Marietta City Council please DENY Z 2022-29 Beazer Homes
Marietta City Council please DENY Z 2022-29 Beazer Homes
Why this petition matters
Jan 15, 2023 —
On Wednesday January 11th the Marietta City Council approved the Beazer application by a vote of 6-0 with Councilman Chalfant absent.
At the time of the hearing our petition had 392 signatures and we now have 411. Thank you all for signing and for your comments. Thanks especially to those who attended the meeting.
The speakers were Carol Brown (Canton Road Neighbors), Tullan Avard (Bells Ferry Civic), John McColl, resident of subdivision adjacent to the Montgomery property on the north side, Carla Jenkins, resident of Barrington next to Montgomery property on the south side.
The Council members appear to have made up their minds to approve the application well before the Council meeting so the hearing was a formality required by Georgia Zoning Procedures Act. There were three parts to the application: the rezoning, the annexation and the land use change. We spoke in opposition to all three.
The approval will not be final until 30 days after the hearing or on February 10, There is the possibility of an appeal to Cobb Superior Court. This could further tie up the Beazer zoning. There may be some potentially large roadblocks in the near future in plan review and with storm water management issues involving the County-owned Laura Lake and dam, which will be restored and rebuilt. The land is tied up in a Conservation easement until the end of 2023 and that limits what could take place during that period.
Here is a link to the Marietta Council Video:
Zoning starts 35:35 with Attorney Moore
Community response starts @ 58:00
Annexation starts 1:31:00
Here is a link to the MDJ article picked up by Yahoo
https://news.yahoo.com/marietta-oks-sprawling-600-home-233400137.html
Thank you for taking the time to attend, send email and sign the petition. You did your bit. Unfortunately when it comes to local government in the City or County, your wishes fall on deaf ears too often.
It is important to keep engaging in these issues and when election rolls around, vote the unresponsive politicians out.
If new developments occur I will reopen the petition and send out an update.
Please stay in touch and stay active. you can find us at www.cantonroadneighbors.org and at www.bellsferrycivic.org
CRN email is cantonroadneighbors@gmail.com
Carol Brown
Canton Road Neighbors, Inc.
Dec 13, 2022 —
The City of Marietta tabled (continued) the Beazer rezoning and annexation case (Z 2022-29) due to the ongoing arbitration. It will not be heard on Wednesday the 14th. The next time the case could be heard would be at the January meeting, assuming the arbitration has been completed.
I spoke in Public Comment at the Board of Commissioner's meeting today regarding the opportunity the pause in this case gives to the City and County. The applicant (Beazer) could greatly improve the site plan to comply with the requirements of the PRD-SF zoning. The County could consider discussion with the owners and with Beazer to acquire some greenspace to add to the 61 acres they now own, on the west side of the lake.
While this possibility is a longshot, what if the entire property could be programmed for funding through a Parks Bond referendum, or as a greenway/trails project in the 2024 SPLOST?
The point is, this case has been paused, rather than rushed through and it gives all involved a chance to take a 2nd look and see what options there are to make better choices on this last large parcel of greenspace in NE Cobb County.
We hope that the Applicant and the County are up to the challenge.
The link below is to the video of the Marietta City Planning Commission meeting on December 6. The Beazer case starts at 26:40 into the video
The Planning Commission tied at 3-3 on rezoning, annexation and land use. It advanced to the Council with no recommendation.
These are ideas worth pursuing and now we have a little time. This is the last large property on the east side of I-75 and it has a lot of potential.
It never hurts to explore ideas and to dream of what might be possible. That is how the public acquired Hyde Farm, Bullard Farm and the Tritt property.
We owe it to City and County residents and especially young people to at least make the effort.
As always, updates will be made as needed.
Seasons Greetings!
Carol Brown, MRP, Canton Road Neighbors, Inc.
Z 2022-29 Beazer Homes LLC is asking the City of Marietta to annex and rezone 175 acres on the west side of Bells Ferry Rd. south of Piedmont. It is the Montgomery property which in the past was Rockridge Stable and later, Rockridge Forest Preserve & Wildlife Refuge. Beazer is asking for 596 homes. The Marietta Planning Commission will hear the case on Tuesday December 6 at 6 pm at City Hall on Lawrence St.
This is the largest and most significant potential development in NE Cobb (and the City) since the Sprayberry Crossing Mixed use development. Z-29 is greenfield with environmentally sensitive areas, streams, potentially some Civil War trenches, inadequate road capacity and a poor site design. It will affect many people in neighborhoods near it.
A development of this scale served only by Bells Ferry, a narrow, congested two lane road, will have significant impact on multiple neighborhoods within a radius of several miles. Residents of Unincorporated Cobb who live on the east side of Bells Ferry have particular concerns about the staff suggestion that “The wider street network: the development could be connected via Laura Lake Road, which ultimately connects to Canton Road and to Piedmont Road (via Cajun Drive). This could potentially relieve traffic proposed to funnel only onto Bells Ferry Road.”
The traffic study estimates a daily trip volume of 4,622 trips.
The best arguments against the application and site plan (as drafted) are made by the City’s professional staff.
We note some of the comments in bullet point form below:
“Review of the development plans revealed the following, however, which do not satisfy the intention of PRD-SF zoning:
• “Open space” appears to have been created simply by “space leftover after planning” rather than intentionally designed.
• Natural resources have not played a prominent role in shaping the development proposal.
• The only identified historic resource – a cemetery – is a roadside monument, given just enough space to be preserved in the midst of a row of 27 houses.
• The preponderance of dead-ends, cul-de-sacs, and extremely long, straight roadways does not create a welcoming environment for the pedestrian, does not include traffic calming, nor does it meet the goal of reducing vehicle trips.
• A pool amenity area is featured in the plan but falls short of meeting the recreation amenities required by code.
• The development does not connect to the surrounding area except for at two points on Bells Ferry.
An active recreation feature is required by PRD-SF zoning, which the pool would satisfy. However, code mandates that recreation features be within 300 feet of 75% of homes. The only proposed recreation amenity – a pool – does not in itself meet code requirements. “
A recreation area of 12 acres is required but only 6.8 acres is shown on the plan.
Transportation
“Based upon the plans that were timely submitted, Engineering comments are as follows:
• Access streets should align with existing alignments across Bells Ferry. A traffic study will be needed to evaluate dedicated turn lanes, accel/decel lanes, signal and or roundabout warrants. Cost sharing for right of way improvements may be required.
• Staff has serious concerns for the lack of points of access and the “drag strip style” long straight streets (done to increase lot yield) versus incorporating meandering streets that offer traffic calming and aesthetic appeal. Long straight street segments without sinuosity will require future traffic calming at the City's expense, using SPLOST funds, should the proposed layout be approved.
Fire
•This project represents significant impact to the existing fire district and supporting services. A fire station may need to be added to serve these new customers.
Sanitation
• The City will need to add one (1) new dedicated sanitation route at an estimated cost to the City of $500,000.”
The Planner has correctly noted that this application does not meet the intent of the PRD-SF in many ways. Regarding green space – there is an opportunity here to ask the developer to dedicate a significant portion of the tracts as public greenspace, to The City of Marietta, to add to the 61 acres of greenspace now owned by Cobb County. This in turn could connect to the recreational Skip Wells Park. A good design which preserves greenspace, is pedestrian friendly and creates the feeling of a traditional neighborhood, benefits the entire community. This application does not do any of these things.
On behalf of thousands of residents who will potentially be impacted by this poorly thought out application, we the undersigned ask that you require Beazer Homes LLC to redesign the plan to meet the spirit and intent of the PRD SF ordinance.
If they will not comply, we respectfully ask that the Planning Commission recommend DENIAL of Z 2022-29.
Respectfully submitted,
Carol Brown, M.R.P. Canton Road Neighbors, Inc.
Board of Bells Ferry Civic Association
Ruben Mateos, President Briarfield Xing HOA
Bill and Kathy Sims, Huntington Woods Subdivision