|
|
|
 MABLETON IMPROVEMENT COALITION
NEWSLETTER
May 1, 2014
|
|
|
|
|
From the President...
Greetings!
This spring has been a busy time in Mableton and May will continue that trend. On May 8th, we will host our Candidates Forum for those seeking local elected office. Perhaps the most talked-about race this year is for Post 2 on the Cobb County School Board. This seat represents the area in Mableton north of Veterans Memorial Highway and east of Floyd Road. This forum will be the best opportunity to see all the candidates here in Mableton before the May 20th election. Read below for information about the forum and about early voting. Please make time to learn about the candidates and exercise you right to vote. It's the basis of our democratic government and a duty of every citizen. We look forward to a large crowd at the Candidates Forum. Please contact me with any questions about the Forum, MIC or Mableton. Sincerely,
Joel Cope 
MIC President
(404) 550-0475
[email protected]
|
MIC Candidates Forum
| |
Thursday, May 8th at 6:30pm
|
MIC's Candidate Forum will be Thursday, May 8th at 6:30 pm at the South Cobb Community Center at 620 Lions Club Drive in Mableton. Come and learn about the folks who will be asking for your vote! Candidates for Congress, Governor and other statewide races are usually very visible in the media. Because of that, MIC focuses on local races for the offices that affect us directly. This year, we will invite the following candidates: For each race, the candidates are invited onto the stage as a group and each is given a few minutes to introduce themselves. Then written questions are collected from the audience and the moderator poses those questions to the candidates. It's a great chance to ask a question and get the information you are looking for! Contact MIC President Joel Cope at (404) 550-0475 or via email with any questions about the Forum. See you there! |
Community Garden News - Orchard to be Dedicated to Sam Hicks
| |
Saturday, May 3rd at 1pm
|  On Saturday, May 3rd, the Community Garden at Riverview Landing will host an Open House at 1pm. In addition to greeting the community and prospective members, the gardeners will dedicate a portion of the garden as the Sam Hicks Memorial Orchard. Sam, who passed away in February, was a charter member of this Garden when it was founded in Nickajack Park almost 10 years ago, a long-time MIC member, and the unofficial "mayor" of Johnston's Crossing subdivision. Join us in honoring Sam's memory and the garden to which he gave so much. When the trees bear fruit, it will be donated to a local food bank. The garden is located at 6270 Riverview Road. For more info on becoming a member of MIC's Community Gardens, click here and email the garden leader. |
Turner-Sewell Cemetery Sign Unveiling
| |
Saturday, May 10th at 1pm
|  On Saturday, May 10th at 1pm, the community will gather to unveil a new interpretative sign in the historic Turner-Sewell Cemetery at 1490 Veterans Memorial Highway. Commissioner Lisa Cupid will join MIC, the River Line Historic Area, Inc., and descendents of the Turner family in marking this important event. Everyone is invited! Click here for the invitation. Among the 19th century Cobb County pioneers buried in the cemetery are Robert Turner and his family. Turner, along with his business partner James Mayson, operated the ferry across the Chattahoochee River near where the Veterans Memorial Highway bridge now stands. Funding for the sign was made possible by grant funds provided to MIC and donations from the Turner Family and the community. Sign content was researched and coordinated by the River Line Historic Area. For more information, contact Roberta Cook. |
Mableton Day News
| |
Saturday, May 17th from 8am to 2pm
| 
Each year, the Mable House Complex hosts our community for a day of fun for all ages. The Mableton 5K begins at 8am, followed by the Mableton Jr. Fun Run at 9am. The main stage hosts non-stop performances and entertainment and the vendor booths are open throughout. There are tours of the historic Mable House, vintage cars in the Car Show, food vendors, the Kids' Corner and arts and crafts demonstrations. Admission to Mableton Day and parking are free. This year, the Kids' Corner includes inflatables, a rock wall, pedal cars, storytelling and puppet shows.
Mableton Day is organized by three Mableton-based nonprofit organizations: Amateur Athletic Association, MIC and South Cobb Arts Alliance. Proceeds from the event are returned to the community in the form of grants to winners of the Community Spirit Program challenge and through the work of the three nonprofit Mableton Day partner organizations.
Register now for the 5K and the Fun Run. Make plans with friends and family to enjoy the day and celebrate our community. More information at the Mableton Day website.
|
Candlelite Concert Season Opens
| |
First Concert is Saturday, May 17th at 8pm
|  A Mableton tradition for 25 years, the free Candlelite Concert series opens on May 17th with Geoff Achison, a rock and blues guitarist. Organize your friends and family and come listen to great music under the stars in your own back yard! Bring a picnic dinner and dine in style. Lawn and covered seating are free, but table seating close to the stage can be purchased for the series or single concerts. For more information about the entire series and table purchase, click here. |
Mableton Farmers Market Coming Soon
| |
First Concert is Saturday, May 17th at 8pm
|  Despite recent cold and rainy weather, Opening Day for the Mableton Farmers Market is still planned for Thursday, May 22nd, 8:30am til 12:30pm. For the first time since the market's inception in 2010, the Farmers Market will be equipped to process SNAP (formerly Food Stamp) customers' EBT cards. Even more exciting, the Wholesome Wave Georgia Double Value Coupon Program will enable SNAP customers to double the value of their fresh, healthy locally grown food purchases, thus doubling small farmer sales at the same time. It's a win-win for customers and market farmers alike!
MIC is proud to operate this important resource for our community. Funding is limited, so we especially appreciate your efforts to spread the word about the Double Value Coupon Program for SNAP customers. We appreciate the support of Cobb/Douglas Public Health and Cobb P.A.R.K.S. For more information, contact Dave McDaniel, Market Manager. |
Advance Voting Underway
| |
Election Day is Tuesday, May 20th
|
Advance Voting began Monday, April 28th and will continue through Friday,  May 16th. The Primary Election is Tuesday, May 20th. Voters may choose a Democratic, Republican or nonpartisan ballot. Dates for early voting vary by location. Click here to see all the locations. Any Cobb County voter can vote at any Cobb County location during Early Voting. However, on Election Day, May 20th, voters may vote only in their own precinct. This is an important election! In addition to nonpartisan races, Republicans and Democrats will select their candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State School Superintendent, U.S. House and Senate, and many local races. In some cases, the winner of the primary will not face opposition in the general election, so the winner of the primary election will take office next year. To see a sample ballot, click here for the State of Georgia's MVP page and complete the boxes on the upper right portion of the screen. Not sure if you are registered? Click here. For more information, visit the Cobb County Elections website. |
Habitat for Humanity Homes
| |
Learn more about Homeownership
|
NW Metro Atlanta Habitat for Humanity offers low-to-moderate income families and individuals the opportunity to achieve the dream of owning their own home s. By building and renovating three- and four-bedroom homes, and financing them at no interest and no profit, Habitat offers significant monthly savings, pride of ownership and a greater sense of security and stability. The monthly mortgage payment on a new Habitat home ranges $525-$545, including taxes and insurance.
People who live or work in Cobb and are interested in learning more about the Habitat Homeownership Program, should click here and select "Own A Home" or call 770-432-7954.
|
Zoning News
| Coming up in May and June
|  The application for a cell phone tower on Mableton Parkway at Queen Mill Road (SLUP-13) is expected to be heard on May 20th by the Board of Commissioners. The Planning Commission recommended approval of a slimline tower that would be located in the center of the 1.5 acre parcel on the northwest corner of the intersection. The MIC Board has voted to oppose this application. The Board recognizes the need for improved cell service; however, the negative visual impact of a 130-foot tower so close to a major highway entrance to our community was the deciding factor. At 540 South Gordon Road (Z-14), the Planning Commission recommended approval of an application to change the zoning from a subdivision (RA-5) to R-20 for a single building so that a meditation center can be built. The Planning Commission recommendation moved the building away from South Gordon Road and increased the parking space requirements, in order to accommodate visitors to the facility. The MIC Board voted to remain neutral in this application so long as stipulations are put in place to protect the neighboring homes when groups gather at the meditation center. The Board of Commissioners may hear this application at their May 20th hearing or it may be postponed in order to work through the Planning Commission recommendations. An application for Heavy Industrial zoning at 5780 Powell Drive (Z-21 & SLUP-5) has been withdrawn, but is expected to be re-submitted at a later date. The applicant has been operating an auto salvage business at this location without a Special Land Use Permit or the proper zoning. The MIC Board has voted to oppose this application because this commercial area is in a Neighborhood Activity Center, a category in the Comprehensive Plan that calls for small-scale, low-intensity businesses that serve the surrounding neighborhoods. Cobb County ordinances do not include Heavy Industrial zoning or auto salvage operations in Neighborhood Activity Centers. On Pebblebrook Road (Z-31) west of the Highland Preserve neighborhood, an application has been filed for a subdivision with 36 homes on 16 acres. The current zoning is R-20 and the requested category is R-15/OSC, which allows smaller lots with areas set aside for greenspace. The application is expected to be heard by the Planning Commission on May 6th. On Veterans Memorial Highway, just east of Mt. Harmony Cemetery, the Board of Commissioners will consider allowing the subdivision's interior streets to be public rather than private at their hearing on May 20th. MIC does not plan to take a position on this issue. In April The application for a new subdivision on Glore Road, just west of the intersection with Floyd Road (Z-18) was withdrawn. The current zoning is R-20 and it remains in place. The Board of Commissioners turned down an application for a Special Land Use permit for Used Car Sales at 1415 Veterans Memorial Highway between Powell Drive and James Road. The MIC Board opposed this application because of the effect on neighboring property values and the lack of the required one-acre lot for Used Car Sales. The Board of Commissioners approved the Ruppert Landscaping application for Light Industrial zoning for the property at 7013 and 7015 Mableton Parkway near Discovery Boulevard (Z-7). MIC appreciates the applicant's agreement to improve appearance of the property, define the area to be fenced and landscaped, and eliminate some possible future uses that have proved troublesome in the past. Questions? Want to know more? Have an opinion you want to share? Please email the Zoning Committee. |
|
Thanks to our Sponsors
|
Please patronize our sponsors and other local businesses.
If you'd like to become a MIC Sponsor, please contact Joel Cope.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
