SEPTEMBER 2004 NCHC ZONING UPDATE

 PAST ZONING CASES

HOLTMAN

18+ acres on northeast side of Hamby Road just before its intersection with Hickory Grove Road (Holtman, Hill and McGowen property) has been kept to a 3.5 density.  The developers originally wanted to put in 88 town home type houses selling for $140,000.  We kept it to 65 homes on 1/3-/14 acre lots selling for $180,000-$210,000 with European style construction, brick and stone fronts,

BROWNSTONE

3+ acres on northwest corner of Hickory Grove and Hamby was kept to 13 homes or 3.5 houses per acre density with storm water management issues addressed.

FUTURE LAND USE MAP

Successful in getting the Cobb County Future Land Use Map for property on Hickory Grove Road owned by Free Will Baptist Church from Industrial Compatible to Community/Institutional to reflect and protect its use as a church.

NEW VISION DEVELOPMENT:

11 acre site on Hamby Road owned by Jonathon Edwards’s mother with the large pond.  Kept density to 3.45 homes/acre 2 story houses with 2000 sf minimums with ranch homes at 1800 sf minimums.  Traditional architecture with brick, stucco or hardiplank type siding.  No vinyl siding.  They will be detached homes with 2 car attached garages and 7,000 sf minimum lots.  A common area around the lake including a walking trail and a tot lot playground and a Mandatory HOA will be established.  Proper building, safety and storm water management practices used on refurbishing of lake for use as retention pond and a 10 ft buffer on northwestern side of property will also be provided.

BP ON WADE GREEN:

The Wade Green BP will be moving across the street to the site between I-75 and Eckerd’s Drug.  Worked with the developer to ensure that the front façade is good looking and largely brick, the signage is appropriate and the former site is properly lighted to deter crime and vandalism.

RANSOM DEVELOPMENT:

36 acre on the west side of I-75, directly north of Howell Farms, directly east of Abbots Glen and directly south of Woodstock Road. Developer was pushing for a combination of 117 attached townhouses and small cottage style houses starting at $150,000.  We were able to get a 3.0 homes/acre maximum density with 7000 sf feet lots and 1800 sf homes, detached houses with brick, stucco or hardiplank, no vinyl siding and 2 car attached garages.  There will be 25 feet undisturbed landscape buffer and 10 feet no access easement on western perimeter and a 6 feet high wood fence on the rear property line on the western perimeter. The entrance will be via Woodstock Connector where large Leland cypress trees are to be planted, stop signs, crosswalk and speed bumps are to be installed, as well as improvement in road surface and width of Woodstock Connector.

HORTON DEVELOPMENT:

Hickory Grove Road site just west of the storage facility at intersection of Hickory Grove Road and Baker Road.  The City of Kennesaw has approved a condominium development there and we were able to get several stipulations which will improve the aesthetic appeal of the development.

SCOGGINS:

This is the site at the southeast corner of Hickory Grove Road and Baker Road that has been clear cut and dormant for some time.  We successfully stopped the applicant’s bid to have alcohol and gasoline sales allowed at the site and are working with city staff to ensure that the site is revegetated and that equipment is no longer stored there.

CENTENNIAL COMMONS

3.46 acre addition to the Centennial Commons development located in the corner of property between I-75 and Remington Oaks.  Ten lots are planned, detached homes, with a density of 2.8 homes per acre.  We were able to get 25 feet buffer and six feet fence for Remington Oaks.

CURRENT ZONING CASES

THE PRESERVE AT MOON STATION

18+ acres on Moon Station Road currently zoned 2 detached houses per acre. Developer originally asked City O Kennesaw to rezone to Planned Unit Development Residential and to allow 80 homes with various setback and other variances.   Have worked to get density of development down, greenspace conserved and setback variances denied. 

STYLES/FOUR SEASONS:

This is a 51+ acre site west of and adjacent to I-75 and south of Hickory Grove Road.  The site fronts Hickory Grove Road between the Free Baptist Church and I-75 and extends all the way back to Walton Green Apartments and the Jiles Road Industrial Park.  We were successful in keeping this site from being annexed by City of Kennesaw.  The property was then sold and the new owner has now asked the County to rezone this site from light industrial and R-20 (2 homes per acre) to a mixed use development with a total of 299 homes, 259 of which are attached town homes, and 40 of which are detached homes, for an overall density of 5.76 homes per acre.  The landowner, in conjunction with County DOT, was planning on establishing a four lane parkway, Royal North Parkway, commencing at Hickory Grove Road between Paces Club and Free Will Baptist Church, connecting with Shiloh Road and terminating at Cherokee Street at the new Walgreens intersection.

We have worked with the landowner to ensure proper landscape buffers and setbacks, building facades, stream buffers, minimum building slopes, amenity packages, and other matters.  We continue to work with both the landowner and the county with regard to keeping the density to 5.0 homes per acre, with detached or other appropriate housing along Hickory Grove Road, and locating the parkway closer to I-75 overpass so that it is not immediately adjacent to Paces Club.  After multiple hearings on this matter we hope to receive a final decision at the September 21st hearing of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners.

Z-132

25.8 acres on Shiloh Road just behind new Walgreens on Cherokee Street.  Currently zoned general commercial and developer is asking County to rezone to RM-8 allowing for the construction of 206 attached town homes at a density of 7.97.  Argued to keep the residential density down to 5.0 units per acre and to apply an age restriction to address the excessive burden on roads and schools such a development will have or in the alternative to keep the site commercial.  Lost by 4-1 vote at the Planning Commission stage. Board of Commissioners will hear case on September 21st.

CURRENT DOT ISSUES

We have been successful in having a right turn only lane established on Hickory Grove Road at its intersection with Wade Green so that morning rush hour traffic is not slowed by drivers in right lane who are stopped waiting for light to proceed straight.  We have also asked that a turn lane and signal be established on Hickory Grove Road at its intersection with Hamby Road. DOT has informed us that this project is now on their list awaiting funding.

ZONING HEARINGS

The City of Kennesaw Planning Commission meets the 2nd Monday of the month at 6:30pm and the Mayor and Council meet on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Council/Court Chambers of City Hall. The Cobb County Planning Commission meets the first Tuesday of every month at 9 am and the County Board of Commissioners meets the third Tuesday of every month at 9 am to discuss zoning issues at the Board Hearing Room, 199 Lawrence Street, Building A, Second Floor, Marietta Square.

ZONING COMMITTEE

CHAIR: Scott Dorgan (Baker Heights)  MEMBERS: Kay Corriere (Remington Trace), Louis McClure (Howell Farms), Kristi Treadway (Remington Trace), Cesar Zapata (Paces Club).  BOARD ZONING LIASON: David Warner (Howell Farms). The zoning committee may be contacted through the NCHC website: northcobbhomeownerscoalition.org.  We welcome anyone who wishes to join the committee or help out in any way. 

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