Cobb groups advocating for more formal ‘neighborhoods’
Atlanta is known for its distinct neighborhoods - Virginia Highland, Buckhead, Sweet Auburn - where residents have a direct influence on city planning and quality of life. But could a similar model work in suburban Cobb, where neighborhoods are more defined by homeowners associations than cross streets?
At least one group of Cobb residents thinks it’s worth a try.
Canton Road Neighbors, a nonprofit civic group based in the northeast part of the county, wants Cobb commissioners to adopt a “neighborhood notification” program, where communities voluntarily draw geographic boundaries and register with the county, making them eligible to receive regular communications on rezonings and other issues. The neighborhoods would be listed on the county’s website, along with contact information for the local leaders.
The goal is to increase awareness about rezoning, planning and neighborhood issues and give residents a clearer way to respond, said Carol Brown, president and co-founder of Canton Road Neighbors.
“If you look at the number of existing groups and individuals who regularly engage in planning and zoning issues in the county, it’s probably fewer than a dozen — and look at the size of Cobb’s population,” she said. “This would help foster a better sense of place, more cohesion in the community and it may engage more people in neighborhood watch programs, litter control and planning issues.”
Brown is meeting with commissioners individually and expects to present the idea at a public meeting sometime this summer. Some commissioners, including JoAnn Birrell, who represents the Canton Road area, say they want to know more about the proposal, like whether additional staff would be needed and how much it would cost.
The idea is based on a similar program created in 2005 in Athens-Clarke County. Athens officials say it has been a successful way to communicate with the public. A new staff position was created when the program was approved, said Melanie Graham, an Athens-Clarke County planner. Athens didn’t provide an annual cost for the program, but a 2005 agenda item estimated the expense between $56,933 and $79,700.
The city of Atlanta has a more formal structure called Neighborhood Planning Units. Applications for rezonings and other land-use permits are required to go before one of the 25-resident councils, which makes a non-binding recommendation to the mayor and city council, said Jane Rawlings, president of the unit that represents neighborhoods including Morningside/Lenox Park and Virginia Highland.
Atlanta established the structure in 1974 to get information and encourage participation by residents.
“I think it brings transparency to the process,” Rawlings said. “And if it means an extra administrative burden on the applicant, I would think any reputable applicant would take on that small burden to be a good neighbor and a participant in a transparent process.”
Commissioner Bob Ott, who represents parts of Smyrna and East Cobb, said he’ll reserve his opinion until he learns more about the proposal, but said that in his district, many of the these notification practices already happen.
Ott requires developers to meet with homeowners groups before zoning hearings to discuss things like traffic and storm water patterns, “so there are no surprises, and the project doesn’t deliver to the community what wasn’t promised,” he said.
