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On Wednesday, October 11th from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team held an appreciation barbecue lunch to honor local police, firemen, EMT’s and military. Churchill Mortgage served bbq with a variety of sides and drinks sponsored by Arrow Exterminators. Attendees were welcome to use the patio to enjoy their meal, or they could take it on the road. Additional sponsors for the event included: First American Home Warranty, American Home Shield, All Atlanta Inspection Services, and Chick-fil-A East Lake. Local Cobb County and surrounding area first responders, police, fire, detective units, and military were all invited. For more information on community events at the Janice Overbeck Team office, visit: www.JaniceOverbeck.com
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Submitted information from Cobb County Government:
What is going on in Israel is utterly heinous. The tactics are simply to cause irrepressible anguish, pain and fear. It reminds me of the early part of the Book of Matthew, “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” The children were slaughtered simply because of their age.
To slaughter children and babies in the terrible fashion reported by the news is a horror of biblical proportions. War is a terrible thing, but such a war, who can make sense of it? And how could it end after such provocation?
My heart hurts for mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. It hurts for my friends connected to this region and connected to the conflict of faiths. I can only imagine the pain and frustration.
As a political leader, I would ask for the division overseas not to further entrench ours. Tragedy that brings us together as a county or country need not begin on our own soil.
May leaders among us end any stirring up of conflict that would limit our ability to be of help to ourselves and others.
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Picture-perfect weather is in store for this weekend’s events around East Cobb, including a number of activities suited for the season.
On Friday the Faith Lutheran School PTL is staging its Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat community event from 5-8 (2111 Lower Roswell Road), with food, clowns, facepainting, games, a pumpkin patch and bouncy castles, among other activities. Tickets are just $1 a person and can be purchased at the door.
On Saturday morning the Powers Ferry Corridor Alliance is holding an Adopt-A-Mile cleanup project with Keep Cobb Beautiful. The group is gathering at 8:30 at the Kroger Fuel Center (1310 Powers Ferry Road) for refreshments, and all supplies and equipment will be provided.
The second Saturday of each month Cobb PARKS conducts a free Hyde Farm Walking Tour (photo above) at the 1840s-era working farm (721 Hyde Road), starting at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
They last 45 minutes each, and will show participants terraced agricultural fields, lowland pastures/old fields, the orchard, the home site, the meadows and the farm outbuilding, as well as a pond stacked with catfish and bass.
A busy weekend is in store at East Cobb Park (3322 Roswell Road), with the monthly meeting of the newly formed East Cobb Park Garden Club from 10-12 Saturday.
The group is undertaking its initial projects to enhance the property, including constructing gardens, beautify trails and other tasks. Meet at the gazebo in the upper parking lot overlooking the park.
Also from 10-12 Saturday is an open house for the Cobb Mobility SPLOST, a proposed sales tax referendum that could take place in 2024. Cobb DOT staff will be presenting information at the Tim D. Lee Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road) and citizens can take part in a survey (see our recent coverage of Commissioner Jerica Richardson’s town hall for background).
On Sunday, the third annual Aloha to Aging Fall Festival takes place from 2-6 at Covenant Presbyterian Church (2880 Canton Road).
More than 50 vendors, businesses and crafters will be on hand as well as music, dancing, games and prizes for all ages.
There will be raffle prizes, petting goats, a pickleball clinic and a kids zone. Admission is free.
Also on Friday afternoon, Music in the Park returns to East Cobb Park from 4-6, featuring Man Hands Lizzie, an Atlanta musician who regularly performs at Kastaways in Marietta.
You can bring a blanket/chairs and food to the back quad concert shell area.
It’s the second of three free concerts this month organized by the Friends for the East Cobb Park and sponsored by Wellstar.
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Students at Wheeler High School in the Class of 2023 turned in the top composite score for American College Testing (ACT) in the Cobb County School District.
According to figures released by the Cobb school district Wednesday, Wheeler’s composite ACT score is 26.5, up from 23.4 in 2022.
Wheeler is one of four Cobb schools with composite scores over 24. The others are also in East Cobb: Walton Walton (25.8), Pope (24.5), and Lassiter (24.4).
The ACT tests students in curriculum-based English, mathematics, reading and science. The maximum score is 36.
The 127 Wheeler students who took the ACT also turned in the highest scores in each of those subject areas in Cobb (see chart below).
Cobb’s overall composite score at 16 traditional high schools is 22.7, above the state and national averages. But that’s the third consecutive year with a slight decrease.
A total of 2,273 students in the Cobb school district took the test in 2023, including 285 at Walton, 220 at Pope and 212 at Lassiter.
“This is a remarkable accomplishment that truly reflects the dedication and hard work of our exceptional students, the support of their involved families, and the continued commitment of our outstanding and dedicated staff,” Wheeler Principal Paul Gillihan said in the Cobb school district release.
“Together, we have shown the power of teamwork which brings excellence in education and life. Go Wildcats!”
Five Cobb students earned perfect scores of 36, and they attended Wheeler, Walton and Allatoona.
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Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris will serve another three years after the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a contract extension.
Jackie McMorris, Cobb County Manager
During a business meeting, commissioners signed off on a contract recommended by Chairwoman Lisa Cupid that will pay McMorris a base salary of $350,000, effective Jan. 1, 2024 through Dec. 31, 2026.
McMorris, a former Cobb public services director and deputy county manager, was hired in February 2020 at a salary of $292,000.
Cupid, who voted against the appointment at the time because she said she wanted a more thorough vetting process, said in her agenda item for Tuesday’s meeting that “Dr. McMorris has done an excellent job during her tenure as County Manager. Her performance warrants her continued service in that role.”
The item was passed 5-0.
The County Manager is the top executive position in Cobb County government, and who oversees daily operations. Department heads report to her, and she in turn reports to commissioners.
McMorris’ contract (you can read it here) includes participation in the county’s deferred compensation plan, up to 80 hours of annual leave, county medical, life, disability and dental insurance and reimbursements for county-related travel expenses.
Before coming to Cobb in 2013, she served in executive positions with Cherokee County government and the Fulton District Attorney’s office.
McMorris holds a doctorate degree in education and taught English before entering government service.
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Cobb Police said a girl was hit by a car Tuesday morning as she was crossing Post Oak Tritt Road.
Officer Shenise Barner said the unidentified girl, who is 11 years old, was crossing Post Oak Tritt Road at Bennington Drive at 8:42 a.m. when she was hit by a white Honda CR-V driven by Amanda Finley, 38, of Marietta.
That intersection is located between Sandy Plains Road and Holly Springs Road.
Barner said the collision took place outside the pedestrian crossing and and that the girl was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital with serious injuries.
Police said Finley was not injured and that anyone with more information about the incident is asked to call 770-499-4987,
Lassiter High School had the highest graduation rate for the Cobb County School District in the Class of 2023.
The district announced in a release Tuesday that 476 of Lassiter’s 484-member senior class graduated in May, for 98.4 percent.
Lassiter was second in the 17-high school Cobb school district last year, and this year is one of nine schools with a graduation rate of 90 percent or better.
Four of those are in East Cobb. Walton is fourth in Cobb at 96.8 percent (595 of 615 seniors graduating). Pope is fifth at 95.6 percent (461 of 482).
“Every day, our staff embrace and support our students to help them reach the finish line,” Lassiter principal Chris Richie said in the Cobb school district release.
“The support our parents and community provide is exceptional, and ultimately, we are thankful that our students come to school each day prepared to engage in the process of learning. It’s that collective collaboration between our faculty, students, parents, and the Lassiter community that allows everyone to embrace our vision of reaching excellence and climbing higher.”
Kell’s graduation rate was 93.8 percent (317 of 333), and Wheeler’s was 90.7 (477 of 526).
Those figures represent increases of 2.5 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively, from 2022. third in the district behind Osborne, whose graduation rate of 74.3 percent is up 6.3 percent.
Sprayberry’s graduation rate was 87.5 percent (412 of 471).
That’s right at the Cobb average of 87.7 percent, which is up 0.3 percent from 2022. In major metro Atlanta school districts, Cobb is second behind Fulton County, with a graduation rate of 90.3 percent.
Harrison and Hillgrove tied for second in Cobb with graduation rates of 97 percent.
Across Georgia, the overall graduation rate is 84.4 percent, which also is an increase of 0.3 percent from last year.
Public school districts are required by federal law to publish graduation rates, and must use a formula to calculate those figures by counting students who are enrolled for even a single day over four years.
Cobb schools said in its release that Lassiter would have had a 100 percent graduation rate had the numbers been counted to reflect students there who attended all four years.
What the district terms “real” graduation rates includes nine Cobb schools with graduation rates of 99 percent or better.
The Georgia Department of Education has broken down graduation rate data further, including by racial, ethnic, economically challenged and students with disabilities, even at the school level. You can view that information by clicking here.
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The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration on Monday voted to hire a new elections director.
Her name is Tate Fall, and for the last year she has been the deputy elections director in Arlington County, Va.
A release issued Tuesday by Cobb County Government said that she will start Dec. 4, after municipal elections in several Cobb cities.
Fall will succeed Janine Eveler, who retired in April after serving in the role for 12 years.
Since July, the Cobb Elections office has been led on an interim basis by Gerry Miller, an assistant Cobb elections director in 2021 who also had retired from the department.
The search was extended because a lack of qualified candidates in the initial search.
In Tuesday’s release, Cobb Elections Board chairwoman Tori Silas said that “it was difficult to find someone with the level of experience needed along with the zeal for this job. We believe we have found the right person at the right time.”
Fall is a graduate of Auburn University and holds a master’s degree in public administration and a graduate certificate in election administration.
She also has worked for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an independent agency of the U.S. government. According to its website, its “mission is to help election officials improve the administration of elections and help Americans participate in the voting process.”
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The 15th Annual Cobb Diaper Day is being held virtually throughout October 2023. Through the efforts of the Barbara Hickey Children’s Fund – Cobb Diaper Day Committee, more than two million diapers have been donated to assist low-income families in Cobb County. The goal this year is to collect over 100,000 diapers.
Organizations, companies and individuals are encouraged to participate in variousways:
Declare a day to collect diapers from fellow employees, organization members, neighbors or friends.
Drop off donations on one of our community collection days:
Johnson & Alday Law Firm – 219 Roswell St. NE, Marietta, GA : October 16-20, 2023, during business hours.
Cobb EMC Solar Flower Gardenin Marietta, GA: October 24, 2023 from 2 pm to 6 pm and October 26, 2023 from 2 pm to 6 pm.
Cobb Diaper Day was founded by the late Barbara Hickey in 2008 to help families in Cobb County. Barbara envisioned the community coming together to support local families in need and reminded us all that it is often the little things in our lives that make the biggest difference. Low-income families often have the daily stress of choosing between food and diapers. Prolonged wearing of a wet diaper causes diaper rash, and a crying baby leads to more stress in the home. Low-income families also face additional challenges:
Food stamps do not include hygiene products such as diapers.
On average, the cost to purchase diapers is approximately $100/month.
Daycare centers require parents to provide their own diapers.
To help ease some of the burdens of the thousands of families in critical need, diaper donations will be distributed to the community through the following community partners:
Cobb Douglas Public Health
Communities in Schools of Georgia in Marietta/Cobb County
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East Cobb is home to a myriad of fitness, health and wellness studios.
What’s new to the area is the emerging genre of businesses and treatment centers offering electrical muscular stimulation (EMS) therapy.
Among them is Strongvibe, an independent studio at Paper Mill Village that’s had a soft opening for several weeks and which will hold a grand opening Oct. 19.
(Another new EMS studio in East Cobb is BODY20, a franchise at Woodlawn Point Shopping Center.)
Strongvibe owner Erica Manning said her business offers one-to-one personal training for clients who haven’t worked out for a while and those with chronic pain whose ability to work out is limited.
Electrical muscular therapy involves the transmission of mild electrical pulses to treat injured, weak or diseases muscles.
Manning said she came up with the name for her studio because “I wanted to describe what you feel and what you’re getting.”
Clients schedule 20-minute customized workouts, ideally twice a week, to stimulate muscles in their arms, legs, and abdominal areas.
They are connected to a vest-like device that sends currents into muscular areas to produce 85 contractions per second, activating most major muscle groups in the body at the same time.
For those who have difficulty with high-impact exercise, the aim of EMS is to help develop muscle tone and strength for anyone at any fitness level, including the aging dealing with the effects of osteoporosis.
“I like the idea of helping people who can’t do those intense workouts,” said Manning, who has a marketing background and who is certified as a personal trainer and in EMS.
Among them is her grandmother, who suffered from hard falls and needed therapy to stabilize her body. She’s in a chair the entire time of her workouts, and Manning said after a month her back pain was gone.
In addition to the EMS equipment, Strongvibe has a treadmill and dumbbells as well as a rowing machine.
Manning said her emphasis is on customizing workouts for clients to make sure they’re getting exactly what they need. Like many fitness studios in the area, membership is required, and Strongvibe is offering a free introductory session.
“I’m not just trying to get them through the door,” she said. “I love to be part of their journey.”
She also wants to stress community ties. She and her husband, who works from home in the marketing field, moved to East Cobb from Smyrna and have children ages 14, 12 and 10.
The Oct. 19 grand opening is from 5-7 (more info and RSVP here) and includes giveaways, demos, food and wellness information from Plasker Chiropractic, Meridian Health and Wellness and more.
Strongvibe is located at 147 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 4110. Phone: 770-573-4010.
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Strongvibe is located at 147 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 4110. Phone 770-573-4010.
Kennesaw State University has announced its biggest fundraising campaign in school history.
The Campaign for Kennesaw State (website) comes after private fundraising efforts that began in 2019 netted nearly $120 million, prompting officials to increase the goal to $200 million.
“The outpouring of support for KSU has been nothing short of incredible, and I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone who has given thus far and to those who plan to give in the future,” Kennesaw State President Kathy Schwaig said in a statement issued Friday.
“This campaign comes at a time when the University is experiencing unprecedented growth, and the support garnered from this effort is critical in furthering KSU’s commitment to its students and the community.”
The statement said that the fundraising campaign “will inspire student success through funding for scholarships and support programs, accelerate discovery by strengthening and enriching the University’s multidisciplinary research initiatives and enhance the community by improving academic and athletic facilities.”
Private fundraising efforts have benefitting KSU academic schools and programs and its athletics department, and the public campaign will include “all 11 colleges, Student Affairs, KSU Athletics and University research initiatives,” said Lance Burchett, KSU vice president for advancement and head of the KSU Foundation.
KSU is the third-largest university in Georgia with nearly 45,000 students at its campuses in Kennesaw and Marietta as well as online programs.
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The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports. They include the subdivision name and high school attendance zone in parenthesis:
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Precinct 4 officers and staff enjoying a Public Safety Appreciation Celebration at Olde Towne Athletic Club. ECN file.
Three organizations, including the East Cobb Business Association, are putting together an appreciation celebration for Cobb Police Precinct 4 personnel next month and are collecting donations from the public.
Susan Hampton, who’s a co-chair of the joint effort with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and the Cobb Public Safety Foundation, said the event will take place in November and the deadline for making donations is Nov. 1.
Precinct 4 personnel are treated to a night of food and entertainment and are presented with gifts and door prizes as a show of appreication from the community (see our previous coverage).
She said that gift cards “are ideal” and that popular items include gift cards in general, as well as for those for big-box stores, restaurants and AMEX/Visa/Master Card gift cards. The suggested amounts are $25, $50 and $100.
Hampton said that you can make donations online at the Cobb Public Safety Foundation website or contact her at 404-218-6216 or Susan.Hampton6216@gmail.com.
If you’re writing a check, make it payable to “CCPSF, Inc.” and include “public safety celebration” in the memo line.
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The bridge over Sope Creek along Lower Roswell Road where the Cobb Water System says sewer repairs are needed.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners will be asked by the Cobb Water System on Tuesday to approve nearly $7 million in funding for sewer repairs at five points along Sope Creek in East Cobb.
An agenda item for Tuesday’s regular business meeting said that a total of 2,070 linear feet of 12- and 36-inch ductile iron gravity sewer pipe needs to be relocated, including the removal of three aerial lines at bridges and installing new lines under the creek.
“Over time, Sope Creek has expanded and eroded the streambanks, exposing the existing sanitary sewer line that parallels the creek at two locations,” the agenda item states. “Also, trees, limbs, and other debris are washed down the creek during storms and collect on three aerial sewer lines that cross the creek, which puts them at risk of being damaged and requires regular maintenance to clear the debris.”
Those locations are creek overpasses at Lower Roswell Road, Indian Hills Drive and Holt Road.
Two other areas of Sope Creek, just below Lower Roswell and east of Holt Road and north of Old Sewell Road, also need to be repaired (see map).
Another 700 feet of channel protection material also needs to be installed to stabilize the streambank and “hinder further erosion,” the agenda item states.
A construction cost estimate for $6.765 million will come from the water system’s capital improvements budget, with additional expenses, including $135,000 from the county reserve fund, bringing the total cost to $6.989 million, according to the agenda item, which is on the commissioners’ consent calendar.
The request did not indicate a timetable for the repairs to be made.
Also on Tuesday, commissioners will hold an initial public hearing for proposed code amendments relating to animals, the environment, licenses, permits and businesses, zoning and administration.
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About a year and a half after getting a site plan change approved by the county, Valvoline Instant Oil Change is beginning to break ground for a new facility on the former site of a Chevron gas station at Roswell Road and Johnson Ferry Road.
Crews have been digging up what’s left of the Chevron pavement in the northwest corner of one of East Cobb’s busiest intersections and we noticed this sign for the first time on Friday.
As we reported last year, Valvoline needed to run a site plan amendment by Cobb commissioners to convert the 0.95-acre tract into a three-bay oil change facility totalling 2,088 square feet.
Plans call for a landscaping plan and 15 parking spaces, and access will be right-in and right-out only on Roswell Road westbound.
The Chevron station that opened in the 1970s closed in late 2020, and was demolished in early 2021. The property has sat largely untouched ever since.
The Valvoline filings and county property tax records indicate that the two parcels making up the 0.95 acres have a combined appraised value of $822,240.
The owner one of those tracts, Ruth McLaughlin, the former Chevron owner, also owns 0.71 acres directly behind it that’s valued at $1.24 million.
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A year after breaking away from Mt. Bethel Church, Grace Resurrection Methodist Church held a special “homecoming” celebration last weekend.
The independent congregation meets at the former location of the now-closed Lutheran Church of the Incarnation (1200 Indian Hills Parkway) and is led by Rev. Randy Mickler, who was the senior pastor at Mt. Bethel for 29 years.
During a special service last Sunday, Grace Resurrection members dedicated commemorative items, children filled a time capsule with mementos and had a church picnic lunch to mark their first year.
“These folks have worked so hard over the past year to create this church,” Mickler said in a release issued by the church, referring to a mostly volunteer initiative. “It warms our hearts to see everyone celebrating and connecting.”
Among those taking part in the festivities was a 106-year-old member who handed that day’s newspaper to a 10-year-old girl to put in the time capsule box.
Grace Resurrection started with 30 members who left Mt. Bethel after that congregation’s dispute with the United Methodist Church’s North Georgia Conference, and that ultimately resulted in a $13.1 million settlement (see previous ECN coverage here).
Since opening, Grace Resurrection has added mission programs, a music ministry, small groups, service projects, Sunday Schools, and children’s moments.
Services are composed of very familiar hymns and follow the traditional liturgy, but the congregation is focused on the future. “We welcome everyone. Three generations can often be seen in our pews,” said Rev. Charlie Marus, associate pastor.
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Get your oompa on! Oktoberfest returns to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Saturday for the first time since 2019.
It’s starting to feel like fall, as a number of fall-oriented events are taking place across East Cobb this weekend.
The East Cobb office of Harry Norman Realtors is having its second annual Fall Festival on Friday from 4-7 (4651 Olde Towne Parkway) that’s a fundraiser for their non-profits, the Orange Duffel Bag Initiative and Canine Assistants.
Admission is $15 and features a pumpkin patch with supplies for decorating, face painting, games, vendors and artisans, a food truck (not included in the ticket price) and a raffle in which a lucky winner takes home half of the money raised.
Due to the COVID-19 response, it’s been four years since Holy Trinity Lutheran Church held its Oktoberfest celebration.
The German cultural festival returns Saturday from 10-6 on the grounds of the church (2922 Sandy Plains Road) with many of the same features: Music, food, a vendor fair, kids’ games and other activities, including a petting zoo.
Admission is $3, $7, $20 or equal cans of food to benefit MUST Ministries, and overflow parking will be available at the adjacent U.S. Post Office after 1 p.m.
On Sunday, the Good Mews Animal Foundation (3805 Robinson Road) is holding its annual Vaccination Clinic and Outdoor Market from 10-4 to support its programs caring for and placing homeless cats.
Vaccinations, microchipping and nail trimming services are available for dogs and cats (but you must sign up for an appointment by clicking here). The market takes place from 10-3 and includes a book sale, board games and puzzles, as well as gently-used pet merchandise.
Send Us Your News!
Let East Cobb News know what your organization is doing, or share news about what people are doing in the community—accomplishments, recognitions, milestones, etc., as well as community events.
Pass along your details to: editor@eastcobbnews.com, and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.
Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.
We accept PDFs as an accompaniment to your item. Images are fine too, but we prefer those to be JPG files (more than jpeg and png). PLEASE DO NOT send photos inside a PDF or text or any other kind of file. Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.
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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!
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Toll Southeast wants to build more than 100 homes on nearly 20 acres on Sandy Plains Road at Ross Road that includes Little Noonday Creek.
The Cobb Planning Commission heard three major rezoning cases in the Northeast Cobb area on Tuesday, and decided to delay making a recommendation on all of them.
All three were continued to the November zoning calendar.
Among them is a proposal to build a 105-home single-family detached subdivision on Sandy Plains Road near Kincaid Elementary School in an area that’s a flood plain.
The nearly 20-acre site on Ross Road is includes Little Noonday Creek, and the site plan reflects that nothing would be built on a sliver of the property to the west.
But the applicant, Toll Southeast LP Company, is also asking for variances that would substantially reduce the minimum lot size, set and front setbacks and width between homes and increase the impervious surface maximum to 70 percent.
The new homes would be built adjacent to another subdivision near the Scufflegrit Road intersection, and Toll’s attorney, Kevin Moore, noted that nearby subdivisions in Cobb and Marietta city limits have similar or less dense zoning categories.
“We’re simply asking to be treated equally by what has been approved by this county and the city that you legally have to acknowledge,” Moore said.
But Laurie Wood, who lives in the nearby St. Charles Place subdivision, said the land is in a wetlands, and that the Toll development design does not include a deceleration lane, unlike other communities along Sandy Plains Road.
A traffic study done earlier this year does not factor in other subdivisions under construction for a total of 90 homes.
Planning Commissioner Deborah Dance, who represents District 3, wants to see a more detailed traffic study, and said she’s concerned about the variances.
Quick Trip wants to build on a former Rite Aid site, but nearby businesses are objecting.
A few minutes before that, she asked for a continuance for a proposed Quick Trip gas station and convenience store at the intersection of Canton Road and Jamerson Road.
It’s on a 1.6-acre site that was formerly a Rite Aid pharmacy, and next to a retail center that includes Vespucci’s Italian Kitchen, a Planet Smoothie and Ray’s Donuts. (case filings here).
The shopping center’s attorney and Vespucci’s owner told planning commissioners the shared entry and parking lot on Canton Road would adversely affect their businesses.
“This represents an existential threat to these businesses,” attorney Lawton Jordan said. “These are small neighborhood businesses.”
He said a traffic study showed there would be three times as much traffic coming the Quick Trip than the pharmacy “that’s going to have a negative effect” on his clients.
Carol Brown of the Canton Road Neighbors civic group said there are 11 gas stations in a five-mile radius along Canton Road, and two are within walking distance.
“The neighborhoods love these restaurants,” she said of efforts to recruit more “destination” businesses to a corridor saturated with automotive enterprises.
But Moore said 75 percent of the access to the Quick Trip would be along Jamerson Road.
“We love the local businesses they have, but we think this can work very well,” Moore said. He said that long-term vacancies such as the empty Rite Aid building “is devastating to a community.”
Nearby residents are opposed to warehouse/distribution buildings in a proposed mixed-use development at Chastain Road and I-575.
Another request would level one of the largest remaining wooded tracts in the area for a mixed-use development with townhomes, senior apartments, retail and distribution warehouses off Chastain Road.
A request by SDP Acquisitions LLC has been delayed before, but after nearly an hour of presentations and questions, the Planning Commission voted to wait for a traffic study and for the developer to meet with community leaders concerned about the proposed industrial buildings.
SDP has proposed 145 townhomes, 220 apartments for 55 and over residents and nearly 30,000 square feet of retail space fronting Chastain Road near I-575.
Citizens opposed to the project have no problem with that, but objected to plans to build three large buildings totalling 425,000 square feet along ChastainMeadows Parkway for what SDP attorney Kevin Moore described as office space (case filing here).
But Tullan Avard of the Bells Ferry Civic Association said the site plan is too intense for the property, and the distribution warehouse usage that’s proposed doesn’t fit the office category that’s being sought.
They’re to be operated 24/7, she said, and each building will have 30 loading docks, unlike other office/service facilities in the area.
“There would be almost a million—a million—square feet of speculative industrial space on nearly 60 mostly impervious acres,” Avard said. “Warehouses are not permitted under the OS office-services category” that’s in the county’s future land-use map for the property.
Dance said that the proposed uses “as shown are appropriate,” but said more time to work out traffic and other details.
All three cases were held by 4-0 votes, with Planning Commission Chairman Stephen Vault absent.
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