BOC to Vote on Minor Review Board for Mableton Redevelopment District

The Cobb Board of Commissioners is expected to take another step in the realization of the Mableton Redevelopment District,by voting on the creation of a "warrant" review board for the district. 

The district's new form-based code will allow for the creation of a town center area in Mableton that accommodates seniors and creates a sense of place. Within the new district, the nucleus of Mableton would be the town square, which essentially would be the area that incorporates the post office on Floyd Road, the Mable House complex including the Barnes Amphitheatre and the South Cobb Library.

The creation of the "warrant" board, which consists of two community development staff members, one water development staff member and two transportation department staff members, is part of the board's consent agenda for its 9 a.m. regular meeting at 100 Cherokee St. in Marietta.

“I wouldn’t call it a zoning panel, actually,” Dana Johnson, planning division manager, told South Cobb Patch on Monday.

All zoning issues “that fit the spirit but not the rule” of the redevelopment districtwould come before the review board, which consists of county department professionals as well as two citizens from Mableton.

“Items that impact the scale and intensity of the community” would go directly to the board of commissioners for approval, said Johnson.

However, the smaller variance issues that do not “impact the spirit of the code that the board approved,” would be sent to the warrant board, said Johnson.

Johnson said the county is currently “trying to make sure we have our internal processes in place” so that when the private sector decides to act, they are prepared.

“The private sector is going to do what the private sector does…This is one of the steps you have to take,” Johnson said.