Cobb debates land uses along Chattahoochee

By MARY LOU PICKEL

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Plans to change the industrial nature of south Cobb County along the Chattahoochee River have softened in the wake of protests from industrial property owners.

While the county had envisioned a gradual fading away of heavy industries from the riverfront, to be replaced by walking trails, shops and townhomes, the county’s plan now recognizes that industry won’t leave the area.

At a meeting Monday night, the county explained revisions to the River Line Master Plan to about 50 people, including some residents and many business owners.

“The whole tone of the document has been altered to reflect coexistence between the existing industrial property owners and future users,” said Dana Johnson, Cobb County’s planning division manager. Industrial property owners thanked him for that.

Truck traffic will continue along Riverview Road, which is a two-lane road that hugs the Chattahoochee, passing demolition recycling businesses, a pallet yard, metal recycling and a recently built athletic field complex for private prep school Pace Academy.

Riverview Road needs work, said Johnson. It needs curbs and gutters to help existing business owners, and if residents were to move into the area, the road would need a makeover and safety improvements, he said.

Perhaps one of the fundamental changes to the plan is that it no longer envisions an uninterrupted walking trail along the river. Instead, the idea would be for trails that skirt some of the heavy industry along the waterfront and lead into wooded, more residential areas, Johnson said.

Developer Green Street Properties bought 86 acres near the river recently, in the industrial area, with the idea of building a complex of townhomes, shops and offices similar to its Glenwood Park project near Grant Park.

Stephen Arms, who is a partner with Green Street, said he agrees with the changes to the plan. “We want to be good neighbors,” Arms said.

Dennis Hayes, a Mableton resident who supports improvements to the river for more parks and recreation, wishes there could be a long trail along the river, but said the plan is “realistic.”