Hello neighbors, and welcome back to the newsletter!
Current events & local meetings as of 05/26/2025
Horseshoe Bend Rezoning Update
There has been a lot of discussion regarding the excessive rezoning going on around Horseshoe Bend and the ramifications it will have on the local community.
District Four Commissioner Monique Sheffield sent out a poll last week with four time slots for a “virtual community meeting” hosted by:
- herself
- the rezone case Z-7 lawyer
- the zoning manager
to address these concerns.
Unfortunately this is a very private event that is full of accessibility barricades so it can hardly be considered a “community event” any more. I expressed these concerns regarding accessibility to Monique Sheffield who suggested an in-person meeting but quickly retracted that, citing a lack of response from venues as the reason for returning to the virtual option.
Virtual Meeting with Developers – What We Know
This meeting has started on the wrong foot, with the incorrect link being sent out for the poll at first. Since the link was emailed at the very end of the business day, this caused the start of voting to be delayed until the next day. Even with the correct link, I was unable to vote. I reached out to Monique Sheffield’s office for instructions on how to vote in their poll. Even following these instructions, I was unable to access the poll. After multiple exchanges, the information I received from Monique Sheffield’s office was inadequate for me to engage with the poll. I finally found the information I needed to vote independently.
Dates offered
- Wednesday, May 28 at 6:30 PM
- Thursday, May 29 at 6:30 PM
- Tuesday, June 3 at 6:30 PM
- Wednesday, June 4 at 6:30 PM
Since the results of the poll have not yet been released, I would prepare for all of the potential dates.
This is another barricade, not every has the luxury of getting off work at short notice. Due to the delays caused by the poll, notification could occur in as little as 2 days prior to the event. If your job requires more than a few days notice, you are excluded from this meeting.
From prioritizing the schedule of the developer to creating inaccessible hurdles to participate, this meeting is not about the people and has not been from the beginning. It’s been difficult for citizens to gain access and the exclusivity guarantees that many voices will be left out of the conversation. The purpose of this meeting is likely to allow the developers to say they met with the “community” to address their concerns. The contents of the meeting and whether or not it is accessible is irrelevant to this purpose.
We must have a meeting without the developer’s interests represented.
What can we do?
If you can attend the meeting:
Bear in mind that Monique Sheffield is the elected official required to answer to the public. The lawyer in the meeting is hired by, and advocating for, the developers in favor of the rezone. Even if you can attend the meeting, advocate for those who can’t by requesting additional meetings with our elected official (Monique Sheffield) without the developer’s representatives present. Only then can she appropriately advocate for the desires of the citizens of her district.
If you can’t attend the meeting:
Contact Monique Sheffield and inform her that the virtual meeting she suggested is inaccessible. As our district commissioner, she needs to host additional in-person meetings before moving forward with this rezone.
Other Things To Do:
Emails and phone calls from constituents are easy to dismiss, overlook, or lose. Physical people filling up the meeting hall is impossible to ignore, so attend any you can!
These meetings do also stream on the Cobb County Government YouTube channel, but I recommend attending in person for the most fun. Just last Tuesday I got to listen to a man complain from the front of the room about this article sent out by the school board before the live stream started. You can’t get that drama at home!
Meetings:
- May 27th – Board of Commissioners work session @ 1:30 p.m. (Agenda)
- May 27th – Board of Commissioners regular meeting @ 7:00p.m. (Agenda)
- May 28th – Board of Ethics meeting @ 3:30 p.m. (No Agenda Provided)
- June 3rd – Planning Commission Zoning Hearing @ 9:00 a.m. (Agenda)
All meetings occur at 100 Cherokee Street off Marietta Square. I hope to see you there!
Stay safe and keep communicating, neighbors!
