By Caleb Groves

On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, the Cobb County Planning Commission heard a case for a student housing complex near a college campus, and voted to hold the case until the commission’s July meeting.

The application for the five-story, 4.6-acre property proposes to build the site into a five-story student housing complex near Kennesaw State University’s main campus.

If the applications for the special land use permit and rezoning were approved, the property on the east side of Townpark Drive, north of Chastain Road and west of I-575 would accommodate 762 students with 191 units, a rooftop pool and amenities.

To read the zoning document for Z-25, follow this link.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Attorney Parks Huff, representing developer Landmark Properties, discussed student housing demand as well as traffic, crime and housing density concerns.

In 2024, KSU’s student enrollment increased for the fifth consecutive year. During the fall semester, Huff said, over 45,000 students were enrolled at the school.

Huff said housing near KSU’s campus would decrease traffic in the area.

“If we put students close to where they go to school, that’s helpful…” Huff said. “So putting housing close to their jobs and schooling makes sense.”

He went on to deny crime concerns and the need for sparser housing density raised by the Bells Ferry Civic Association and stated, “There is absolutely no evidence of crime.”

In addition to crime concerns, Huff acknowledged community pushback from residents who do not want students living next to them but questioned why someone would purchase a home near a college campus.

“I think we have an obligation to these students who will become our teachers, our nurses, our MBA business leaders,” Huff said. “We have an opportunity to put housing in an appropriate location close to campus that is safe and secure.”

Community Pushback

The opposition to the project raised concerns about the precedent it would set for future zoning in the area.

Following Huff’s remarks, four people opposed the application, along with 19 notes given to Commissioner Christine Lindstrom.

Bells Ferry Civic Association’s Tullan Avard argued the proposal may increase traffic and is unnecessary for the area, given the currently available housing options.

“There is not a need for more off-campus student housing, only for on-campus student housing,” Avard said. “One only needs to Google apartments.com or KSU off-campus housing to see hundreds of available units.”

She also said student housing crime rates are higher than in surrounding areas.

“We already do not have enough first responders in this county, and PBSH (purpose-built student housing) takes up a disproportional amount of police resources,” Avard said. “Each complex only adds about 600 residents, which creates an additional burden on the area’s services and infrastructure.”

Instead of student housing, Avard said she would prefer additional townhouses or senior apartment complexes.

Another critic, Robin Grajeda, treasurer for the Townpark Village Townhome Board near the proposed buildout, also stated that the demand for additional student housing was exaggerated.

“It has been a commuter school for most of its existence,” Grajeda said. “It continues to be a commuter school. People buy into this area because they commute to school. So, the need for additional housing off campus seems to be an exaggerated claim.”

“I haven’t spoken to one homeowner, as a board member, who supports this idea,” Grajeda said.

The Planning Commission Decision

Due to the proposal’s proximity to upscale-scale apartments, Lindstrom said she cannot support the proposal.

“I think that sets a terrible precedent, putting it across the way from townhomes who are very well organized and they are opposed to this, plus the apartment building that is going to be built, the intensity of the traffic is just too much for that area,” Lindstrom said.

Commissioner Fred Beloin was concerned with off-campus housing affecting neighboring residents and businesses.

“What I fear is that if we just allow purpose-built student housing to pop up everywhere within a mile and a half of the campus that we’re going to be gutting all the other good things in this area, including the kind of neighborhoods we have right now,” Beloin said.

Chairman Stephen Vault said that as KSU grows, student housing will likely continue to be brought before the board.

“As they (KSU) continue to grow, this will be an issue we’ll have to continue to look at. What does that mean?” Vault said. “And I do think, unfortunately, that the area will be impacted by that… I think that’s just the nature of where we’re going.”

Lindstrom made a motion to deny the application, and another motion to deny the related Special Land Use Permit (SLUP). Both motions failed 3-2 with Beloin joining Lindstrom in voting in favor of the denial.

Commissioner Vault then made two motions, one to hold the rezoning case and another to hold its related SLUP until the Planning Commission’s July 2 meeting. The motion carried 5-0.

Watch the hearing