Next Tuesday, July 15th, at 9:00am is the next Board of Commissioners zoning meeting where case Z-7 will be voted on. This case was held last month and this month it is listed on the Agenda as “BOC Only” which means the public will no longer have a chance to share their concerns about this rezone from Residential to Fee Simple Townhomes outside of Public Comments that can be ignored if they are not submitted by Wednesday, July 9th, 2025.
I fully expect it to pass despite the lack of effort shown by the Cobb County Government to hear and address concerns within the community in an accessible way. This case passing will likely lead to more rezoning in Horseshoe Bend as well as an opening connecting Barrett Parkway and Old Horseshoe Bend Road to allow traffic to bypass the Powder Springs Road intersection. The concerns of the citizens living here will undoubtedly be brushed aside for these cases just as quickly as they were with this case. Some might say to just accept the concrete jungle taking over the City of Trees. Instead, I would like to share a story with you.
Flint Hill Road – March 2025
On Flint Hill Road, near the golf course, there is a farmer. This farmer uses his land to provide fresh produce to his neighbors in the area. His name is Joe.
Farmer Joe returned from a fishing trip to find his lower field flooded with water. Sometimes he would get a little bit of runoff but it typically pooled in the lower areas of his property closer to the creek. But this water seemed to be seeping from under the road and made his field so muddy he couldn’t get his tractor through it which had never happened before.
Some people might blame the retention pond on the other side of the road. But Farmer Joe has been a member of this community for many years, so he remembered when Cobb County put a water main under Flint Hill Road some years prior. He was concerned about the damage it could do to the road and he reached out to the Cobb County Government to have the line checked out.
After contacting the county, Farmer Joe showed the leak to multiple officials working for Cobb County. A few even agreed with him, saying it looked like a water leak. But, once multiple officials from different organizations were on his property together, they concluded it was a spring. Cobb County told Farmer Joe it was tough luck for him.
Two Months Later – May 2025
I heard about signs placed along Flint Hill Road noting that the road might cave in at any time. I went to see them for myself and met Farmer Joe. He told me his story and that he only had a landline and no computer, so emailing Cobb County or the Department of Transportation was not something accessible to him. Many members of my neighborhood do not own or use computers so I offered to get more information for him.
I began by calling Cobb County Water System and was told that the water line belonged to Cobb-Marietta Water System. So I contacted the Cobb-Marietta Water System and was told this situation fell under Stormwater Management. So I called them and they informed me that they only deal with runoff and gray water so I should call Cobb County Water Services about a leak. I also tried contacting the Department of Transportation but they only allowed me to report the potential road safety issue.
At this point I had spent over two hours on various calls and holds trying to learn what evidence the County had used to determine this was a spring. Finally, I was called by a gentleman who told me over the phone that they had collected four different water samples and sent them to two different labs. These results were indicative of groundwater and they described Farmer Joe as a local disgruntled landowner. I asked them to email me that information but the email only stated they had “tested” the water and didn’t outline the rigorous testing described on the phone. I replied requesting more information but my email bounced back and was labeled as “permanently blocked.”
That same evening, I received a message that the police were at Farmer Joe’s house! I went over immediately and learned that the Department of Transportation had sent someone out sometime after 6 p.m. to take down the signs. The signs were located within 15 feet of the road so the Department Of Transportation has the right to remove them. But Farmer Joe didn’t know why a stranger was hitting his sign with a hammer. Since it was his property, he rode out on his golf cart just like he did when I came to visit. He unknowingly took a pellet gun with him since he kept it mounted on the back of his cart. After speaking to Farmer Joe, the DOT employee left to sit in their vehicle. Joe did not reach for the pellet gun at any point in his discussion with the DOT employee. Within a few minutes, five Cobb County Police officers showed up and demanded he raise his hands over his head and back towards them slowly.
Joe was not given a citation or warning of any kind, just treated like an armed robber on his own property. His brother, unfortunately, arrived home while this was unfolding and received the same treatment from the Cobb County Police Department. The DOT removed all signs within 15 feet of the road and left. Joe had them back up with adequate distance a few days later.
Carpet at the Entrance of the Cobb County Government Building
After this harrowing experience, I urged Farmer Joe to attend the next Cobb County Commissioners meeting and make a Public Comment, which is what he did on May 27th. He only knew about the meeting and that he could make a comment because I looked up the information on the Cobb County Government website for him. I also contacted the Department of Transportation and did not stop following up until I received an acknowledgment that my email had been read.
If you want your elected officials to listen to you, you must place yourself in the same room as them. Emails, phone calls, and even petitions can be swept aside and ignored. Standing in the room and making a Public Statement is the only way to request transparency in a manner that cannot be ignored.
As a single citizen, I cannot make this happen. As a small group of four or five, I cannot make this happen. But if twenty people place themselves in the room with me? Elected officials must listen because that is what their role requires. We must each take responsibility to put our physical bodies and physical voices in the room or our opinion will be disregarded.
Rezone Case Z-7
Please attend the Zoning Hearing on July 15th at 9:00am. Case Z-7 used to be one of the first cases listed on the agenda, but is now much further back. This means it could even take a few hours to be addressed. Bring a book and if there is a chance to stand in opposition, do so. At least our elected commissioners will have to look you in the eye before the vote.
