Joel Cope

 

MIC President

(404) 550-0475 

[email protected]   

 

School starts for Cobb County students on Monday, August 4th. Parents are busy getting their kids ready for the big day, and the Victory International Center is helping out. On Saturday, August 2nd from 10am to 1pm, children accompanied by a parent or guardian can receive free school supplies. The church is located at 5228 Brookwood Dr. in Mableton. More information is available by calling (770) 944-1401. Supplies are limited.

 

If you are shopping over the weekend and want to help the students at Harmony Leland Elementary School, here's a list of supplies that students will need this year. Drop off your purchases at the school; teachers there will make sure that these supplies go to kids in need.  If you would like to make a donation to the PTA to support various projects at the school you are welcome to visit their website. Volunteers are needed to help the 4th and 5th grade teachers with their move from the main building to the trailers. Please contact the front office of the school or stop by the school today and tomorrow.  

 

Watch out for school zones and school buses! Slow down to the posted speed in school zones when lights are flashing and stop when students are boarding and leaving the bus. Safety for our children is always worth a minute or two of your time.

 

The food trucks are coming back to the Mable House Complex on Wednesday, August 13th from 5pm to 8pm, thanks to the work of the South Cobb Arts Alliance and Cobb County P.A.R.K.S.  Their first visit in July was an overwhelming success, with picnics under the trees, live music and kids everywhere!

Lead food truck Happy Belly will once again be organizing their fellow food truck operators who will bring us an array of fun and interesting cuisines.  Ready for a hot tip?  Bring chairs or a blanket to spread on the lawn.  Visit with friends old and new while you spend a fun summer evening in Mableton.

Keep up with the food truck news at the South Cobb Arts Alliance Facebook page.

 

Last month's scheduled cleanup was rained out, so we've rescheduled for August 16th, starting promptly at 9am. We will meet in front of the Pizza Hut in front of the Publix store on Floyd Road. With the Floyd Road improvement project nearly complete, we will return to the segment between the Post Office and the old Rite Aid store where Floyd and Hicks Roads intersect. It's been almost two years since we left due to construction.

 

It takes only about an hour for MIC volunteers to pick up the accumulated trash and it's an hour well spent! Floyd Road will look a whole lot better when we are done. Wear sturdy shoes or boots and bring gloves if you like. We provide latex gloves, safety vests, trash bags, bottled water -- and a warm welcome. 

For more information, contact Dave McDaniel.

 

Market produce supply and variety is peaking thanks to the addition of a small farmer vendor and excellent crop growing conditions.  The Market also offers hand-made soaps, craft items and fresh-cut flowers. And there's a Kids Corner for the little ones.

 

Wholesome Wave Georgia continues to match Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly food stamps) purchases. The match enables SNAP customers to double their spending power for fresh produce and other eligible food purchases. At the same time, eligible food vendors double their sales. Please help spread the word through your civic and/or church groups to those in need.

 

Visit with Farmer Terri for new ideas on cooking up something simple and nutritious to eat. Come and get your free sample.

 

The Market is located at the Mable House Complex, 5239 Floyd Road in Mableton.  Questions?  Contact Dave McDaniel, MIC's Market Manager.

 

Last week, the Cobb County Board of Commissioners voted to place a SPLOST referendum item on the November ballot for voters to consider. SPLOST stands for Special Local Option Sales Tax, and it is authorized by State law, which requires counties to establish a list of projects and the time over which the tax will be collected. The list of projects for this proposed SPLOST and other information about the SPLOST are on Cobb County's website.

 

Many of the projects provide benefits county-wide, such as upgrades to county court buildings, public safety radio systems, and health department improvements. Other projects are more general, such as set-asides of funding for road resurfacing, sidewalks and trails. The remainder of the projects are location-specific. Of those projects, here are some of interest to Mableton:

• A new Fire Station to replace the one on Mableton Parkway near Veterans Memorial
• Hicks and Concord Roads intersection improvement
• Mable House facility improvements
• South Cobb Regional Library improvements
• Park improvements for the Discovery Blvd. portion of Chattahoochee River Line park (shown on list as Johnston's River Line)

If the SPLOST referendum is approved, the sales tax paid with purchases in Cobb County will not change, because we are currently paying a 1% SPLOST that will expire at the end of 2015. This new SPLOST would begin on January 1, 2016. More information can be found here.

 

The owner of 5780 Powell Drive (Z-55) has re-filed an application for Heavy Industrial zoning and a Special Land Use Permit for an auto salvage yard.  MIC voted to oppose this application, as it is incompatible with the Future Land Use Map and in violation of various county zoning ordinances since it opened several years ago.  Auto salvage is not suitable for this location, which is in a Neighborhood Activity Center on a parcel that is less than the required minimum of 1 acre.      

 

The owner of Art Xpress at 168 Veterans Memorial Highway (OB-48) has filed a request for a change in stipulations for this property.  Last year, the Board of Commissioners approved the owner's request to retain the building which had been slated for demolition. As part of that approval, he was required to install parking in the rear of the building, landscaping and signage.  Those improvements were not made, and the owner is now requesting parking in the front of the building.  This is expected to be heard by the Board of Commissioners on August 19th, and MIC will take a position before that time. 

 

Scheduled for September 

 

The hearing on the application for an Open Space overlay for 17 acres located at 76 Cooper Lake Road (OB-42) has been postponed until September, at the request of the applicant who will conduct additional hydrological studies. The property is currently zoned R-20 and would remain in that zoning category. The Open Space overlay ordinance allows a higher density in return for a set-aside of undeveloped land. The most recent site plan has 22 new homes, rather than 26, and 9 acres of open space. This property contains a 2-acre lake and a 414-foot tall communications tower, which limits the buildable area.  MIC has met with members of the Stoneybrook community, many of whom expressed concerns as to the impacts of water runoff onto their property. The developer is awaiting the results of the hydrology study and a final plan. 

       

An application by Habitat for Humanity has been filed for R-20 zoning for two homes at 5730 South Gordon Road (Z-58).  Part of the property is now zoned Neighborhood Shopping. MIC will gather additional information about this application.

 

Eddie Moon's Service Center has filed an application for Light Industrial zoning for their property at 6981 and 7005 Mableton Parkway (Z-62).  The property is presently zoned General Commercial and R-20.  MIC will meet with the applicant's attorney and learn more about this application. 

 

Questions?  Want to get involved?  Contact Robin Meyer, MIC Zoning Committee Chair. 

 

A Mableton tradition for 25 years, the free Candlelite Concert series continues on

Photo Credit: Nieu Nguyen Photography

August 16th with Copious Jones, a diverse 6-piece band that defies genre and has quickly become recognized as one of the most promising talents coming out of Atlanta today.

 

The Candlelite Concerts are presented by the South Cobb Arts Alliance at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre, located at 5239 Floyd Road in Mableton.  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. Gates to the plaza open at 6:30pm, seating begins at 7:00pm.  For information, call (770) 819-7765. 

The Wade Ford Summer Concert Series presents the Legends of Jazz, Spiro Gyra 40th Anniversary Tour with Paul Taylor on Saturday, August 9th at 6pm. Gates open at 5pm.  Tickets are available at Ticketmaster and at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre box office.   

 

Fabulous Fridaze returns for 2014 with 4 concerts in August. Coming up first on August 8th is Kasper and the 911 Band, followed by Philippa and the Off Script Band on August 15th. These popular R&B artists are brought to us by Amateur Advocate Association. Tickets are available at the Fabulous Fridaze website.

 

Pack a picnic dinner and bring your friends to this wonderful concert venue here in Mableton.