The former Walmart grocery at the Sandy Plains Village Shopping Center would become an indoor recreational center if the owners can get rezoning for the entire retail complex.
That’s on the Cobb Planning Commission agenda for Tuesday, but the county’s zoning staff is recommending denial, saying noise is a major factor, and that it’s activity that’s better suited for a more intense commercial area.
DDR Southeast Sandy Plains, LLC, wants to rezone the complex on Woodstock Road—between Sandy Plains Road and Mabry Road and which includes the Movie Tavern—from neighborhood retail (NRC) and neighborhood shopping (NS) to community retail (CRC).
Ignite Adventure Park would contain nearly 67,000 square feet of space and is proposed as a family-oriented center with go-karts, bumper cars, wall and rock climbing, indoor trampolines, mini-golf and more.
Cobb zoning staff, in addition to concluding that the proposed zoning is incompatible with the surrounding community, said noise and fumes are the biggest issues:
“Staff is concerned that the proposed go-karts will increase noise and fumes for the adjoining residential properties due to the venting requirements gasoline engines may require. “
The retail center’s attorney, Garvis Sams, submitted stipulation letters here and here since the initial application.
Also on Tuesday’s agenda is a rezoning in the Canton Road corridor that has drawn community opposition.
H & I Real Estate wants to rezone part of an existing shopping center at 3920 Canton Road from neighborhood shopping to neighborhood retail at the Kingston Drive Extension for a retail center with a special events facility.
Essentially, the applicant is asking for additional use of a nearby assembly hall that’s been operating there for around five years. Zoning staff, which is recommending approval with some conditions, said the application came about because of complaints that were taken to Cobb Code Enforcement.
But the Canton Road Neighbors civic group said it objects to an event hall, which isn’t a permitted use under the proposed rezoning category.
Canton Road Neighbors said it also was concerned about the impact on the nearby Emerson Unitarian congregation and the Canterbury Glen subdivision, whose residents have complained about late-night noise.
“To date, this has not been a neighborhood-friendly business,” the civic group wrote in a letter submitted to county zoning staff
(Read it here.)
Other zoning cases to be heard Tuesday can be found here.
The planning commission meeting starts at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the 2nd floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.
Its recommendations will be forwarded to the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which will conduct a zoning hearing March 19.
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The rezoning needs to be denied for CRC and just make it a special use within the NRC zoning like The Movie Tavern was. Also there will be a lot of stipulations put on this property and business to ensure that the properties adjacent to it are not negatively impacted. It will be a nice addition if managed well. The owners intend on investing close to $4 million dollars with state of the art attractions. Demographics will support this business.
So you’re saying electric go-karts would with zero noise and fumes fixes the problem?
Noise? You gotta be kidding. All any member of the zoning board need do is go by Stars and Strikes further down 92, sit in the parking lot and see that the noise is inside, not in the parking lot. How much more of an intense commercial area would make them happy? You can’t get much more intense in commercial spaces than that block of 92 and Sandy Plains/Mabry Rd. A well used space that will benefit families is much better than the eye sore of an empty WalMart hull.