Tucked away off Old Canton Road is a narrow-single lane road with some older houses that evokes a rural feel amid East Cobb’s suburban sprawl.
Although the road is paved, residents say there isn’t much other modern infrastructure to serve the few homes along Clackum Road, some of which are owned by members of the Clackum family.
One of those residents is a developer who wants to assemble 11.8 acres along Clackum Road, as well as Old Canton Road and Shelly Court for a luxury single-family subdivision.
Jairo Murillo wants the land—which is split into two non-contiguous parcels—to be rezoned from R-30, a low-density residential category to R-15, which is more dense than most of the surrounding subdivisions.
Last month, the Cobb Planning Commission continued the case following opposition, and on Tuesday voted again to hold the request (you can read through it here) following the submission of a new site plan.
Murillo initially proposed building 20 homes on the land, which stretches beyond a cul-de-sac at the end of Clackum Road and along property he owns near Sewell Mill Creek (see the site plan below).
Residents of the nearby Mill Creek subdivision expressed opposition in June, especially over stormwater concerns.
On Tuesday, a revised site plan reduced the number of homes to 14, and included three designated areas for stormwater retention.
Murillo’s representative said Tuesday the homes envisioned would be at least 4,800 square feet and feature three-car garages and would be priced starting at $1 million.
For Jeb Beardsley, a commercial real estate specialist whose family owns one of the homes on Clackum Road, the development would be a welcome addition.
Clackum Road, he said, is only 16 feet wide, and it’s difficult for traffic getting in and out.
“All of this will help the neighborhood tremendously,” he told Planning Commission members Tuesday. “This is a local developer, a local family-owned business.”
But other residents, including in Mill Creek, again expressed opposition. The site plan doesn’t address their stormwater or density concerns.
Mike Cotti, who lives nearby and owns a construction and remodeling business, said the R-15 category isn’t compatible with the surrounding area.
“The people that live in the area aren’t anti-development,” he said. “They just want to see a reasonable development.”
He suggested an R-20 category, which is what Mill Creek and the nearby Canton Hills subdivisions are zoned. The Olde Canton Chase subdivision to the south of the Murillo property is zoned R-15.
The Cobb Zoning Division had recommended denial based on the initial site plan. John Pedersen, the zoning manager, told Planning Commission member Deborah Dance that his office hadn’t had time to analyze the revised site plan, which was received last Monday.
She moved to continue the case, and the motion passed 5-0 to bring it back in August.
Related stories:
- Eastside Church senior-living plans delayed to August
- Marietta Planning Commission forwards data center proposal
- Bells Ferry Road townhome plans held by Cobb commissioners
- Eastside Church senior living proposal put on hold
- Eastside Church proposes senior living to expand mission
- Cobb commissioners reject RaceTrac plans on Bells Ferry
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