East Cobb Church rezoning delayed Archives

East Cobb Church rezoning delayed, Jerica Richardson

With a split vote looming, the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to delay the East Cobb Church rezoning request yet again, until September.

District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson made motion to hold the application of North Point Ministries after her earlier motion to approve the mixed-use plan for Johnson Ferry and Shallowford roads failed to gain enough support from her colleagues.

The five-member commission was down to four due to the absence of chairwoman Lisa Cupid, whose grandmother passed away earlier Tuesday.

Commissioners JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb and Keli Gambrill of West Cobb said they couldn’t vote to approve the rezoning because of the RA-6 residential category that’s part of the rezoning request.

North Point Ministries wants to build a 130,000-square foot East Cobb Church on part of the 33-acre assemblage and sell 22 acres to Ashwood Atlanta, a residential developer, for 71 townhomes and 59 single-family detached homes.

That portion of the development has generated substantial community opposition from residents who are still supportive of a church. They’re concerned about density, traffic and stormwater issues, and dozens of variances.

The Cobb Planning Commission recommended approval of the North Point Ministries request earlier this month on its fourth hearing, but the first time the case went before county commissioners drew just as many issues in a 90-minute discussion.

“This application has gone on for the length of a pregnancy,” mused commission vice chairwoman Monique Sheffield to some chuckling, noting it’s been eight months since first being filed.

Richardson’s motion was contingent on North Point Ministries submitted a new residential category and site plan.

Kevin Moore, the North Point Ministries attorney, said “we’d be happy to take a look . . . This applicant has done that the entire time.”

This story will be updated.