New Ebenezer Road senior-living complex to have gated entry

Ebenezer Road senior-living complex

A proposed senior-living development at Ebenezer Road and Sandy Plains Road received final approval Tuesday from the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

The major snag—about access to the 9.45-acre tract—was resolved when commissioners voted 4-1 to include a gated entry for what will be a 31-home community.

The application by Traton Homes had been delayed from December after the developer proposed Sandy Plains Road access only, involving U-turns, that prompted objections from commissioners and members of the nearby Sandy Plains Baptist Church.

For Tuesday’s meeting, Traton revised its site plan to provide for access only on Ebenezer Road. The community would be located just below Addison Elementary School.

But Northeast Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell’s motion modified what Traton had proposed—the creation of a left-turn lane into the new development from northbound Ebenezer Road, just above its intersection at Sandy Plains Road (the red star on the right of the map).

Her motion also included right-in, right-out access from southbound Ebenezer to southbound Sandy Plains (red star at the bottom).

“Ebenezer, with school traffic, is really dangerous,” Birrell said. “Without a gate, [Ebenezer-to-Sandy Plains access] is going to be a cut-through.”

That change was acceptable to Traton as well as Cobb DOT, which was concerned about Ebenezer left-turn access so close to the Sandy Plains intersection.

Kevin Moore, an attorney for Traton, said the RSL category—single-family, detached homes for those aged 55 and up—would have less of a traffic impact than the current residential category. The property currently has a vacant home built in 1931.

Commissioner Keli Gambrill voted against the Traton application, which requires Birrell to approve the final site plan.

Another East Cobb zoning case is being delayed until March. An application by Legacy Christian School to operate a preschool and kindergarten at Bethany Presbyterian Church (4644 Sandy Plains Road) still needs some traffic and parking revisions, according to Cobb commissioner Bob Ott.

Legacy Christian currently operates a preschool at the nearby  Woodstock Church Shallowford for 68 students, and wants to move its facility.

The Bethany church previously housed a preschool facility, and there is 5,483 square feet available. But a special land-use permit is needed to add kindergarten. The proposed capacity would be 65 students, with parking for 131 cars.

The Legacy Christian School would operate from 9-1 Monday-Friday.

 

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