Transportation projects dominate Tuesday’s Cobb BOC meeting

Cobb County government building sign, a vertical rectangular sign with the words "Board of Commissioners," "County Clerk," "County Manager," "County Office," "Employment," and a wheelchair entrance icon

by Caleb Groves Jan. 24, 2024

On Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted to approve numerous transportation items for projects within Cobb.

Tuesday’s meeting was quick and to the point; the BOC unanimously passed everything the Deputy Director of the Cobb County Department of Transportation, Drew Raessler, presented at the meeting.

One approved measure was related to the Hillcrest Drive Sidewalk project in District 4.

The BOC voted for Great Midwest Insurance Company to complete the remaining project, taken over from Butch Thompson Enterprises, Inc. (BTE), after, according to the county, BTE failed to meet the performance outlined in their agreement.

The agenda describes the scope of the project as follows:

The project consists of adding curb and gutter with a five-foot wide sidewalk along the west side of Hillcrest Drive, from Shenandoah Trail to Six Flags Parkway. Additionally, curb and gutter with a five-foot wide sidewalk will continue on the northern side of Six Flags Parkway, from Hillcrest Drive to Silver Mine Trail.

According to the information from Cobb DOT in the agenda packet for the meeting, “On several occasions during construction activity, the Department informed BTE of their unsatisfactory progress on this project.”

Another measure approved by the BOC was a relocation and preliminary engineering agreement with Georgia Power Company for utilities facilities on Mableton Parkway Pedestrian Improvements with a budget of $279,532.

The BOC also approved an intergovernmental agreement between Cobb and Paulding County for improvements on Burnt Hickory Road and Stout Parkway/Brownsville Extension.

Additionally, Chairwoman Lisa Cupid announced the appointment of Commissioner Jerrica Richardson as the Vice Chair and Commissioner Monique Sheffield as the Board Liaison for Cobb Travel and Tourism for 2024.

The Board of Commissioners comprehensive planning meeting was postponed until Jan. 30, 2024, at 9 a.m., due to weather conditions. The meeting will be held at 100 Cherokee St., Marietta.

The Comprehensive Plan meeting will help guide the direction of the county for the next 20 years, where community needs, goals and future land use for Cobb will be discussed.

The next upcoming Board of Commissioners meeting will be held on Feb. 13, 2024. At 9 a.m.

Caleb Groves is a Journalism student at Kennesaw State University, where he is a junior.

Originally from Minnesota, Caleb moved to Georgia with his family, where he now lives in Woodstock with his Father, Stepmom and numerous pets.

When he is not in writing, in class or coaching rock climbing, he spends his time listening to music and rock climbing both indoors and out