Continuance until July requested on zoning hearing for controversial medical office building on Atlanta Road

Cobb County government building in article about rental assistanceCobb County government building (photo by Larry Felton Johnson)

A continuance until July has been requested on a controversial rezoning for the purpose of building a medical office building on Atlanta Road at Cumberland Parkway.

The Cobb County Board of Commissioners was scheduled to hear the case at its regular monthly zoning meeting tomorrow, Tuesday June 16.

The approval of the project had been recommended by county staff and the Cobb County Planning Commission.

The applicant is Branch Acquisitions LLC, and if built, the medical office building will be part of the Northside Hospital system. The case number is Z-24-2020.

The attorney for the applicant,Kevin Moore,sent an email to Cobb Zoning Division Manager John Peterson requesting the delay.

Moore wrote in the email:

Based on the request of Commissioner Bob Ott, please accept this email correspondence as the request of the Applicant and Property Owner in the above-referenced rezoning application (Z-24) to continue the application from the Board of Commissioners’ Zoning Hearing scheduled for June 16th to the next regularly scheduled Board of Commissioners’ Zoning Hearing on July 21st.  Pursuant to my discussion with Commissioner Ott, there are typographical errors, factual inaccuracies and other potential errors that are contained within the zoning documents, which he has requested be clarified and/or corrected prior to a public hearing before the Board of Commissioners so that all information presented, heard, and considered by the Board can be accurate. 

The Applicant is agreeable; and therefore, respectfully requests the Board of Commissioners approve this request to continue the application for the reasons stated.

Background

There has been opposition from several surrounding community groups to the rezoning request, organized as The Oakdale/Smyrna Residents for Responsible Development (RRD).

In an email dated today, addressed to BOC Chair Mike Boyce and the four other commissioners, John P.W. Brown VI, the president of The Enclave at Vinings HOA Board wrote on behalf of the RRD:

I have attached a list of outstanding items and inconsistencies in the application/proposal that also should serve as grounds for a continuance – Attachment A: Outstanding Items or Inconsistencies in the Z-24 Application/Proposal.

We are asking that the Z-24 case be continued until the July Board of Commissioners meeting and that the applicant be directed to meet with the RRD to discuss the community’s concerns and suggestions. We just want the voice of our community to be heard.