PHOTOS: 9th annual Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop at Sprayberry HS

Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop
East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker

Easter egg hunters by the thousands turned out on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Sprayberry High School stadium for the 9th annual Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop.

An estimated 100,000 colored plastic eggs were “dropped” from helicopters and otherwise placed on the stadium grounds for several age-group egg hunts, and plenty of candy also was distributed to kids.

There were also plenty of other fun activities and games for kids, and a chance to have their pictures taken with the Easter bunny, as well as a Kids Zone.

The main sponsor of the Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop was Superior Plumbing. Event proceeds benefitted Shop with a Yellow Jacket and Shop with a Longhorn programs at Sprayberry and Kell. Proceeds from food and concession sales will benefit the Sprayberry Booster Club.

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Cobb tax digest projected to grow by 7.5 percent in 2018

Mike Boyce, Cobb tax digest

The good news for county homeowners is that the Cobb tax digest is projected to grow by 7.5 percent in 2018, to around $36 billion in assessed value, after a record $33 billion total in 2017.

The bad news is that growth won’t solve the estimated $30 million-$55 million Cobb government budget deficit that’s being estimated for fiscal year 2019.

UPDATE: Cobb chairman proposes revised budget, keeping parks and libraries open

What that all that means for your property tax bill depends on a number of factors, including assessments, eligibility for homestead and senior exemptions and whether or not the Cobb Board of Commissioners approves of a possible millage rate increase to help cover the deficit.

Residential property tax assessments will go out in early May, and the tax digest value is finalized in July.

Earlier projections had the Cobb tax digest rising by around 5.5 percent. Cobb budget director Bill Volckmann said that 7.5 percent growth, if that comes to pass, would add around an additional $6 million to general fund coffers.

The average home value in Cobb is now around $285,000, and the assessed value of the Atlanta Braves’ property near SunTrust Park in the Cumberland area has grown from $188 million in 2017 to $360 million this year, according to the Cobb tax assessor’s office.

In a presentation this week, tax assessor Stephen White most Cobb homeowners have a “floating” homestead exemption, which means that the assessed value of that a property remains frozen and does not increase the amount of the general fund.

“The floating homestead on the county general portion of your tax bill means your assessed value stays the same from year-to-year,” White said. “We might increase the fair market value of your home, but the assessed value on a homesteaded property stays the same from the time you purchased the property.”

Related stories

The general fund portion of the county budget pays for police, sheriff’s office, transportation, parks and libraries, courts and other general government operational expenses.

There’s a separate millage rate that funds fire and emergency services, and the Cobb County School District also levies its own millage rate.

Those categories, White said, likely will benefit from the tax digest growth. The Cobb general fund, on the other hand, is in more severe straits than the current FY 2018 budget of $405 million.

That was balanced with some program cuts and with the use of nearly $20 million in contingency funding.

Cobb Commission chairman Mike Boyce (above) is suggesting that the present general fund millage rate of 6.76 might not be enough to fund the FY 2019 budget, but he hasn’t offered any recommendations.

“We knew this $30 million hole was coming years ago,” Boyce said in a statement issued by Cobb government, “and because the floating exemption prevents the general fund from fully benefitting from the tax digest increase, the board must bring forth a millage rate that will support a quality of life Cobb residents expect.”

Already he’s come under fire for proposing a membership fee and other increased charges for senior services.

Major proposed cuts to the Cobb library system also call for the closure of the East Cobb Library, which also has resulted in a vocal outcry.

District 2 Cobb commissioner Bob Ott, whose district includes much of East Cobb, vowed that he will fight to keep open that branch, one of the busiest in the county, but is asking constituents to communicate with his colleagues about that.

He also has said he does not support any tax increase without finding other budget savings.

 

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Memorial service for Grace Bunke set for April 14 at Mt. Bethel UMC

Students at Walton High School have held several commemorations for Grace Bunke this week, and a memorial service has been scheduled in a couple of weeks.Grace Bunke

Bunke is the Walton freshman who died on Sunday of aggressive bone cancer, the day before her 15th birthday, and after a public battle to raise money and awareness.

The service will be on Saturday, April 14, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church (4385 Lower Roswell Road).

Walton students held a celebration of life service earlier this week that included a release of many yellow balloons and a tribute from senior class president Peter Minetos:

Grace’s family is providing updates at a Caring Bridge page that includes this latest entry:

“Fortunately, we trust in our belief about God’s goodness and His promises. In fact, that is what this upcoming Sunday is all about. Grace might have died on Palm Sunday, but because of Easter – we know she is still alive and well. We just can’t see her.

“Which is why we are all doing ok. Are we sad? Absolutely. Do we miss Grace? More than you can imagine. Are we overwhelmed? Sometimes. Is Caroline dealing with this in her own way? Yes. Are we a puddle of emotions? Not all of the time. Are we crying 24/7? No. Are we dysfunctional in every way? No. Are we ok? Well, yes. We are all ok because we know deep down in our hearts that Grace is too.

“Don’t believe me? Well then join us as we spend time together honoring our beloved daughter and Caroline’s most amazing and incredible sister and best friend as we attempt to see…Life Through the Eyes of Grace.”

Donations in her honor can be made to the Rally Foundation and Swim Across America, which are devoted to childhood cancer research. Proceeds for the latter benefit the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where Grace was treated.

 

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East Cobb Easter Events: Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop; the bunny comes to The Avenue

Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop

Saturday marks the 9th annual Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop, returning to the football field at Sprayberry High School (2525 Sandy Plains Road), with age-group events, food, games, entertainment and photos with the Easter bunny.

The event lasts from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free.

Around 100,000 eggs are expected to be dropped year, as the event continues to proceed Shop with a Yellow Jacket and Shop with a Longhorn programs at Sprayberry and Kell.

The ages three and under hunt starts at 11:30 a.m., the helicopter drop for ages 4-7 is at 1:30 p.m. and from ages 8-10 there’s an egg hunt at 3:30 p.m. A special needs hunt starts at 2 p.m.

The live entertainment in between the egg drops will be provided by  Peter Hart with the Atlanta Puppets.

Admission to the kids zone entertainment center is $7. Food and concession proceeds benefit the Sprayberry Booster Club.

Also on Saturday, the Easter Bunny will appear at Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery at The Avenue East Cobb (4475 Roswell Road, Suite 1550) from 2-4 p.m.

 

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Report: East Cobb Chick-fil-A to close in July for renovations

Chick Fil A Woodlawn canopy rendering

Back in December we reported on expansion plans for an East Cobb Chick-fil-A store that would include a double drive-through and reconfigure the parking lot at the Woodlawn Square location (1201 Johnson Ferry Road).

That renovation will require several months to complete, according to a report published Tuesday at tonetoatl.com, which said the location will close July 9 for a complete rebuild. It is expected to reopen in November.

Interplan LLC, which operates the Woodlawn Square store, needed to get rezoning for an additional parcel .15 acres at the shopping center to accommodate the expansion request, in addition to site plan amendments approved by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

Those changes include a canopy at the drive-through order stations. The operator also agreed to limit the use of construction vehicles to the shopping center parking lot, permitting no parking on Johnson Ferry Road during the renovation project.

The double drive-through lanes will wind around the back of the Chick-fil-A, and the extra land will be used to create additional parking.

The tonetoatl.com report said a similar Chick-fil-A renovation project will take place on South Cobb Drive and will last as long.

 

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East Cobb realtor holds wine event fundraiser for World Vision

Press release:

The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team’s non-profit organization, JO Gives, hosted their second annual wine event last Friday, March 23. JO Gives is considerably involved with World Vision and this year, our goal is to raise enough money to put two water wells in Africa. The event was a huge success and $2,452 was raised in just a few hours! An auction was held where participants bidded on a sparkly bottle of brut champagne, plenty of games were played on the patio outside and a variety of wine bottles and gift sets were displayed for sale. Not only did they raise almost double the amount compared to last year, but the event also enabled the agents and staff to mingle with and familiarize themselves with current and past clients. We’ve all heard the phrase “Jesus turned water into wine”…. Well, the Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team is determined to turn wine into water.

 

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Zeal to hold celebration of life for Johnson Ferry Road accident victim

Alex Seidnitzer, the East Cobb teenager killed in a Johnson Ferry Road accident Monday, is being remembered tonight by his co-workers and employers at Zeal Kitchen and Bar, and they’re inviting anyone who knew him to attend.

The celebration of life begins at 6:30 p.m. at the restaurant (1255 Johnson Ferry Road, in the Market Plaza Shopping Center). Here’s more about Alex that Zeal management has been sharing on social media:

“Today we celebrate the life of Alex Seidnitzer (aka Sunshine). Monday morning we lost one of our most beloved and talented Chefs to a motorcycle accident. Alex had just started culinary school this past winter and was already on route to be an extraordinary chef. Words can’t describe how much we will miss his smile, his lunch specials, the always unique and creative dessert specials, and how he always lived everyday to its fullest adventures. We love you and we miss you dearly!”

Cobb Police returned to the accident scene this morning at Johnson Ferry and Lake Rill Court as they complete their investigation. They’re not expecting to file charges.

 

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Casteel Road bridge replacement approved; will cost $1.2 million

Casteel Road bridge replacement
The current bridge over Piney Grove Creek on Casteel Road. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)

A Casteel Road bridge replacement project costing $1.277 million was approved Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

The current 55-year-old bridge spanning Piney Grove Creek sits at the intersection of Casteel Road, Oak Lane and Murdock Road, and has been deemed deficient by the Cobb DOT.

It will be replaced by a wider bridge with shoulders, sidewalks and barriers on either side, and the configuration of the three-way intersection will be improved.

The contract was awarded to Tidwell Construction Co. of Douglasville, the low bid of four bids received. Most of the funding is earmarked in the 2016 Cobb SPLOST. The project is expected to be completed in 120 days of getting a notice to proceed from the county.

The commissioners also approved spending nearly $140,000 for intersection improvements at Terrell Mill Road at Brookview Road. The intersection is at the entrance of Terrell Mill Estates and a new residential development on the site of the former Shreiner Academy.

The funding also comes from the 2016 SPLOST, and the project was awarded to Excellere Construction of East Cobb.

 

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Ott town hall meeting scheduled for April 23 at SunTrust Park

If you missed Cobb commissioner Bob Ott’s town hall meeting held earlier this month at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (previous East Cobb News post here), you’ll have another chance in April.

He’s having his next town hall on Monday, April 23 from 7-8:30 p.m. at SunTrust Park. Ott’s District 2 includes the Cumberland/Vinings area as well as East Cobb, and citizens can ask about any topic pertaining to the district or the county.

Those topics figure to include the county budget, proposed library closings, transit and traffic, and the meetings tend to be lively and well-attended.

The town hall meeting will be held in the SunTrust Park Stadium Conference Room. The entrance is at the right field gate, and parking is in the red deck. The address for the deck is 2585 Circle 75 Parkway SE, Atlanta, 30339.

The Atlanta Braves open the 2018 season Thursday at SunTrust in a 4 p.m. game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

 

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Cobb schools teacher job fairs today at Wheeler, Thursday at Kennesaw Mountain HS

From the Cobb County School District: Cobb schools open on Friday

The Cobb County School District expects more than 2,000 educators to attend two upcoming job fairs open to anyone interested in certified teaching positions. The job fairs put teachers face-to-face with school administrators in a relaxed and personal setting and gives them the opportunity to talk directly about teaching and learning in a diverse and dynamic school district.

Elementary Schools Job Fair

March 27, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Wheeler High School

375 Holt Rd NE

Marietta, GA 30068

Middle and High Schools Job Fair

March 29, 2018
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Kennesaw Mountain High School

1898 Kennesaw Due West Rd NW

Kennesaw, GA 30152

Cobb County is the second largest school district in Georgia and is recognized as a premier system in which to teach, lead and learn.

“The Cobb County School District was, once again, the first district in Georgia to issue contracts for the upcoming school year,” says Kevin Kiger, Executive Director of Human Resources, “Doing so enables us to recruit and hire the best educators before anyone else. We are always seeking the finest educators who are ready to join the Cobb Family and support our vision: One Team, One Goal: Student Success.”

For more information and to start an application, interested persons can visit www.teachcobb.org.

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Grace Bunke, Walton student and U.S. Paralympic swimmer, dies after cancer battle

UPDATE: April 14 memorial service slated for Grace Bunke

Grace Bunke, a Walton High School freshman and U.S. Paralympic athlete who made her battle with cancer public, died on Sunday.

Grace would have turned 15 years old today

A post by her mother, Vicki Bunke on her daughter’s Caring Bridge page on Sunday delivered the news:

“At 1:18 in the afternoon today, Grace departed her earthly home for her eternal one. Not until the very moment that Grace took her last breath did I realize how much strength and courage it takes to leave your loved ones and face death. She held on as long as she could, and we will always cherish every minute of every day that we had together as a family of four. My heart holds so much anguish, love, and admiration for her and for Caroline. Perhaps what hurts the most is admitting that here with us was no longer the best place for Grace; but rather, there – in Heaven – is the best place.”

Grace was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer, at the age of 11. She underwent many rounds of chemotherapy, had part of a leg amputated and had two lung surgeries during her ordeal.

Grace used her illness to raise money and awareness for cancer research, through organizations like the Rally Foundation and Swim Across America. Originally a track and field athlete, she turned to swimming in 2015, training at Swim Atlanta in East Cobb, and later became a member of the Walton and U.S. Paralympic teams.

The U.S. Paralympic Swimming team offered this statement about Grace today.

Here’s what Grace wrote about her cancer battle for the Rally Foundation:

“Although it might seem to others that I am just a very small fish in a very, very big and often unforgiving sea, I can still make a difference. I can make a difference by sharing my story and raising money desperately needed for research.

“Please don’t feel sorry for me. I believe one way God loves us is to let us love others. To provide hope to others. You provide me great hope. Your generous financial support for Rally allows my life to have an impact.

“Together, we will change the outcome for kids with cancer. I am hopeful and believe that you and I, and researchers, with God’s help, will one day give all kids fighting cancer a bright, long future.”

Vicki Bunke said in her post Sunday that Grace asked that donations could be made in her honor at the 2018 Swim Across America fundraising page. All proceeds will benefit the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where Grace was treated.

 

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UPDATE: Motorcyclist dies after Johnson Ferry Road accident

East Cobb traffic alert, Johnson Ferry Road accident
East Cobb News reader photo from the accident scene on Johnson Ferry Road at Lake Rill Court.

UPDATED, Tuesday, March 27, 11 A.M.: Cobb Police said this morning the motorcyclist in Monday’s Johnson Ferry Road accident has died. He has been identified as Alexander Seidnitzer, age 18, of East Cobb.

Police said Seidnitzer was traveling southbound on Johnson Ferry Road on a gray 2015 Yamaha FZ07 motorcycle when it collided with a lawn service truck at the intersection of Lake Rill Court.

The truck, driven by Joshua Peavy, 27, of Smyrna, was attempting to turn left from Lake Rill Court onto Johnson Ferry Road northbound when the accident occurred, police said.

Seidnitzer died after being transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, according to police, who said Peavy was not injured.

Police said they do not anticipate filing charges in the accident, which is still under investigation.

Family members said Seidnitzer was aiming to be a chef and attend culinary school (see comments below).

UPDATED, 1:50 P.M. Monday

Officer Wayne Delk of the Cobb County Police Department said a motorcyclist collided with a landscaping truck at the intersection of Johnson Ferry Road and Lake Rill Court late Monday morning.

The motorcyclist, who was not identified, was taken by ambulance from the accident scene with life-threatening injuries, Delk said. The accident occurred shortly before 10 a.m.

All northbound lanes of Johnson Ferry Road were closed between Roswell Road and Bishop Lake Road while the accident was being investigated, according to police, and only one southbound lane of Johnson Ferry was open during that time. All traffic lanes reopened around 1:40 p.m., Cobb Police said.

Delk said initial information from the accident scene indicates that the motorcyclist may be at fault.

We have received photos from a reader, including above, who was caught in the traffic jam, and who also told us this:

” . . . really sad, it was a young person on the blue motorcycle and the man driving the Arbornomics truck was so distraught and crying by the side of the road.”

We’ve also received dashcam footage from Mohamad Zakaria, who was traveling southbound on Johnson Ferry when the motorcyclist zoomed past him. Zakaria, who was heading to classes at Georgia Perimeter College, was traveling around 45 mph, the posted local speed limit.

ORIGINAL POST, 11:49 A.M. Monday

Cobb DOT is asking motorists to consider an alternative to using Johnson Ferry Road at Lake Rill Court, just north of Roswell Road, due to an accident that’s causing heavy delays.

The accident is affecting traffic in both north and southbound lanes, but that’s all the information that’s available for now.

UPDATED, 1:14 P.M.: Johnson Ferry Road traffic at that intersection is shut down until at least 2 p.m.

Lake Rill Court is the entrance to a neighborhood on the same side of Johnson Ferry as the Sunrise at East Cobb senior living facility, and just a little north of it.

We’ll update this story when we get more information.

 

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EDITOR’S NOTE: A different tone to East Cobb community activism

Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center, East Cobb community activism

Is there change in the air about the way East Cobb community activism is being carried out these days? Some recent events have represented something of a departure.

Toward the end of a meeting this week about the Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center, a young woman walked down an aisle at the Sprayberry High School theater holding up high a pink sign that said simply in black letters: “We Need Change.”

She panned the sign around the room, a packed house of around 500 citizens who attended to press for the removal of a decades-long eyesore in their community. Others brought their signs too, and raised them to applause.

This was no usual East Cobb citizens gathering, which often consists of a garden variety town-hall meeting, or a zoning matter that springs nearby homeowners into strenuous opposition.

The issue wasn’t about closing libraries or imposing fees to use senior services, actions which we know gets East Cobbers worked up into a passionate, often angry lather.

There was a different energy in the room at Sprayberry. Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell admitted the turnout surpassed her town-hall meetings. Joe Glancy, a resident who created a Facebook group and organized Wednesday’s citizens’ meeting around the Sprayberry Crossing issue, was encouraged by the general civility of his fellow citizens in their online forums.

Yet the feeling of restlessness and frustration was noticeable when elected officials and county staffers explained the limited measures available to force the property owner to clean up a run-down shopping center that’s become a haven for criminal activity.

When they admitted a new “blight tax” would yield a fine of only $17,000, the groans in the room were palpable. After more than 20 years of futile protests to force something to happen with a dilapidated retail center, many in the room sensed that their efforts were far from being resolved.

A meeting that was considered a good “first step” was still simmering with a desire for change. I was taken aback at seeing the “We Need Change” sign, something associated with zealous social and political protests. Something like this, just to get rid of an old shopping center? Really?

It’s the kind of sign you might see at a Tea Party rally, a Black Lives Matter protest, among Trump voters on a campaign stop, and teenagers responding to the latest school massacre.

When I saw the “We Need Change” sign, I immediately thought of the East Cobb high school students who organized walkouts a couple weeks ago to honor the shooting victims in Parkland, Fla., and to demand changes in gun laws.

Earlier on Wednesday, I had been in touch with some of them about their punishments for ignoring Cobb County School District opposition to their protests, on safety and school-day disruption grounds.

Most received one-day in-school suspensions, fairly light disciplinary action given the strong threats issued against the walkouts. None of them had lost their stridency in lashing out at school officials they accused of smothering their free-speech rights, and they were getting ready for Saturday’s March for Our Lives events in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

These are kids who take honors classes at Walton, Pope, Lassiter, Wheeler and other schools, are getting ready for college, and who are in every sense model students. While the district’s desire to keep students safe is understandable, I think a rare opportunity to teach a valuable civics lesson was lost.

Instead of recognizing a potentially striking moment in our nation’s history about school violence, district leaders threw the rule book at them. These students weren’t protesting bad cafeteria food, too much homework or the usual school gripes.

Whatever you think about their gun-control demands—which I’m skeptical of because the problem with these shootings is much deeper than firearms—these students deserved a better response to their concerns than suppression and silence.

Consider the young lives of these students. They weren’t yet born when Columbine happened. They were in grade school when Sandy Hook took place. Now, on the verge of young adulthood, and in the wake of the murders of 14 fellow students and three teachers at a suburban high school very much like their own, they’re told they better not interrupt classes or else.

My nephew, who’s also in high school in Florida, made the good point to me the other day when he wondered why those students demanding safety would walk out to a potentially vulnerable place on their campus, like a football stadium.

His school allowed the walkouts, but he chose to stay in class. Like his aunt, he’s not inclined to protest. The stridency of the national walkout forces has often been severe, tainted with ugly, partisan political rhetoric. I’ve found some of it quite startling.

There are those who accuse these young people, not old enough to vote, of being used by adults with an agenda. While I don’t agree with them on gun-control, to reduce this youthful idealism to such adult cynicism is one of the problems with our public discourse.

Instead of being encouraged for their willingness to get involved in public life, they’re patronized for expressing differing views on a divisive issue. What about the Walton students who organized a pre-school event on the walkout day, approved by school administrators, with no mention of gun-control? I would never suggest they’re also being used, although they are leaders of established student organizations.

As I head into middle age, I sense we’re on the cusp of tremendous generational change in our society. Too many people of my Baby Boom generation, and especially those holding political power, want to maintain the status quo. Or profess they can do nothing about rather mundane things, like plow over a decaying shopping center that citizens have been complaining about for decades.

What these young people will find out when they are old enough to vote, and get fully involved, is what many heard about Sprayberry Crossing the other night, from people they elect, and pay, to solve their problems: There’s only so much they can do.

We have seen teenage high school students and middle-age and older homeowners in East Cobb taking civic action into their own hands. They want change. While that can easily become a cliché, it’s not all that different from other political and social causes in recent years, left, right and otherwise.

They are borne out of frustration, anger, fear and a sense that the way things are now are not the way they should be, and that cannot be sustained. They are citizens galvanized to demand that those in power not just respond to their concerns, but actively advocate for them.

The outcome of their recent events may not have fully turned out the way they had in mind, but it was quite refreshing to see all this unfold in a community that isn’t accustomed to such displays of vocal dissent.

 

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Community meetings start Monday for Johnson Ferry-Shallowford development issues

On Monday Cobb government officials will hold the first of three community meetings over the next couple of months to outline what they’re calling a “small area plan” for Johnson Ferry-Shallowford development issues.

The first meeting is slated from 7-9 p.m. Monday at Chestnut Ridge Christian Church (2663 Johnson Ferry Road). That will the site for additional meetings on April 16 and May 8, also in the same time slot.

The area indicated in the map above is called JOSH, and it’s to be a supplement to the Cobb 2040 Comprehensive Plan to address anticipated development issues in the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford corridor.

The departments involved in JOSH planning include community development, planning, parks and recreation, and the Cobb Water System’s stormwater division.

Here’s more about JOSH and what county officials are asking for in terms of public feedback:

The purpose of JOSH is to provide guidance to the Board of Commissioners regarding policy and decisions pertaining to land use, design guidelines, parks, greenspace facilities and infrastructure. 

It will focus will focus on five key elements: future land use, design guidelines, stormwater management, parks and greenspace, and transportation. Due to anticipated growth, new development and redevelopment, future land use will be a key focal point of the study. Issues and concerns will be identified by community members and addressed through the concept plan and implementation recommendations.

The JOSH plan will be developed in part by way of an extensive public participation program. A stakeholder group has been established, consisting of key individuals representing a variety of groups and organizations. Stakeholders include neighborhood/civic groups and business/commercial representatives. In addition to the Stakeholder Group, the project team will facilitate three community meetings to engage the public in defining problems and concerns and identifying their desires for the future of the JOSH community.

 

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East Cobb Business Notes: Tropical Smoothie, Nancy’s Vintage Shop opening soon

Some East Cobb business notes below include opening events taking place over the next couple of weeks.

A new Tropical Smoothie Café location opens a week from today, March 30, at the Sandy Plains Centre Shopping Center (2960 Shallowford Road, Suite 102), and is giving away free smoothies to the first 50 guests when it first opens its doors at 7 a.m. Other discounts on smoothies will follow during the day.

More opening day details can be found on its Facebook page.

Also on the menu are wraps, sandwiches and flatbreads. The new location is operated by Meritage Restaurant Group, a local company that has two other Tropical Smoothies in Cobb and Cherokee.

Tropical Smoothie has more than 600 locations nationwide.

********

On April 7, Nancy’s Vintage Shop will open at 1050 East Piedmont Road, Suite 102. That’s in the Piedmont Commons Shopping Center (a Publix is located there), right across from the McCleskey-East Cobb YMCA.

The opening-day events last from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the first 25 guests will receive a free, reusable tote bag and 15 percent off their initial purchase.

The owner is Nancy Joy Hartung, who tells us she’s a former corporate web analyst, and that her store includes vintage goods from the 1950s to the 1990s.

For more information, visit NancysVintageShop.com or follow NancysVintageShop on Instagram and Facebook.

 

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EAST COBB WEEKEND EVENTS: Cobb PARKS Egg hunt; Daniell Craft Show; AJO4 LAX Fest; Furry Friends Run and more

Easter and a full slate of Holy Week events are just around the corner, and on Saturday the Cobb PARKS Egg Hunt kicks it off. It’s one of several mostly outdoor community events taking place in and around East Cobb over the weekend, and here’s more on what’s on tap:Cobb PARKS Egg Hunt

  • Cobb PARKS Egg Hunt goes from 10-1 Saturday at the Al Bishop Softball Complex (1082 Al Bishop Drive), and it’s free and family-friendly. In addition to age-group egg hunts, kids and their parents can take part in art activities, live music and entertainment, food, a hula-hoop contest and a tug-of-war. All you’re asked to bring are your own baskets;
  • On Saturday, it’s an all-day lacrosse extravaganza the Pope High School stadium (3001 Hembree Road) in honor of a former Greyhounds playert. The return of the AJ04 LAX Fest and Fundraiser starts at 10 a.m. with a game involving Walton, and continues with the final match of the day, Pope vs. Blessed Trinity, at 8 p.m. Lassiter is playing at 2 p.m. during the event, which is raising money for the Andrew Oswalt Foundation, which works to help young people make good decisions, especially behind the wheel. It’s been 12 years since he died in a car accident, and Saturday’s admission ($7 for adults, $3 for youths 12 and under) will also include a raffle;
  • The Furry Friends Run 5K debuts Saturday at 8 a.m. at Sope Creek Elementary School (3320 Paper Mill Road), and it’s a Peachtree Road Race qualifier. The Furry Friends of Sope Creek say you can bring a dog, as long as it’s on a leash and friendly. Games, food and other activities will follow, including dog adoptions;
  • Another new community event is the J.J. Daniell Middle School PTSA Arts & Crafts Show, which goes from 9-5 Saturday at the school (2900 Scott Road). Admission is free, and they’re billing the event as a great way to get a head start on spring, Easter and Mothers’ and Father’s Day shopping;
  • If the fine arts suit you, The Art Place-Mountain View (3330 Sandy Plains Road) is staging Murder at Cafe Noir Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. It’s the Mountain View Arts Alliance’s production of David Landau’s comic tribute to Humphrey Bogart films, and it’s done in dinner-style format, with pasta, salad and desserts included in the $25 ticket price. The doors open at 7 and the show starts at 7:30 both nights.

Check out East Cobb’s best calendar listings for more things to do and enjoy, this weekend and beyond. Did we miss anything? Do you have an event to share with the community? Send it us, and we’ll post it! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com.

Have a great weekend!

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As walkout suspensions are issued, East Cobb students learn their fate

East Cobb students, walkout
Parents, friends and family members of Walton students offered support during the March 14 walkout. (East Cobb News photo)

Cobb County School District high schools are beginning to issue suspensions for students who participated in National Walkout Day last week. Some East Cobb students say they’re still waitng to hear what there punishment will be.

Kara Litwin, organizer of the walkout at Pope High School, told East Cobb News Wednesday that she and others who walked out are receiving a day of in-school suspension on Monday.

Walton walkout leaders said the estimated 260 students at their school who walked out will receive a day of ISS on Tuesday.

Cobb schools did not support the walkout and said students who left their classes in a gun-control protest would be subject to disciplinary action under the district’s student code of conduct. Those actions would be left up to individual school principals.

Related coverage

Hannah Andress, the Lassiter leader, told us Wednesday night her administration hasn’t announced any punishment. She thinks it’s also going to be a day of what’s referred to as ISS. Instead of attending classes, students will gather in what’s essentially a day-long study hall. She also told us this:

“I want something like assigned community service for the younger participants so, when the apply to college, they don’t have to explain ISS on their record. But I’m willing to take any punishment if it means getting my message across.”

We also heard from Josh Spear, a student at Harrison High School in West Cobb, who said his school also has issued one day of ISS that he will be serving on Friday. “However,” he added, “I will fight to ensure that the school district pays for the violation of students’ first amendment rights.”

We’ll update this story as we get more information about forthcoming punishments.

 

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Residents urged to ‘stay engaged’ during Sprayberry Crossing meeting

Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center
East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker

Several hundred Northeast Cobb residents living near the run-down Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center turned out Wednesday night to hear county and elected officials sympathize with their plight to rid their community of a long-standing eyesore.

Although they explained an ongoing process to get the property owner to comply with a new “blight tax” ordinance and urged the citizens to keep applying public pressure, some in attendance in the theater at Sprayberry High School weren’t always satisfied with the answers they got.

That’s because they were told that despite their frustrations, the property owner, NAI Brannen Goddard, can’t be forced to sell the 17 acres at 2692 Sandy Plains Road that has sat nearly vacant for the last two decades.

JoAnn Birrell, Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center.
Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell

“We have tried to market this property for years,” District 3 Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell told the standing-room-only crowd. “The owners have property rights. We can’t force them to sell. But we can enforce the code.”

Commercial property owners cites for substandard properties under the new ordinance, passed last fall by the commissioners, could be subject to seven times the county general fund millage rate value of their properties.

Some residents groaned when they heard that the maximum NAI Brannen Goddard could be taxed is $17,000. That’s because of the eight parcels making up Sprayberry Crossing, only one of them, the site of a long-closed bowling alley, would be subject to the blight tax. Its assessed value is around $367,000.

But it’s an involved process, ultimately requiring a court ruling to assess the tax. Cobb community development director Dana Johnson said that process is about halfway through.

Dana Johnson, Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center
Cobb community development director Dana Johnson: “There is no code for ugly. I wish there was.”

For now, only the bowling alley land is eligible for blight tax action since criminal activity has been documented. Johnson said dozens of law enforcement calls have been made in recent years to the site at the back of the Sprayberry Crossing site, and alleged gang activity also has taken place there.

The four other buildings on the property remain much as they did after the retail center began losing tenants in the 1990s, especially a Bruno’s supermarket.

A few businesses are there, but the parking lot is riddled with potholes, walls and doors have holes in them and power lines have come down.

The property owner was invited to attend the meeting Wednesday but did not show up.

Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center

Resident Lynn Palazzo asked Birrell how the county could impose something more than “marginal compliance” after so many years. She also asked what the community’s options are as the blight tax process is underway.

“Your options are to stay engaged and keep doing what you’re doing tonight,” Birrell said.

Palazzo responded that “none of that appears to be working,” and the crowd erupted with applause. Birrell reminded her that the ordinance is still new.

Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce, who said he has toured the former bowling alley and “I understand what your concerns are,” said the county has to be careful in what it says publicly with ongoing negotiations.

“Your community voice makes a huge difference,” he said. “Why it hasn’t happened in this case, I have no idea.”

Joe Glancy, a resident who started the Sprayberry Crossing Action Facebook Group 14 months ago to galvanize public action, said NAI Brannen Goddard is a well-connected, savvy real estate firm that is waiting to sell to maximize its investment.

The property owner, Glancy said, has chosen to be “selective” in what is shared with the community. He urged his fellow citizens “to make life a little more difficult for the property owner.

Joe Glancy, Sprayberry Crossing Action Facebook group
Joe Glancy: “It is up to all of us to make everyone involved uncomfortable until this is resolved.”

“How do we engage them and make them want to be done with us and move on?”

Birrell said she met with a potential developer of the property in 2015 and “was ready to close” on a deal that would require rezoning. But NAI Brannen Goddard, she said, “wouldn’t sell.”

The county has estimated that Sprayberry Crossing has a current estimated value of $3.4 million. When a resident asked if the county would “just buy the land” for a public park, he told her it’s unlikely that would happen in a commercial area with high real estate value, and stated a figure estimated between $14 million and $17 million.

When he quipped that citizens should raise the money, a man walked up to the front of the theater holding up a dollar bill and gave it to Glancy, as the crowd broke out in laughter.

Also complicating the Sprayberry Crossing property is that a cemetery is located there. Associate county attorney Debbie Blair spelled out another laborious process for identifying next of kin of those buried there, as well as two public hearings before any exhumations and relocations can occur. Sandy Plains Baptist Church has offered to provide perpetual care.

Glancy was at his most adamant when explaining that NAI Brannen Goddard understandably wants to sell the land with the cemetery issue resolved.

However, he said, “they bought a shopping center that had a cemetery in it. . . They cannot be excused for using that as an excuse for not selling the property.

“It is up to all of us to make everyone involved uncomfortable until this is resolved.”

Johnson said “remediation” discussions with the property owner are continuing, but declined to elaborate. If terms cannot be worked out, he, said, the county attorney’s office would prepare to go to court for a blight tax ruling.

“There is no code for ugly,” he said. “I wish there was.”

 

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Lassiter parents organize ‘For the Love of Music 5K’ to help band members attended Roses parade

We’ve posted here earlier about fundraisers conducted by Lassiter parents for the band’s 2019 trip to the Tournament of Roses Parade. One of those parents, Tim Pattison, has been in touch with us to say they’re holding a 5K race next month to help three band members who need financial assistance for the trip. The cost estimate is about $3,000 a student.

He says they’re holding the For the Love of Music 5K, a virtual race being held anytime between April 29 and May 12. There are full details posted on a website and Facebook page, but here’s what Tim told us about what they need to make this work for each of the three students.

“We need 500 runners to meet our goal, anything past that we are donating to help any of the other band kids whose parents might need financial help. Feel free to share this with anyone else or with other running groups, we can use all the help we can get!”

There’s also an event page on Facebook that further explains this fundraising drive.

 

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Rezoning proposal for Olde Towne townhomes put on hold

Olde Towne townhomes
The current office building at 5000 Olde Towne Parkway (East Cobb News photo)

A rezoning request that would allow townhomes in the Olde Towne development is being delayed by the Cobb Board of Commissioners. They voted 5-0 this morning to continue the case at the request of the developer, Pulte Home Corp., to continue working on the proposal.

Pulte wants to build a John Wieland Homes community of 43 townhomes on 4.1 acres at 5000 Olde Towne Parkway. That’s where an office building currently stands, and it’s been the Olde Towne Athletic Club and the new Northside Hospital medical complex at Olde Towne and Johnson Ferry Road.

The Cobb Planning Commission voted earlier this month to approve the application by a 3-1 vote, but not after a long discussion about density, traffic and a heavy amount of impervious surfaces.

Also on Tuesday, Cobb commissioners voted to delay another East Cobb zoning proposal in the Powers Ferry Road corridor. An application by Ashton Atlanta would rezone nearly 6 acres on Windy Hill Road and Wildwood Parkway for 67 homes.

It’s a request that has been delayed several times before, and is being opposed by some nearby residents.

Also being delayed, and not for the first time, is a request by Oak Hall Companies to rezone 55 acres of low-density residential land on Wigley Road near Summit Top Road for 85 single-family homes.

Another continuance involves an application by Loyd Development Services to convert six acres on Shallowford Road near Shallow Ridge Drive from low-density residential for 20 single-family homes. Density also is an issue.

Another East Cobb case that was removed from Tuesday’s agenda was a withdrawal by Duncan Land Investments to rezone three acres on Piedmont Road at Cajun Drive for eight single-family homes after the planning commission recommended denial.

The commissioners approved a request by Green Park PCH for a 32-bed personal-care home on Sandy Plains Road north of Ebenezer Road.

 

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