The Acworth Board of Aldermen considered a developer’s request to replace a required trail connection to city park property with a sidewalk along Spring Meadow Drive. The change would affect a previously approved townhome development at 4643 Cowan Road.
At a public hearing Monday, Sept. 28, attorney Kevin Moore, representing Rolling Thunder LLC, asked the board to remove a stipulation requiring a 10-foot-wide paved trail from the development to city park property. The project was previously approved for up to 30 townhomes near the intersection of Cowan Road and Spring Meadow Drive.
Moore said the city has since built a 10-foot-wide sidewalk along Cowan Road. He also said final engineering showed that the trail connection would cross a stream and disturb a 100-year floodplain, making it difficult to permit. The developer instead proposed a 10-foot-wide paved sidewalk along Spring Meadow Drive connecting to Cowan Road.
City planning staff said the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval with updated stipulations. Those conditions include a 40-foot undisturbed greenbelt buffer, a 6-foot privacy fence, turn lanes from Spring Meadow Drive onto Cowan Road, a speed indicator sign, a homeowners association and an agreement addressing driveway areas within the public right of way.
Residents of the neighboring Spring Meadow subdivision who spoke at the hearing raised concerns about traffic and drainage. They asked about the absence of a right-turn deceleration lane from Cowan Road into Spring Meadow, a left-turn lane into the new development from Spring Meadow Drive, responsibility for maintaining underground stormwater detention facilities and potential flooding.
Moore said the developer could not build the requested deceleration lane because it could not acquire an adjacent corner parcel owned by a dissolved corporation. The city attorney said the city could not use eminent domain to acquire the property for a private developer. Moore said the developer had agreed to install LED speed indicator signs.
Board members reached a consensus to place the request on the consent agenda for their Thursday, Oct. 1, meeting. The Monday discussion by the board was not a final approval. The regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Acworth City Hall, 4415 Center St.
The Board of Aldermen also considered two other property requests Monday.
Jason and Amy Garner asked for the City of Acworth to annex their half-acre property at 5950 Lake Acworth Drive and rezone it to allow an accessory dwelling unit for a family member.
Joseph Wellborn requested a variance to divide his property at 4244 Hillcrest Drive into three lots for single-family homes; two of the proposed lots would be smaller than the zoning district’s 12,000-square-foot minimum. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended both requests 6-0. Board members agreed to place both on Thursday’s consent agenda for a final vote.
Editor’s note: AI was used in the production of this article. To read about how, when and why we make use of AI, read our article “How, When and Why the Cobb County Courier uses AI.”