Photo of Kennesaw government complex by Larry Felton Johnson
The City of Kennesaw’s Planning & Zoning Department plans to update its Historic District Design Standard and Codes (download a copy of the existing standards by following this link).
The city is soliciting community input, and you can provide input online at https://www.kennesaw-ga.gov/historicdistrictfeedback. This survey will be open until August 26, 2024.
A Special Called Historic Preservation Commission meeting will take place on Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 2529 J.O. Stephenson Ave, Kennesaw, GA 30144.
At that meeting, city staff “will present proposed changes based on national requirements and survey feedback. The meeting will also serve as an additional data-gathering step before finalizing updates.”
The City of Kennesaw’s current Historic District Code can be found at https://library.municode.com/ga/kennesaw/codes/code_of_ordinances.
What are design standards, and why are they important?
The current design standards and the purpose of enacting them is described in the introduction to the standards as follows:
This manual provides specific development and rehabilitation standards for all new construction, as well as rehabilitation, reconstruction and stabilization of historic properties within the Kennesaw Historic District.
This local district is made up of four National Register-listed districts (Big Shanty Historic District, Cherokee Street Historic District, Summers Street Historic District and North Main Street Historic District), as well as one National Register-listed site (Camp McDonald Historic Site).
The majority of this local historic district is also within the Central Business District of Kennesaw, which has a zoning ordinance (Ordinance Number 2005-20, 2005) that is complimentary to these standards.
During the design review process if there is a conflict between this ordinance, or other ordinances, and these standards the most stringent standards apply.
The Kennesaw Historic District and the Central Business District were both created to preserve and protect the cultural and historic aspects of downtown Kennesaw. They also provide for the stimulation and enhancement of the vitality and economic growth of Kennesaw.
About the City of Kennesaw
The City of Kennesaw was incorporated in 1887. With a population of 33,036 according to the recent decennial census, Kennesaw is the fourth-largest city in Cobb County, behind Mableton, Marietta and Smyrna. The US Census Bureau provides the following quick facts about the city:
| Population Estimates, July 1 2022, (V2022) | NA |
| Population Estimates, July 1 2021, (V2021) | 33,049 |
| Population | |
| Population Estimates, July 1 2022, (V2022) | NA |
| Population Estimates, July 1 2021, (V2021) | 33,049 |
| Population estimates base, April 1, 2020, (V2022) | NA |
| Population estimates base, April 1, 2020, (V2021) | 33,001 |
| Population, percent change – April 1, 2020 (estimates base) to July 1, 2022, (V2022) | NA |
| Population, percent change – April 1, 2020 (estimates base) to July 1, 2021, (V2021) | 0.1% |
| Population, Census, April 1, 2020 | 33,036 |
| Population, Census, April 1, 2010 | 29,783 |
| Age and Sex | |
| Persons under 5 years, percent | 6.0% |
| Persons under 18 years, percent | 22.3% |
| Persons 65 years and over, percent | 11.8% |
| Female persons, percent | 52.3% |
| Race and Hispanic Origin | |
| White alone, percent | 64.0% |
| Black or African American alone, percent(a) | 20.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a) | 0.0% |
| Asian alone, percent(a) | 5.7% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a) | 0.0% |
| Two or More Races, percent | 6.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino, percent(b) | 14.9% |
| White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent | 55.7% |
| Population Characteristics | |
| Veterans, 2017-2021 | 2,071 |
| Foreign born persons, percent, 2017-2021 | 14.9% |
| Housing | |
| Housing units, July 1, 2021, (V2021) | X |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2017-2021 | 68.8% |
| Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2017-2021 | $225,500 |
| Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2017-2021 | $1,600 |
| Median selected monthly owner costs -without a mortgage, 2017-2021 | $434 |
| Median gross rent, 2017-2021 | $1,470 |
| Building permits, 2021 | X |
| Families & Living Arrangements | |
| Households, 2017-2021 | 12,799 |
| Persons per household, 2017-2021 | 2.57 |
| Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2017-2021 | 82.9% |
| Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2017-2021 | 21.8% |
| Computer and Internet Use | |
| Households with a computer, percent, 2017-2021 | 97.1% |
| Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2017-2021 | 95.8% |
| Education | |
| High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2017-2021 | 93.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2017-2021 | 44.7% |
| Health | |
| With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2017-2021 | 5.9% |
| Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent | 14.2% |
| Economy | |
| In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2017-2021 | 70.6% |
| In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2017-2021 | 67.4% |
| Total accommodation and food services sales, 2017 ($1,000)(c) | 188,701 |
| Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2017 ($1,000)(c) | 142,150 |
| Total transportation and warehousing receipts/revenue, 2017 ($1,000)(c) | 99,548 |
| Total retail sales, 2017 ($1,000)(c) | 1,186,810 |
| Total retail sales per capita, 2017(c) | $34,676 |
| Transportation | |
| Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2017-2021 | 31.5 |
| Income & Poverty | |
| Median household income (in 2021 dollars), 2017-2021 | $73,977 |
| Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2021 dollars), 2017-2021 | $37,608 |
| Persons in poverty, percent | 13.5% |
| Businesses | |
| Total employer establishments, 2020 | X |
| Total employment, 2020 | X |
| Total annual payroll, 2020 ($1,000) | X |
| Total employment, percent change, 2019-2020 | X |
| Total nonemployer establishments, 2019 | X |
| All employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 1,282 |
| Men-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 665 |
| Women-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 296 |
| Minority-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | S |
| Nonminority-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 757 |
| Veteran-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 54 |
| Nonveteran-owned employer firms, Reference year 2017 | 972 |
| Geography | |
| Population per square mile, 2020 | 3,400.2 |
| Population per square mile, 2010 | 3,155.1 |
| Land area in square miles, 2020 | 9.72 |
| Land area in square miles, 2010 | 9.44 |
| FIPS Code | 1343192 |
