traffic in the right of the photo) to find an alternate route; there’s no word as yet on injuries.

We’ll update this story when more details are available.

 

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Longtime Sprayberry football coach Jim Frazier has died

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Word is coming from Sprayberry High School that Jim Frazier, for many years a member of Yellow Jackets football coaching staff and a legendary figure in the school community’s history, died on Thursday.Sprayberry coach Jim Frazier

“Our school and community will forever be grateful for the contributions made by this wonderful man,” was the message posted on the school’s Facebook page Friday afternoon.

We’ll have more later, but here’s a summary of Frazier’s tenure at Sprayberry, which went far beyond what his teams did in sports:

Frazier came to Sprayberry in 1959, a few years after it opened as East Cobb’s first high school.

While he was an assistant football coach, the Yellow Jackets won two county and two region titles in and three times finished the season in the state’s top 10.

He also coached baseball at Sprayberry before retiring from teaching in 1986, and served on the school’s football and baseball committees for nearly 50 years.

The Sprayberry football stadium is named after Frazier, a native of Tennessee who played football at Carson-Newman College and earned a master’s degree from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University.

Frazier was in attendance and recognized last summer at the 65th anniversary celebration of Sprayberry’s opening.

Last August, his wife, Wilma Quarles Frazier, died at the age of 85. She taught at Sedalia Park Elementary School for 27 years.

The Fraziers were married for 61 years.

In 2015, State Rep. Don Parsons of East Cobb sponsored a resolution that was passed by the Georgia General Assembly to honor Frazier for his service to Sprayberry and the community.

 

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Hyde Farm tour includes class for the basics of garden cooking

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Hyde Farm

Next Saturday, July 13, is the second tour in a series of four at East Cobb’s Hyde Farm that includes a cooking class.

The 1840s-era homestead is at 721 Hyde Farm, located off Lower Roswell Road, and on the second Saturday of every month is open for 45-minute tours that are free and open to the public.

The 135-acre Hyde Farm, located near the Chattahoochee River, is also close to forests, agricultural fields, pastures, an orchard, meadows, a home and farm outbuilding sites.

Those tours begin at 10 am. and noon, and registration is required by visiting the Cobb PARKS website or by calling 770-528-8840.

In between the tours, Cobb PARKS, the UGA Cobb Extension service and the American Community Gardening Association will be conducting a class, “From Seed to Table: Cooking With Superfoods.”

It covers the basics of growing and cooking food from a garden. That class also is free and spots may be reserved by calling 770-528-4070.

More Hyde Farm tours and cooking classes are scheduled for Sept. 21 and Nov. 9.

Hyde Farm’s pond (above), built on Mulberry Creek, is the habitat for geese, ducks, herons, turtles, beaver and fish.

On Aug. 17, Cobb PARKS will hold another fishing rodeo at Hyde Farm that’s aimed for kids 3-16. Trophies will be awarded for the biggest fish (see calendar listing here).

 

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Cobb Police soliciting bookbag donations for students in need

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Cobb Police Bookbag Palooza

Submitted information:

Even though we are enjoying summer, the Cobb Police Department Community Affairs Unit is already hard at work to support our students when they head back to school. Book Bag-Palooza is an effort to gather as many book bags and school supplies as possible. Donations will be distributed to county students in need at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, which is only one month away.
 
Donations can include new book bags, paper, folders, pencils, crayons, glue sticks and markers. Any items that a student, from elementary to high school, would need to start the school year out prepared and ready to learn. Donations can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding holidays) at any of the Cobb precincts:

  • Precinct 1: 2380 Cobb Parkway NW, Kennesaw
  • Precinct 2: 4700 Austell Road, Austell
  • Precinct 3: 1901 Cumberland Parkway, Atlanta
  • Precinct 4: 4400 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta
  • Precinct 5: 4640 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
  • Headquarters: 140 North Marietta Parkway, Marietta

If a business or club collects a large amount of school items, one of the Community Affairs’ officers will be happy to arrange pick up. For more information, call Sgt. Jeff Tatroe at 770-499-3981.

 

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East Cobb traffic alert: Piedmont Road reopens after car crash knocks out power

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Piedmont Road closed

UPDATED 4:36 p.m.: Piedmont Road has reopened after an East Cobb car crash earlier this afternoon.

Shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday Cobb Police said Piedmont Road is closed at Sprayberry Drive due to a single-car crash that took down power poles and knocked out electricity in the area (that’s just west of the Piedmont-Sandy Plains intersection and Sprayberry High School).

The car overturned and the crash prompted several small fires, according to police, who said the driver suffered minor injuries.

Will update this story with more information when we get it.

Piedmont Road closed

 

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Apollo 11 50th anniversary events slated for East Cobb library branches

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With the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission coming up on July 16, a special PBS miniseries will be airing to commemorate the event. On Friday, the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road) will be screening a portion of that series, entitled “Chasing the Moon.” Chasing the Moon Apollo 11

The screening is free and will be held from 6-7 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre and unlike other film screenings there, no food or drink will be allowed.

Here’s more about the PBS “American Experience” miniseries, which airs on July 8-10, and what’s in store during Friday’s screening:

Chasing the Moon, a film by Robert Stone, re-imagines the race to the moon for a new generation, upending much of the conventional mythology surrounding the effort. The series recasts the Space Age as a fascinating stew of scientific innovation, political calculation, media spectacle, visionary impulses, and personal drama.

Our selection is taken from “Part Three: Magnificent Desolation.” It takes a look back at the tension and excitement surrounding the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969, all the way up until the lunar module finally lands on the moon.

For more information, visit:

On Monday, July 16, a celebration of the Apollo 11 event will take place from 7-8 p.m. at the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road), featuring  NASA Ambassador Chris Thompson. Here’s on tap for that free event for those age 18 and above:

Mountain View patrons will join the history books by being able to touch space rocks just like Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Lunar and space meteorites and other NASA memorabilia will be on display for patrons to look at and touch. Mr. Thompson will also discuss the history of the Apollo missions and the future of NASA and space exploration.

Chris Thompson is a human resource professional who also shares his love of Astronomy and Space in his role as a NASA Ambassador. Mr. Thompson conducts workshops and lectures to adults and children. He is also the president of the Meteorite Association of Georgia and a member of theInternational Meteorite Collectors Association, (NASA, 2019).

For more information, call the Mountain View Regional Library at 770-509-2725, or visit the Adult Reference Desk.

 

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East Cobb graduate student completes Arabic Flagship program

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Richard Solomon, East Cobb graduate student

Submitted information and photo:

Richard Solomon, an East Cobb resident who graduated as a Wells Scholar from Indiana University in 2018 with a B.S. and B.A. in international studies, political science and philosophy, completed the Arabic Flagship program in Meknes, Morocco this past May as a 2019 Boren Fellow.

Richard has studied Arabic at Bethlehem University and Hebrew University, and with the National Security Language Initiative for Youth in Morocco.

A recent CASA (Center for Arabic Studies Abroad) Fellowship recipient, Richard moved last month to Cairo, Egypt where he will continue to receive advanced-level training in Arabic language and culture for a year at the American University in Cairo.

Richard’s research interests include bargaining theory, institutional analysis, and literature.

After a year in Cairo, Richard plans to pursue a PhD in political science or Middle Eastern studies.

 

Send us your news!

To share news tips and photos with East Cobb News at anytime, as well as to inquire about news events, here’s how to get in touch:

  • Phone/text: 404-219-4278;
  • E-mail: editor@eastcobbnews.com; please give a general description of your e-mail in the subject field.

If you’re leaving a news tip (especially about a crime, fire, accident, emergency or severe weather event) please provide contact information so we can confirm and follow up. Messages sent via phone, text and e-mail are preferred; please limit social media messages to breaking news only.

To submit calendar items, e-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com; to send an announcement, e-mail: announcements@eastcobbnews.com.

Here’s how we can be reached via social media:

East Cobb News understands the need for confidentiality in some cases but we cannot publish information from totally anonymous sources.

 

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Parking, road closures, etc., if you’re attending July 4 events in Marietta

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Marietta July 4 events

Since Thursday’s July 4 events in Marietta go on from mid-morning and well into the night, here’s what the police department has put together in terms of schedule, where to park, streets to avoid and more (illustrated above in city-provided map):

10:00 AM Parade
The “Let Freedom Ring” parade begins on Roswell Street at Victory Drive. The parade will continue West on Roswell Street into the square, then turn North onto E Park Square and continue North on Cherokee Street all the way to the Cobb County 911 building at North Marietta Parkway. (86) different entries have registered to participate in this year’s parade! Road closures for the parade will begin at 9:20 AM.

  • 10:00 AM until 9:00 PM: Festival in the park activities (art/craft vendors, food trucks, concession stands, carnival games and kids play areas with large inflatables etc.)
    • 12:00-2:00pm: Concert featuring Scott Thompson
    • 2:00pm: Bell Ringing Ceremony
    • 2:30pm: Concert featuring Atlanta Concert Band
    • 7:00pm: Concert Featuring Chris Stalcup
    • 8:00pm: Concert featuring A1A – Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band

Dark (somewhere around 9:30 PM) FIREWORKS! 
Fireworks will be launched from the parking lot of First United Methodist Church (Whitlock at the loop). Due to state fire law, all of that parking lot will be unavailable for public parking the entire day.

IMPORTANT NOTES from MPD:

1. ROADS ON THE PARADE ROUTE WILL BE CLOSED 40 MINUTES BEFORE, AND DURING THE PARADE.
2. THE ROADS SURROUNDING THE SQUARE WILL BE CLOSED ALL DAY.
3. Please consider using a ride sharing service to drop you off and pick you up with ease.
4. If you park in one of the parking decks, we have some helpful reminders for you:

  • Please back into the parking space so your exit will be
    easier and quicker;
  • Fireworks are NOT allowed to be used on any of the parking decks near the Marietta Square;
  • Open alcohol containers / consumption are not permitted on the parking decks.

5. Local businesses and restaurants will be open on their own normal holiday schedules.
6. Parking will be challenging, especially with the First United Methodist Church parking lot closed. PLEASE CONSIDER USING A RIDE SHARE SERVICE.
7. UBER/LYFT drivers will take you anywhere, but the city has DESIGNATED an easy intersection to give YOU quick access with limited walking as well as give the drivers easy access so they can keep moving and minimize your ride costs. PLEASE use the intersection of Lawrence Street and Waddell Street as your drop off and pick up locations.
8. It is supposed to be ABOVE normal temperatures, please stay hydrated and plan accordingly.
9. Pets can NOT cool off as quickly as you can. PLEASE keep them hydrated and guard against having them standing for too long on hot pavement.

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Rose and Crown Tavern closing for 2 years in Restaurant Row redevelopment

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Rose and Crown, East Cobb Restaurant Row rezoning, Rose and Crown Tavern closing

This has been anticipated for a few months now, and it’s official: The Rose and Crown Tavern on Powers Ferry Road has announced its temporary closure.

The last remaining survivor of “Restaurant Row” will close next Saturday, July 13, for a two-year period as the cluster of restaurant buildings makes way for a new mixed-use development.

Rose and Crown will be part of that project, with expanded space in a retail component in a 578,000-square foot complex that will include a 280-unit apartment building and 171 senior-living units.

The rezoning for the 8.8-acre project was approved last August. The project is being developed by Greystar Development Group of Atlanta.

Ground is expected to be broken this month for the project. The apartment building is being called Elan at Powers Ferry, and the senior homes will be called Overture Powers Ferry.

Miguel Ayoub opened Rose and Crown in 2010 with his wife at a former La Madeleine restaurant at 1931 Powers Ferry Road. In the new development, the Rose and Crown space will take up 6,000 square feet of a planned 10,0000-square foot retail center.

The property is near the Wildwood Office Park, but other restaurant concepts nearby have come and gone: A Sal Grosso Brazilian steakhouse, TGI Friday’s and Famous Dave’s.

While Rose and Crown is shuttered, the Ayoubs will be running Mojave, a casual Latin restaurant at the former Ray’s Rio Bravo at 6450 Powers Ferry Road, just across the river in Sandy Springs.

A late July opening date for Mojave is planned.

 

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Hearings slated for proposed FY 2020 Cobb millage rate

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Cobb budget town hall, Mike Boyce, Cobb public safety bonus, Cobb millage rate

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce isn’t proposing a millage rate increase for fiscal  year 2020 like he did a year ago. But growth in the county’s tax digest means public hearings will be necessary specifically for the millage rate.

That’s because under state law, local governments and school boards that don’t assess a “rollback” millage rate to counter that tax revenue increase are in effect imposing a property tax increase, and are required to hold public hearings.

Last week Cobb Tax Assessor Steven White declared that the 2019 Cobb tax digest will be a record $39 billion, surpassing last year’s total of $36.2 billion.

The county announced Tuesday that those public hearings will take place on the same dates and at the same Cobb Board of Commissioners meetings in which FY 2020 budget hearings have been scheduled:

  • Tuesday, July 9, 9 a.m.;
  • Tuesday, July 16, 6:30 p.m.;
  • Tuesday, July 23, 2019, 7 p.m.

That last meeting is also slated for final budget adoption. Last week Boyce outlined his $474.8 million budget proposal that he will formally introduce Monday at 1:30 p.m.

The property tax “increase” amounts to 4.52 percent from last year’s general fund revenues.

The Cobb Board of Education also holds millage rate hearings in similar situations. It hasn’t upped the school millage rate of 18.9 mills in years, but tax revenue growth has meant it also has had to hold the same hearings.

This year that tax revenue increase for Cobb schools is 4.88 percent. A recent history of the schools millage rate levy can be found here.

Next Wednesday, the school board will hold its first public hearing on the tax digest at 11 a.m. at the Cobb County School District headquarters, 514 Glover St., Marietta. Additional hearings are in the same location on July 18 at 12 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., with millage rate adoption scheduled for the same day at 7 p.m.

The Cobb schools fiscal year 2020 began on Monday.

The proposed FY 2020 Cobb government millage rates are as follows:

  • General Fund, 8.46 mills;
  • Fire Fund, 2.86 mills;
  • Debt Service (Bond Fund), 0.13 mills;
  • Cumberland Special Services District II, 2.45 mills;
  • Six Flags Special Service District, 3.50 mills.

Citizens can speak on the budget and millage rate proposals at the meetings listed above. They will be held in the second floor board meeting room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.

Here’s more from the Cobb Tax Commissioners Office on the county’s millage rate history, and the millage rates compared to the six cities in the county.

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Ebenezer Road retail proposal delayed until August

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Ebenezer Road retail proposal

The July zoning calendar is light on cases in East Cobb, but one that will be getting first hearing Tuesday before the Cobb Planning Commission involves a retail proposal on Ebenezer Road at the intersection of Canton Road.

UPDATE: This case has been delayed to August for notification reasons.

That 1.7-acre tract, close to the Noonday Baptist Church and the eventual Ebenezer Road Park, is being sought by SAW Holding, LLC from neighborhood shopping to neighborhood retail commercial.

There’s a vacant office building on the site now, but the applicant wants to build a 2,241-square-foot center for restaurants, a grocery store and offices, with the businesses open from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.

According to the application (case file here) about a half-acre was cleared along Canton Road without approval, and it contains part of a the state water buffer and the FEMA 100-year floodplain.

The county zoning staff is recommending approval with several conditions, including a final site plan (not yet submitted) to be approved by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

The agenda item Z-48 will be heard on the regular agenda since there’s opposition.

Not far away, a rezoning request for a light industrial category for automotive services on 1.1 acres at 4921 Canton Road is being recommended for denial by the zoning staff (case file here). The land currently houses warehouses but the proposed rezoning does not conform to the Cobb land use plan and the future land use plan.

A proposed rezoning at 3140 Johnson Ferry Road, at the site of a former bank building, would convert that space into retail use. Komorebi Holdings, LLC, is seeking neighborhood retail commercial designation for the 1.3 acres in front of the Wal-Mart store (case file here).

The devlepment would include 5,541 square feet of space, the same as the vacated bank, with business hours proposed are Sunday 12:30-6:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday 10-10 and Friday-Saturday 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

The zoning staff is recommending approval, and Z-37 will be heard on the consent agenda.

The full agenda can be found here and more zoning, variance and other business files can be found here.

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

Its votes are advisory. Final zoning decisions will be made by Cobb commissioners on July 16.

 

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McBath votes for border-funding bill that divides House Democrats

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U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Marietta Democrat who represents East Cobb, was one of 129 House Democrats to vote for $4.6 billion in supplemental funding this week for humanitarian aid for migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border and to address overcrowding at detention centers there.U.S. Rep Lucy McBath, gun violence research funding, McBath border-funding vote

The House supported the measure 305-102, after the Senate passed the special appropriations 84-8 (with Georgia Republican senators Johnny Isakson and David Perdue voting in favor).

The Senate had earlier rejected a different House version of the bill.

The second House vote on Thursday was contentious, with more progressive Democrats accusing moderates in their caucus of child abuse. In one instance, there was a confrontation between Democrats on the House floor over heated social media messages.

The only Georgia House member to vote against the bill was John Lewis of Atlanta.

The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act of 2019 (summary here) would fund operations for the departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Commerce and Defense in the following ways:

  • $2.88 billion for the HHS Unaccompanied Alien Children program for the safety and welfare of children under its care;
  • $1.1 billion for migrant care and processing facilities, medical care and transportation, and data systems;
  • $793 million for establishing and operating migrant care and processing facilities to improve conditions at border stations and ports of entry;
  • $220 million to hire additional personnel to expedite immigration court proceedings;
  • $209 million for medical care and transportation of unaccompanied alien children and migrants between facilities, counter-human trafficking operations, detention alternatives and migrant processing;
  • $145 million for Defense operations and maintenance in support of multiple missions at the border.

The bill is awaiting the signature of President Donald Trump, who is in Asia at the Group of 20 Summit.

 

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July 4 events in the East Cobb area; fireworks reminder

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July 4 East Cobb events

The following July 4 events in and near East Cobb are free and open to the public:

  • Kennesaw will have its annual Star Spangled Spectacular 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, July 3, at the Historic Train Depot, 2828 Cherokee Street. The event features two stages of live music, festive entertainment, food vendors, kids activities and a fireworks display. Admission is free. The fireworks are scheduled for 9:30 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the fireworks will be rescheduled for Saturday, July 8. Click here for more information and here for temporary street closures;
  • Marietta’s Fourth in the Park celebration begins 10 a.m. Thursday, July 4, and includes a parade, free live concerts, museum tours, arts and crafts show, food, carnival games, and a fireworks finale. Click here for more information;
  • More on the Marietta Parade: The start is 10 a.m. at Roswell Street Baptist Church and travels west on Roswell Street, north on East Park Square past Glover Park and the Square, down Cherokee Street and ends at North Marietta Parkway. The end of the parade marks the start of the festival on the Marietta Square. Food concessions, arts and crafts and carnival will provide plenty to do for the whole family.
  • Powder Springs will hold its SpringsFest on the 4th event 4-10 p.m. Thursday, July 4, at Powder Springs Park (3899 Brownsville Road, Powder Springs). There will be a food court, local vendors, artisans, entertainment, DJ, live performances, bounce houses, a game truck, face painters, kids games and a fireworks show. Click here for more information;
  • At sundown on July 4 is the start of a fireworks show at the Indian Hills Country Club (4001 Clubland Drive). The event is dubbed Member Appreciation Night but the public is invited to the clubhouse area and enjoy the display;
  • Acworth will present live music and fireworks at Cauble Park (4425 Beach Street, Acworth) Thursday, July 4. Live music will start at 5:30 p.m. Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. (subject to change depending on weather). Admission to the event and concert is free. Click here for more information;
  • The 5th Annual Barbecue & Bluegrass: A 4th of July Celebration on the Grounds of Barrington Hall (535 Barrington Drive, Roswell), takes place from 11-4. Free admission, no reservations required. Barbecue, beverages and desserts will be available for purchase from the Mill Kitchen Restaurant and Bar. The Smokerise Bluegrass Band will provide music, and the festivities include games on the lawn and hayrides in the front yard;
  • The 20th Annual Roswell Fireworks Extravaganza will be held Thursday, July 4 at Roswell High School on the front lawn. The program includes live stage performances, a Kids Zone and great food! Picnic blankets, chairs, and the entire family are allowed, but dogs, tobacco and alcoholic beverages are not. Click here for more on the Roswell events;
  • Also on July 4, the Stars and Stripes Celebration Fireworks display will take place in Sandy Springs, on the lawn of the Concourse Corporate Center (5 Concourse Parkway, Atlanta. The lawn opens at 7:30 p.m. with music from Bogey and the Viceroys, with the fireworks starting at 9:45 p.m. Picnic fare and blankets are allowed; pets, tents, outdoor cooking, drones, alcohol and personal-use sparklers will not be permitted.

Relaxing the Cobb noise ordinance

The county’s noise ordinance prohibits discharging consumer fireworks after 9 p.m., but the Independence Day holiday is among the exceptions.

Citizens may discharge fireworks until midnight on Wednesday, July 3, and Thursday, July 4.

More fireworks do’s and don’ts

From the Cobb Fire and Emergency Services Department:

  • Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks. Only those 18 and older can legally use fireworks in Georgia.
  • Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
  • Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don’t realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals.
  • Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
  • Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
  • Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
  • Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
  • Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
  • Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
  • After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose beforediscarding it to prevent a trash fire.

Fireworks can mean misery for pets. Thousands are sedated every year after being frightened by fireworks. Others are so distraught they bolt and get lost or injured.

Keep pets indoors, close the curtains and play music to drown out the noise. Make sure your pet is wearing a collar and tag and is microchipped in case it bolts and becomes lost.

Fireworks can still be enjoyed if at the same time care and consideration are given to pets, livestock and animals living in the surrounding area.

 

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Lower Roswell annexation case back on Marietta council agenda

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Lower Roswell annexation case

The green zoning signs fronting the entrance to the Sewell Manor neighborhood have a new date etched in for an annexation and zoning case at Lower Roswell Road and the Loop that residents there have been fighting for months.

After the Marietta City Council twice delayed a vote, and after Cobb commissioners reaffirmed a letter of objection to the annexation, the proposal by Traton Homes to build 52 townhome and single-family units is apparently scheduled to be on the July 10 council agenda.

There’s not an agenda posted yet on the City of Marietta website, and there doesn’t appear to be anything new in the case file. We’ll update with more information.

The city council would act first on annexation before conducting a zoning hearing.

The city and county have been at odds over the case since Sewell Manor residents voiced their objection to the Traton project, on less than eight acres of vacant land.

The county had the right to object to the annexation since the rezoning would come to more than five units an acre, but commissioners didn’t formally ratify their opposition before a January deadline.

The Marietta Planning Commission did hear the case in April and voted to recommend denial of the rezoning.

The Marietta City Council held off on votes in April and May, then asked for mediation, and the county agreed. But commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb, designated as the county representative, said the city wanted to change the process to something between mediation and formally binding arbitration, and cancelled the talks.

Earlier this month he held a town hall meeting with the Sewell Manor residents.

On June 11 commissioners discussed, but took no action, after Ott briefed them about the dispute.

He admitted that there was nothing the county could do to stop the annexation, but said Marietta Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin had indicated the city would not act on the case as long as the county objected.

Sewell Manor residents have put together a flyer to urge their neighbors and others in nearby communities to turn out for the July 10 Marietta council meeting, which starts at 7 p.m.

What they previously labeled a “Save East Cobb campaign” is now being called “Annexation Without Representation.”

 

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Citizens group leader: Developer in talks with Sprayberry Crossing owners

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Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center

Citizens living near a longstanding East Cobb eyesore got some encouraging news Thursday night: The owner of the blighted Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center is in talks with a developer.

That’s according to Joe Glancy, moderator of the Sprayberry Crossing Action group on Facebook, who said in a post to its 4,635 followers that there’s a “tentative agreement to redevelop—I say tentative because nothing is set in stone and we are in the very early stages.”

Glancy, who organized a town hall meeting last March about the shopping center, said he’s met with executives from the development firm—which he did not identify—and which asked to gain more input from other nearby residents in the next week.

Glancy said the development firm “is reputable, their interest is sincere and I believe, that although it’s difficult to please everyone, most members of the community will be pleased with what the firm is capable of.”

He called the discussions “a ray of hope” and said he would “share more information as things progress.”

Sprayberry Crossing
Joe Glancy leading a town hall meeting about Sprayberry Crossing at Sprayberry High School in March 2018. (ECN file)

Among those community leaders is Shane Spink. He’s meeting with the developer next Wednesday and told East Cobb News that “I think they are being smart by reaching out to the community with their ideas on what they are looking to do” with the 16 acres on Sandy Plains Road and Piedmont Road.

UPDATE: On Friday Glancy said the developer is eyeing a mixed-use project for the property, but there’s nothing more detailed at this point beyond the concept.

For many years residents near the decaying retail center have urged county officials and the owners to take action.

Most of the businesses have long vacated the premises. Citizens have complained that the former bowling alley has been a spot for criminal activity.

Even after Cobb commissioners imposed a “blight tax” on the property last year, little has happened.

Last August, a Cobb judge ordered NAI Brannen Goddard, the Atlanta real estate agency that owns Sprayberry Crossing, to clean up a portion of the property. The most Brannen Goddard could be taxed according to the remediation plan is around $21,000 for 2019.

Earlier this spring, frustrated citizens posted photos of themselves with signs on the Sprayberry Crossing Action page, trying to shame Brannen Goddard into action.

The Sprayberry Crossing property also has been included on a redevelopment list by Cobb commissioners, meaning a developer could be eligible for tax abatements (like Kroger at the MarketPlace Terrell Mill under construction on Powers Ferry Road).

Glancy said he said he’s withholding more details for now “because the developer has been willing to be open, to communicate and to show progress. As such I’m willing to extend them the courtesy of letting them manage the roll out until they are ready.

“This has been a very long time coming. I hope and believe the community will continue to show the same character and courtesy that this group has demonstrated over the previous 30 months.”

 

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