Isakson Living Rezoning Case Before Cobb Planning Commission Tuesday

Patch Staff Report

The Isakson Living rezoning case in East Cobb is set to go before the Cobb Planning Commission and Cobb Board of Commissioners, respectively, on May 6 and May 20.

Isakson Living is seeking to rezone from low-density residential on 53 acres on Roswell Road next to East Cobb Park to build a $200 million senior living facility.

The Isakson Living plans, which initially called for nearly 1,000 units, have been strongly opposed by nearby residents and the East Cobb Civic Association due to density, traffic and other concerns. 

Isakson Living is under contract to acquire that land from Wylene Tritt, subject to rezoning.

Related stories

• Isakson Living to Donate Land to East Cobb Park
• Isakson Living Rezoning Delayed Again
• Isakson: 'They Changed the Rules'
• Isakson Living Refiles Rezoning Request
• Isakson Living Withdraws Rezoning Request
• Isakson Living Seeks Rezoning Delay
• East Cobb Hears Isakson Living Plans
• Petition Drive Started Against Isakson Living Proposal
• Ott: 'Political Connections' No Factor in Isakson Rezoning
• Senior Complex Proposed for East Cobb

The following is from Concerned Citizens of East Cobb, which represents "thousands of East Cobbers who want the Tritt property to be respectfully developed or fully conserved for a park."


The sale of the 53.7-acre Tritt property next to East Cobb Park will impact this community greatly no matter what, whether it becomes a new Park, an 80-home subdivision, or a 748-unit Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC).  The Tritt property is one of the last undeveloped green space areas in East Cobb, and so its sale will have an effect on this area for years to come. 

If the Isakson Living East Cobb proposal is approved in the zoning process, the development would overshadow East Cobb Park, both literally and figuratively.  With buildings as high as 5-stories, the large-scale CCRC development would tower over East Cobb Park, nearby Fuller's Park, as well as all the adjacent homes in the area. 

In addition, Isakson Living has stated that their plan is to build this 1.12 million  square foot complex over 10 years. That means for an entire generation of children, construction noise would drown out the relaxing nature of East Cobb: The morning walks and pre-school playground playdates, the afternoon picnics, ultimate Frisbee games, creek wading and bike-riding adventures, each event would be accompanied by the sounds of chainsaws, bulldozers, and hammers. Just the traffic of the Isakson Living CCRC as well as WellStar would be literally more than 4,000 cars a day, and East Cobb Park would be gridlocked by traffic.

"Green Jewels"
A park is the green jewel of any community, and county planners have an obligation to protect these green spaces for the enjoyment of all citizens. As an example, 100-acre Jim Miller Park has enough space for concerts and other events and doesn't have large buildings bordering it.  The 80-acre Roswell Area Park is a great community park, and no tall buildings of any sort border the park.  Even the 189-acre Piedmont Park located in Midtown Atlanta also has no large buildings next to it; all high-rise buildings are across the street.  Even in the 843-acre Central Park in New York City, all the high-rise buildings are located across the street, not directly next to it.  Development in and around most every park is limited by zoning so that the Parks remain a relaxing place for all community members to enjoy. 

The East Cobb community sacrificed and worked so hard to create the now 20-acre East Cobb Park, which first opened in 2003, and the stated goal of the County at that time was to acquire more land to expand East Cobb Park.  East Cobb Park is a special place to walk, jog or push a stroller; a neighborhood place to walk the dog, to meet friends, relax, and play; a cozy place to have a picnic, celebrate birthdays, and other fun events.  So the loss of the Tritt property green space for such a high-rise CCRC development would be devastating, but so would losing the current relaxing atmosphere of East Cobb Park if towering buildings were allowed to be built next to it. Communities need reasonable development, and that includes parks and green space for everyone to enjoy. 

100 Year Flood Plain
Of the 53.7 acres of the Tritt Property, 15.7 acres is protected flood plain and stream buffers, and no developer can build on that part of the property.  In addition, about 3 acres of the property is too hilly to build on, so that leaves only 35 acres which could be built upon by any developer.   In other words, for any potential developer, at least 15.7 acres and more than 1/3 of the property, 18.7 acres, could be protected by donating it to East Cobb Park or putting it in a conservation easement. Above is an image of the 15.7 acres that is protected from development by any developer.

Therefore, many concerned citizens have asked Isakson Living to find another location  for their proposed CCRC, on land that has already been developed, rather than destroying the last remaining green space in East Cobb.  In other words, building on an already developed parcel of land that is under-utilized or not used any more at all and re-purposing it helps the community a lot more than developing the Tritt property, this last bit of green space right next to East Cobb Park, our community's "green jewel".

What we can do:

1. Sign the Online Petition.  The petition will be presented to the Commissioners at the May 6 and May 20 Board of Commissioners meetings.

2. Email the Commissioners to Protect the East Cobb Community from Overdevelopment.
 
3. Attend the Tuesday, May 6 at 9:00 AM and Tuesday, May 20 at 9:00 AM zoning meeting in the Cobb County Government 100 Cherokee Street /2nd Floor/ BOC Meeting Room in Marietta Please plan to attend these meetings if possible because united we can make a difference! This grassroots effort to protect the Tritt property from overdevelopment also wants to protect East Cobb Park from urban encroachment. Please join this effort to save East Cobb Park from the urban sprawl of the Isakson Living plan.