Blog - Mableton Improvement Coalition

MIC’s Involvement in the Establishment of the City of Mableton

Mableton Improvement Coalition (MIC) is a non-partisan, all-volunteer organization made up residents who are dedicated to a better quality of life in Mableton. We are not the government, and we have no power to decide zoning cases, enact laws or enforce any laws. MIC can only advocate for its positions or decisions – in the exact same way as any other citizen could. MIC was not involved in any group or organization that advocated for or against cityhood. None of our sitting Board of Directors and Officers are running for office in the new city of Mableton. Board members or officers who intend to run for office in the future must resign from the Board of Directors.

Despite recent accusations to the contrary, MIC has scrupulously maintained a neutral stance on the Mableton cityhood question. For all its 20-year history MIC has steadfastly maintained a non-partisan, neutral position in political matters. Nowhere have we published or spoken to a position of approval or opposition to the establishment of the City of Mableton. With the passage of the cityhood referendum in November 2022, it is MIC’s position that residents should come together to support the new City regardless of their position prior to the November election. MIC is committed to having a productive relationship with our new Mayor and Council, just as we enjoy with Cobb County officials.

During the campaign on the cityhood question, MIC hosted both pro and con perspectives in our Facebook Mableton Community group. To be clear, MIC and the Austell Community Task Force presented the only community forum that included both proponents and opponents of cityhood. Questions about the pro-cityhood movement or the anti-cityhood movement should be directed to those organizations or individuals that supported or opposed cityhood.

MIC advocates for the entire Mableton community, carries out projects that benefit the community, and keeps our members informed. Information on the outstanding work our volunteers do in the community can be found here. Anyone interested in volunteering to be a part of this exceptional community work should contact us at info@mableton.org.

Board of Directors

Mableton Improvement Coalition

Zoning Application – LUP-3 (2023) Our Giving Garden

This is one of the zoning cases that MIC’s Zoning Committee is involved in. For more information about MIC’s process and other zoning cases, click here.

This application is to allow community garden activities in a residential area.

Case Number: Z-5

Location: 79 Cooper Lake Road

Applicant: Our Giving Gardens

Future Land Use Map Category: Low Density Residential (LDR)

Current Zoning Category: R-20 (half-acre lots)

Requested Zoning Category: no change

Hearing Dates:

Planning Commission: February 6, 2023

Board of Commissioners: February 20, 2023

Application as Filed: Click Here

Stipulations Letter:

MIC’s Position: pending

Board of Commissioners Decision: pending

This Post Last Updated On: December 18, 2022

Questions? Email MIC’s Zoning Committee

Zoning Application – Z-5 (2023) Emerson and Gigi Real Estate Holdings

This is one of the zoning cases that MIC’s Zoning Committee is involved in. For more information about MIC’s process and other zoning cases, click here.

This application is update the zoning category to allow for an event center in the shopping center.

Case Number: Z-5

Location: 6015, 6021, 6045 Mableton Parkway

Applicant: Emerson and Gigi Real Estate Holdings

Future Land Use Map Category: Community Activity Center (CAC)

Current Zoning Category: Planned Shopping Center (PSC)

Requested Zoning Category: General Commercial (GC)

Hearing Dates:

Planning Commission: February 6, 2023

Board of Commissioners: February 20, 2023

Application as Filed:

Stipulations Letter: Click Here

MIC’s Position: pending

Board of Commissioners Decision: pending

This Post Last Updated On: December 18, 2022

Questions? Email MIC’s Zoning Committee

Zoning Application – Z-3 (2023) Cynthia Jones and Cindy Nash Enterprises LLC

This is one of the zoning cases that MIC’s Zoning Committee is involved in. For more information about MIC’s process and other zoning cases, click here.

This application is to allow retail use of a vacant building.

Case Number: Z-3

Location: 675 South Gordon Road

Applicant: Cynthia Jones and Cindy Nash Enterprises LLC

Future Land Use Map Category: Neighborhood Activity Center

Current Zoning Category: GC

Requested Zoning Category: NAC

Hearing Dates:

Planning Commission: February 6, 2023

Board of Commissioners: February 20, 2023

Application as Filed: Click Here

Stipulations Letter:

MIC’s Position: pending

Board of Commissioners Decision: pending

This Post Last Updated On: December 23, 2022

Questions? Email MIC’s Zoning Committee

Zoning Application – Mableton CGB LLC (Chipotle) (OB-70)

This is one of the zoning cases that MIC’s Zoning Committee is involved in. For more information about MIC’s process and other zoning cases, click here.

This application is for a Chipotle restaurant.

Case Number: OB-70

Location: 4835 Floyd Road (next to Floyd Middle School)

Applicant: Mableton CGB LLC

Future Land Use Map Category: Neighborhood Activity Center

Current Zoning Category: Neighborhood Retail Commercial

Requested Zoning Category: no change

Hearing Dates:

Planning Commission: n/a

Board of Commissioners: December 20, 2022

Application as Filed: Click Here

Stipulations Letter: Click Here

MIC’s Position: Recommend Approval with Conditions

Board of Commissioners Decision: Approved

This Post Last Updated On: December 20, 2022

Questions? Email MIC’s Zoning Committee

From the Cobb County Courier – What Happens Next In the City of Mableton?

Reprinted with Permission from the Cobb County Courier. We encourage you to visit their website and subscribe to their newsletter for great news coverage of Cobb County.

POSTED BY: LARRY FELTON JOHNSON NOVEMBER 9, 2022

With an evident win for supporters of the City of Mableton (the vote is still unofficial but the margin is significant) a lot will happen relatively quickly.

How many residents does the new city have?

First, by Cobb County standards this is a big city, the largest in the county. While the Census-designated Place (CDP) only has around 40,000 people, the boundaries of the new city will be much larger than the CDP, with an estimated 77,000 people.

By comparison, the City of Marietta has an estimated 61,497 citizens, and Smyrna 55, 685 residents.

What governmental structure will the city have?

The city will be governed by a mayor and six council members. Each of those officials will serve four-year terms.

Under the state’s legislation for the new city:

“No person shall be eligible to serve as mayor or councilmember unless that person is at least 21 years of age or older on the date of qualification, and shall have been a resident of the area encompassed by the corporate boundaries of the city for at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of his or her election.

“Additionally, no person shall be eligible to serve as councilmember unless that person shall have been a resident of the district for which he or she seeks election for a period of at least 12 months immediately prior to his or her election.”

Both city council members and the mayor are term-limited to three consecutive terms.

How much do the mayor and city council member make?

The salary for the mayor will be $30,000, and for city council members will be $20,000. But the city council has the power to change that later.

What other city positions will there be?

The legislation provides for the appointment of a city manager to handle day-to-day operations of the city, a municipal court and its judge, a city attorney, and a city clerk.

The city council and mayor will have broad powers to hire other city staff as needed.

When will regular elections be held?

The first election will be held on the third Tuesday in March, 2023, which will be March 21. Regular elections for the Mayor and council districts will be staggered after that, with the first term for the mayor and districts 1, 3, and 5 expiring in 2027, and for districts 2, 4 and 6 in 2025. After that it continues at 4-year intervals on a staggered basis much like other Cobb cities.

When will their terms start?

The elected officials will take office the Monday after their election is certified.

Do political parties play a role in the elections?

No. The races for mayor and city council in the City of Mableton will be nonpartisan.

Will taxes go up?

The legislation under which the city is being formed grants the right of the city council to set a millage rate on property values. Whether they do it or not depends on the council itself.

What are the district boundaries within the city?

Here is a screenshot of the district maps from the Cobb County website (follow this link to see the original):

Read the legislation forming the city by following this link

MIC Press Release – Mableton Cityhood

For Immediate Release
November 9, 2022

The Mableton Improvement Coalition (MIC) would like to congratulate both the proponents and opponents of the Mableton cityhood referendum which has been approved by voters in the November 8th election, pending final certification by the Cobb County Board of Elections.

MIC has maintained a neutral position throughout this campaign.

Now that the voters have spoken, we urge all sides to come together for the good of, and the future of, our community. As our president, Ray Thomas, stated during the cityhood community forum on October 11, 2022, “come November 9, the day after this election, whether the city of Mableton is approved by the voters or not approved, we still will be a community on the hill overlooking the Atlanta skyline. However, a community divided shall not stand or be a shining light.”

November 9th is here. We therefore urge all residents who will make up the largest city in Cobb County to come together, put aside any residual ill feelings, and work towards a Mableton that will be, “Stronger Together.”

The Mableton Improvement Coalition is an all-volunteer, non-profit community group working to promote activities, enhance communication, and facilitate initiatives that will benefit the welfare of the community and its spirit. For more information about MIC programs and membership, visit www.mableton.org.

Praise for MIC’s Economic Development Summit in the Marietta Daily Journal

Marietta Daily Journal, Friday, October 21, 2022

GUEST COLUMNIST| MICHAEL MURPHY

The makings of a city … just maybe

Hopefully, you are aware of an upcoming ballot question for some Cobb County residents regarding Mableton cityhood. As a Mableton resident since 1999, I was just pleased to see that the question of cityhood will be on the ballot. As I have written previously in this column, it was important to me that Mableton was not left out of the loop on the cityhood question. As you know, several other areas of the county had answered the question before them in the prior election.

Moreover, I want to send my kudos to the planners, attendees, and panel participants for the Economic Development Summit put on by the Mableton Improvement Coalition. It was held recently at the spacious EpiCenter in Austell.

It was worth an admittance fee to hear the presentations and positive dialogue from the panels. The real caveat was to hear the historical references from former Governor Roy Barnes. It was enlightening to learn of the progress South Cobb has made over the years. Just think, at one time we had no representation on the Board of Commissioners. Now we have a district commissioner, a chairwoman, who resides in South Cobb. We truly have come a long way, baby.

It was quite interesting that the question of cityhood for Mableton was not asked of Governor Barnes during the Q& A opportunity. However, for me, one did not need a fall semester course in deductive reasoning to catch the drift of his presentation and futurist perspective. It appears to me that the underpinnings for those in favor of cityhood may proffer a different basis for cityhood than that of the other areas of the county that were unsuccessful last spring. I would just quote the suggestion offered by an elected county official in attendance that said, “Just tell the story.”

The event was an ah-ha moment for me because I could not recall a more productive, positive day spent discussing an area of the county that left you thinking about the possibilities ahead and a way forward to better ready for the future.

I met new residents who shared why they chose Mableton; I met new business owners, like myself. I also heard spirited feedback from some new businesses expressing their frustrations from the onerous delays, surprise assessments at closing as well as the overall deaf ear to the trials and tribulations of being a business owner trying to open up on time in Cobb County. I enjoyed the opportunity to be the moderator of the last panel of the day. Yes, it was well attended and lively. It included Mr. Allen Fox, GA Department of Economic Development, Dr. Dana Giles, Principal, Pebblebrook High School and Ms. Lisa Crossman from Cobb Douglas Public Health.

The day reminded me of the title song by the late Luther Vandross, “Here and Now” and then I think about the group En Vogue’s title song, “What’s it’s gonna be?”

A better than fair point was made repeatedly by the MIC President, Ray Thomas, who said, “If all we do is talk today, we have failed in the purpose of this event”. I could not agree more. It is easy to talk about it but the challenge is to be about it.

By the way, it was not a good day for the waistline, because of the superb cuisine provided, but the agenda topics served as a wonderful baseline measurement for Mableton going forward.

Thank you Mableton Improvement Coalition, you have truly provided the grist for the mill of change if we can determine what to do with it.

To my fellow Mabletonites, vote your conscience on the ballot question of cityhood, along with the other key races before you in a few weeks.

Michael Murphy is a former special assistant to the Cobb Chairman. He’s lived in Cobb County for over 20 years.

Zoning Application – Renata Diniz (Z-80)

This is one of the zoning cases that MIC’s Zoning Committee is involved in. For more information about MIC’s process and other zoning cases, click here.

This application is for a mixed-use community of retail, multi-family and townhomes.

Case Number: Z-80

Location: Veterans Memorial Highway just east of Vonda Lane

Applicant: Renata Diniz

Future Land Use Map Category: Commercial Activity Center (CAC) and Mableton Town Center (MTC)

Current Zoning Category: GC, CRC

Requested Zoning Category: PVC

Hearing Dates:

Planning Commission: February 7, 2023

Board of Commissioners: February 21, 2023

Application as Filed: Click Here

Stipulations Letter:

MIC’s Position: pending

Board of Commissioners Decision: WITHDRAWN BY APPLICANT

This Post Last Updated On: December 14, 2022

Questions? Email MIC’s Zoning Committee

Zoning Application – 7 Oaks Stables (Z-79)

This is one of the zoning cases that MIC’s Zoning Committee is involved in. For more information about MIC’s process and other zoning cases, click here.

This application is to build a horse stable.

Case Number: Z-79

Location: 300, 320 Cooper Lake Road

Applicant: 7 Oaks Stables

Future Land Use Map Category: Low Density Residential (LDR)

Current Zoning Category: R-15

Requested Zoning Category: no change

Hearing Dates:

Planning Commission: December 6, 2022

Board of Commissioners: December 20, 2022

Application as Filed: Click Here

Stipulations Letter:

MIC’s Position: Recommend Approval with Conditions

Board of Commissioners Decision: Approved

This Post Last Updated On: December 20, 2022

Questions? Email MIC’s Zoning Committee