Shortly before Cobb County became the latest metro Atlanta government to oppose legislation that would strip cities and counties of local control of residential building design standards, the East Cobb Civic Association weighed in on the matter.
In response to a message from East Cobb News on Tuesday, ECCA president Linda Carver said that the organization “is firmly opposed” to companion bills in the House and the Senate, “and we will be encouraging our ECCA members to let their state representatives know of our opposition.”
(See previous ECN story here).
The ECCA, which was formed in 1982, represents around 90 subdivisions in the East Cobb area and takes an active role in examining zoning cases, making recommendations to the Cobb Planning Commission and Cobb commissioners.
Carver said in an initial response Tuesday afternoon that her organization hadn’t had time to sort through HB 302, but indicated that “anything that would take away local control of building standards would not be looked on favorably.”
She followed up later Tuesday when learning of the Senate bill and stated the ECCA’s opposition.
The bills, HB 302 and SB 172, are being sponsored by lawmakers in smaller towns and rural parts of Georgia, and some metro Atlanta cities and counties have taken exception.
The legislation would cover design elements for one- and two-family homes, and would take away local approval for such things as exterior building color, style and materials for roofs and porches, exterior architectural ornamentation, location and styling of windows and doors, types of flooring and the interior layout of rooms.
On Tuesday night, the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution by commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb to oppose the bills.
He said he’s been getting a lot of e-mails about the matter, saying it “smacks in the face of local control. We spend a lot of time working with the community” on standards governing the look and materials of new homes.
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb said it “would be a disaster for the community and surrounding neighborhoods” if local governing bodies lost the ability to set design standards.
The bills are supported by those in home building and real estate industries.
Also on Tuesday, the commissioners voted 5-0 to adopt a resolution seeking an extension for for a special transit committee in Cobb.
The resolution seeks an amendment to current state law, which call for the termination of the committee in December 2019. It’s made up of county commissioners and the Cobb legislative delegation and its duties include drawing up the boundaries for a special transit area.
Cobb is planning to hold a referendum to extend the SPLOST one-cent sales tax for county government in 2020, and Chairman Mike Boyce is eyeing 2022 for a possible transit referendum, saying the extra time is necessary to draw up a viable project list.
The commissioners also approved an alcohol license for Catfish Hox, a seafood restaurant at 2595 Sandy Plains Road, and that was recognized at the 2018 Taste of Marietta festival.
The restaurant’s initial application for beer, wine and Sunday pouring had been rejected by the Cobb License Review Board because it’s located within 600 feet of Sprayberry High School.
Owner Vivian Creasor said in her appeal that while the industry standard is to check identification of customers ordering alcohol who appear to be under 40, carding at Catfish Hox will occur “100% of the time regardless of appearance.”
She said the application for a pouring license is to compete with other restaurants in the vicinity. Kumo, a Japanese restaurant in the same shopping center, also serves alcohol.
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