Rezoning redux: East Cobb Church, Ebenezer Road cases resume

East Cobb Church rezoning held — *Single-family homes proposed off Waterfront Circle are what a nearby resident has described as “townhomes, just detached.”*

Tuesday’s Cobb Planning Commission agenda includes a fourth hearing for the East Cobb Church mixed-use proposal on 33 acres Johnson Ferry Road and Shallowford Road and a second hearing for a new single-family development on Ebenezer Road.

Also delayed from recent months is a proposal for a senior subdivision on Sewell Mill Road at East Piedmont Road on land currently owned by the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA.

The five-member planning board, which advises the Cobb Board of Commissioners, voted to hold the first two cases at its July hearing. The third case was delayed at the request of the applicant.

Here’s a summary of what’s on tap Tuesday, and the full 1,280-page agenda packet can be found here.

New filings were made in all three cases this week. For the East Cobb Church proposal submitted by North Point Ministries, there’s a revised site plan that came in on Tuesday and a lengthy new stipulation letter on Wednesday.

The changes are minor. The 130,000-square foot church and retail/office space have generated support, but opposition has generated around the 22 acres that would make up a 129-unit residential development with access off Johnson Ferry via Waterfront Circle.

Plans still call for 71 townhomes and 58 single-family detached homes on property requested for RA-6 zoning.

That request continues, although Planning Commissioner Tony Waybright suggested a fee-simple townhome designation at the July hearing, saying it would provide an ideal medium-density purpose in a community with lower-density residential.

The RA-6 category would allow just under 6 units an acre, density nearby residents and the East Cobb Civic Association said was too urban and incompatible with the area.

Density issues were also raised in July for a proposed 99-home single-family detached development on nearly 50 acres on Ebenezer Road, between Blackwell Road and Maybreeze Road.

Pulte Homes revised that site plan and submitted a new stipulation letter this week, after questions were raised about density of around 2 units an acre, small lot sizes and a lack of amenities.

The Pulte proposal still calls for 99 homes, and the stipulation letter including enlarging some of the lots “to enhance the viewshed along Ebenezer Road” shifting some others and constructing sidewalks within the development.

Under the proposed R-15 OSC zoning category, 17 acres would be held in an open space conservation status.

Orchards Development LLC requested a delay until August for its proposed 17-unit single-family detached senior residential development on 3.59 acres on Sewell Mill Road at East Piedmont Road.

The undeveloped lots, currently owned by the nearby YMCA, would go from low-density residential (R-20) to residential senior-living (RSL). The density would be 4.74 units per acre, similar to an adjacent RA-4 townhome development on Sewell Mill Road.

The Planning Commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.They will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.