At last Tuesday’s meeting, the Cobb County Planning Commission voted to hold until its May meeting a recommendation on a rezoning request that would allow the applicant to operate a plumbing business on Old Floyd Road.

The request would change the zoning from NS, a retail zoning category no longer used in new requests to the county, to LI (light industrial).

The case number is Z-11-2024, and you can view the documents by following this link.

The property is in Mableton, on the west side of Old Floyd Road and the north side of Center Street.

The applicant is Salt Springs LLC, and its owner, Tom Miller, represented the company at the hearing.

“This building has been there since 1972,” Miller said. “In its current condition, it has been there for about 20 years.”

He said it had previously been used as a tool rental company.

“And currently, we would like to run a plumbing company out of it,” he said. 

He said the company plans to remodel the upstairs interior of the two-story building, but has no plans for the exterior “except for making it nicer.” He said the company has done substantial cleanup work on the property, but

Robin Meyer, co-chair of the Mableton Improvement Coalition’s zoning committee, opposed the rezoning’s approval.

“We’re happy to see a use for this property which is more in keeping with the consumer-facing businesses that would like to attract our community,” she said. “But we are very disappointed that there does not seem to be a concrete plan for improving the property.”

“This is very close to Mableton Elementary school,” Meyer said. “It’s close to the new park and Town Square and also close to the new residential development and the old historic part of Mableton.”

“So this building has been here for a very long time, and candidly, it’s showing its age,” she said. “Things in this part of Mapleton are changing, and we would very much like to see this property change with it.”

Meyer also cited drainage issues where stormwater runs from the property to a church below the property.

David Anderson led the discussion on the Planning Commission and called the applicant back to the front. He was filling in for District 4 Planning Commissioner Michael Hughes, who was absent from the meeting.

Anderson asked Miller, “Are you aware that there’s a small area plan that defines what the intentions are in terms of the walkability and the ability of that area?”

Miller said he was not.

Anderson, addressing the stormwater issue raised by Meyer, asked, “Have you done any analysis or deployed … improvements to the site that would address some of the concerns that the opposition has brought up, particularly around stormwater management and impervious coverage that’s currently there?”

“No, the reason being is there are about 10 properties that drain the same way mine do all in that area,” Miller said. “And until something can be made as a community effort, I don’t know why I would be singled out. There are other properties that drain onto my property and they flow right to the church just like everything else.”

Anderson said that since a small area plan is in place, time should be allowed for Commissioner Hughes to look at the site and for a stipulation letter to be developed that could address some of the community concerns.

He moved that the case be held until the May planning commission meeting.  The motion passed 3-0.

About the Cobb County Planning Commission

The web page for the Planning Commission describes its purpose as follows:

Established as an advisory Commission to assist the governing authority (BOC) in the administration and enforcement of the Zoning and Planning Act and to prescribe the duties and functions of such commission.

The full duties and functions of this Commission are contained in the Cobb County Zoning Ordinance, Section 3-28-9 134-61.

Members are appointed for terms which run concurrently with those of the appointing commissioner and are subject to removal with or without cause and without regard to any unexpired term. The Commission Chair is compensated $275.00 per month, the Secretary is compensated $275.00 per month with all other members compensated $250.00 per month.

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The main month-to-month activity of the Planning Commission is to evaluate zoning requests from applicants, and make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners .

Here is the current board:

Member	Appointed by	Term
Stephen Vault	Chairwoman Cupid	12/31/24
Fred Beloin	Commissioner Gambrill	12/31/26
David Anderson	Commissioner Richardson	12/31/24
Christine Lindstrom	Commissioner Birrell	12/31/26
Michael Hughes	Commissioner Sheffield	12/31/24