LAST WEEK: SHOULD COBB, MARIETTA REVISE HOW THEY PICK SPLOST PROJECTS?
Cobb and Marietta residents have two more opportunities to speak before the Cobb and Marietta Boards of Education before they vote on not only holding a March 21 referendum on the Ed-SPLOST V but also the final project list for 2019 to 2023. Those meetings will be Oct. 18 for Marietta (marietta-city.org) and Oct. 27 for Cobb (cobbk12.org). If approved by voters in the spring, the continuation of the one-cent tax is expected to bring $759 for the Cobb County School District and $67 million for Marietta City Schools.
We asked readers what they thought about the way these school projects for replacement or improvement are selected. Here are some responses:
Cobb County = corruption. They listen to rich corporations like the Braves, we the people, rarely. — Tom Painter
My understanding, from the community meeting with (Cobb Board of Education member David) Morgan, is Harmony Leland Elementary School is already on the list, contingent on the outcome of the SPLOST vote in the spring. — Hui Chin Smith
Harmony Leland, King Springs and Eastvalley all made the cut for new buildings, per Cobb County Website. A new middle school was approved for Smyrna/South Cobb area but exact location to be determined. Campbell and Pebblebrook are getting several facility enhancements. — Jamaal Reed
Just be sure to vote Yes for the SPLOST in the spring. Otherwise, these schools will not be built. — Patty McSweeney Yohn
— Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Property taxes are soon coming due in Fayette and the county recently reported that assessed home values are generally up from recent years, which is good for the revenue base. But another factor in the Fayette housing market isn’t just new and more development, it’s also the different kinds of housing that are starting to diversify the local market.
The largest residential development pending is the Pinewood Forrest mixed-use plan slated to add 1,200 housing units, alongside hotels, offices and retail space. Site owner and Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy called it part of the “new urbanism …sweeping our country.”
Just west of Fayetteville’s historic downtown, Charter Development is building Lafayette Square, a 210-unit luxury apartment complex that is radically different from the existing single-family developments nearby.
Peachtree City is adding several large subdivisions in Wilksmoor Village along the city’s western edge. Now under construction, those developments will include 679 homes in The Everton at Wilksmoor, 204 at Parkside at Everton, and 675 age-restricted homes at Cresswind of Peachtree City.
Near McIntosh High School, 80 luxury condos called The Lofts at Lexington are planned for construction next year. The development was approved by the City Council in part because upscale condos are a type of residence not found elsewhere in the city, and are designed to appeal to residents who want to downsize but stay near familiar amenities.
More traditional single-family developments will be coming to Fayette pending the usual zoning approvals by the county board of commissioners. However, there has been considerable pushback regarding density levels in more rural parts of the county, and concerns about traffic in the already busy municipalities.
So for those who already live or are considering living in Fayette County, are you happy with the number and types of residential options available, or do you favor one type of development over another? Let us know at communitynews@ajc.com.
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