Georgia Highlands College’s Marietta campus to fight crime and rebuild the Franklin Road community

February 28, 2010 – 4:48 pm


Marietta’s Weed and Seed program has teamed up with more than 20 human communications students from Georgia Highlands College’s Marietta campus to fight crime and rebuild the Franklin Road community.

The students volunteered more than 250 hours of their time at service agencies in the Franklin Road area, including the Franklin Road Boys and Girls Club; Latin American Association; Omosaze reading program; Girl Scouts of America; Cobb Community Collaborative; and the Marietta Youth Empowerment through Learning, Leading and Serving (YELLS) mentorship program, which focuses on youth leadership, community service and academic achievement. In addition, 20 GHC students will participate in the Franklin Road service learning initiative this semester.

“My hope is that they can use their experiences to learn more about communication principles in action, and more importantly, become active and engaged citizens in their community,” Georgia Highlands communication professor and project leader Meredith Ginn said.

“I helped a non-profit organization receive a grant to communicate the importance of participating in the 2010 Census to the community,” nursing major and project participant Sonya Cochran said. “The experience was challenging but incredibly rewarding for everyone involved.”

The Weed and Seed program’s partnership with Georgia Highlands helps expand the concept of community, Weed and Seed coordinator Daneea Badio said. “It’s not just about the residents and businesses on Franklin Road coming together to make a difference,” she said. “It’s about the larger community seeing ourselves as one.”

Weed and Seed is a federal program designed to help communities with serious crime problems bring together people and resources to prevent and control crime and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods. Marietta’s Weed and Seed area encompasses Franklin Road from South Marietta Parkway to the north, Terrell Mill Road to the south, Cobb Parkway to the west and Interstate 75 to the east.
About Georgia Highlands College

Georgia Highlands College, based in Rome, is a two-year institution of the University System of Georgia. More than 5,000 students attend classes at the college’s six campuses in Rome, Cartersville, Marietta, Dallas and Douglasville. More than 1,000 students are enrolled at GHC’s Marietta campus, which opened in 2005.

Redeveloping and revitalizing Franklin Road, and establishing or continuing a collaborative relationship with local centers of higher learning are goals City Council established as part of Marietta’s vision statement.

For more information, call Marietta’s Weed and Seed coordinator Daneea Badio at 770-794-5640.

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Marietta City employee saves city taxpayers $334,000

February 26, 2010 – 9:15 am

Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin, City Council, finance director Sam Lady and accounting manager Beth Keller honored accountant Mohammed Ennin February 10 for finding ways to help Marietta save approximately $334,000 through a federal tax credit program as a result of the city using alternative fuels, including biodiesel, in city-owned vehicles.

As a result of Marietta using a different kind of fuel than petroleum in city-owned vehicles the city is able to receive a rebate on the federal taxes that were paid on the alternative fuel.

“Mohammed’s efforts required perseverance and research to meet deadlines for eligibility,” Tumlin said. “As a result of Mohammed’s research, the city will receive a refund of more than $334,000, with the opportunity for continued years of benefit.”

Ennin, who moved to Marietta a year and a half ago, earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and his master’s degree in public administration from Florida A&M University.

The city of Marietta continues to look for innovative ways to conserve energy, while cutting down on emissions and saving money. Marietta’s Fleet Division began using a biodiesel blend in 90 percent of the city’s diesel vehicles in 2008. The city also has several natural gas vehicles in its fleet.

For more information, call Marietta’s Accounting Division at 770-794-5544.

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Marietta Square Traffic is a complete mess – what do you think?

February 23, 2010 – 10:03 am

This was shot earlier today and is an example of how much a pain the Square is becoming each morning. Hopefully they’ll be wrapped up soon….

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Cobb Housing permits see bump in January

February 21, 2010 – 10:17 am

According to an article in the MDJ, Cobb housing permits are up. What do you think? Will we see an increase in building? I’m not hopeful.

January 2010 saw an uptick in the number of home-building permits issued across Cobb County, but builders are still bracing for more foreclosures to flood the market.

There were 64 permits for new single-family homes issued across Cobb in January. The same month a year earlier saw only 27 permits.

Most of the permits, 43, are for unincorporated Cobb. Smyrna had nine; Acworth, eight; Kennesaw, three and Marietta, one. Austell and Powder Springs did not issue any permits in January.

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Marietta receives $3 million for streetscape, traffic improvements

February 20, 2010 – 10:11 am

Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin announced during his first State of the City speech to the Kiwanis Club of Marietta February 18 that the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded Marietta $3 million to fund streetscape and traffic improvements on Franklin Road, which will beautify one of the major corridors coming into Marietta, improve traffic flow, help reduce accidents and improve pedestrian safety. The ARC received more than 40 grant applications, and Marietta received the second-highest grant award out of 17 given.

The improvements are phase two of a project on the middle section of Franklin Road, and when complete upgrades will include landscaped medians, traffic lights, aligning entryways to apartment complexes and shopping centers, landscaping, sidewalks on both sides of the road, and decorative lighting.

The improvements will eliminate motorists going into the middle lane trying to turn and include designated areas where pedestrians should cross the road, city manager Bill Bruton said. “A lot of people are hit in the area, which isn’t good,” he said. “The improvements will be a lot more laid out so people will know where they can cross the street and where they should turn.”

The streetscape enhancements would encourage redevelopment in the area and support business owners and residents who want to go in and put more money into their properties, Bruton said. “They would see the city doing the same.”

The project is funded by a grant awarded through the livable centers initiative (LCI) program, which the ARC established in 2000 to encourage quality design in downtown areas or urban centers, Bruton said. “A lot of the grant money the ARC is able to give communities for projects comes from the federal government to state government.”

In order to participate and have access to the grant money, the city had to be an LCI community and had to go through a competitive process, Bruton said. “Marietta was selected by selected by the ARC and had to do a planning study of the city, which shows how we can improve the city through quality design and traffic enhancements.”

In 2000, Marietta was one of the first 10 communities selected by the ARC to participate in the first round of the program, Bruton said. “The city’s first planning study was called Envision Marietta and involved people from all over the community, trying to figure out what the downtown core should be like and included master plans for the downtown area and what we would do,” he said. “A lot of what we’re doing on Roswell Street and some of what is going forward on Powder Springs Street came from that plan, including zoning changes that we’ve done.”

The ARC approved the plan, which allowed the city to apply for the grant money. “Over a two-year period, we were able to receive $3 million for improvements on Roswell Street,” Bruton said.

“While we were finishing up with that project, as far as planning and applying for the grant, we looked at the Franklin Road/Delk Road area and created a Franklin Road/Delk corridor master plan, which was also approved by the ARC,” Bruton said. “This plan laid out how the Franklin Road/Delk Road area would function and look and was an effort to spur redevelopment in that area of town.” The ARC approved the plan, which allowed the city to be able to apply for funding for the area, he said.

The city didn’t create an LCI plan for Powder Springs Street, Bruton said. “We actually went in and did our own Powder Springs Street master plan with the Marietta Housing Authority, and we both paid for half of the project,” he said. “The ARC approved the plan just this year to have it included as an LCI-eligible project.”

Phase one of the Franklin Road project, which is on the north and south ends of Franklin Road, is funded by the 2005 special purpose local option sales tax voters approved for transportation improvements.

The project is included in the new SPLOST list City Council is currently considering, which should free up some anticipated funds for other projects if that SPLOST goes forward,” Bruton said. “Senior urban planner Kyethea Kirk and city engineer Jim Wilgus did a great job preparing the application.”

“The earliest construction would start on the project would be in late 2012, since the city has just received the funding,” Wilgus said. “The actual start date depends on several issues, which haven’t been addressed yet.”

An efficient transportation system, which places a high premium on the quality of life of Marietta’s citizens; creating landscaped boulevards and gateways; encouraging redevelopment with a mixture of uses, while strengthening viable neighborhoods and commercial areas; continuing quality zoning and development that will benefit generations to come; and working with the Marietta Housing Authority, Cobb Housing Inc. and other agencies to redevelop and revitalize the Franklin Road, Roswell Street, Allgood and Powder Springs Road corridors as well as other areas of Marietta are goals City Council established as part of its vision statement.

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Marietta Mardi Gras 5K Updates…

February 12, 2010 – 6:23 pm

See the site Marietta Mardi Gras 5K for updates.

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2010 Upgrades to the Marietta Square to start soon!

December 31, 2009 – 10:41 am

The city of Marietta is scheduled to begin a $1.3 million improvement project to the Square January 4, which will provide better service to businesses around the Square and beautify the downtown area. When complete, upgrades will include repaving the Square; replacing the water main under the parking spaces on North Park Square, West Park Square and South Park Square; brick crosswalks at all four intersections of the Square; replacing street poles with black better-looking poles; reducing the number of signs; and replacing existing parking signs.
Project planning

To help reduce the impact of construction to Marietta’s citizens, merchants and visitors, several meetings have been held to review the best available options for parking, deliveries and access to the Square while construction is taking place. The city chose to begin construction January 4 because merchants usually experience slower business during the winter, and the city and other groups and organizations host fewer events than at other times during the year. City leaders are working with contractors and city departments to make sure the work is completed as fast as possible.

The waterline, located under the street, is old and needs to be replaced. “Visitors will be able to access the sidewalks at all times during construction,” Public Works director Dan Conn said.

The new waterline will provide better services to residents and businesses near the Square. Construction is scheduled to be completed by May 1, and the city will work with the contractor to manage the work schedule to minimize the disruption to businesses, city manager Bill Bruton said. “The city delayed the project, which will allow us to work during the slowest months for businesses on the Square.”
Parking and traffic

Motorists will be able to park along all four sides of the Square during construction, but not all spaces will be available at all times. The project will include a few lane closures during construction, but at least four ways entering and leaving the Square will be maintained at all times during construction. Detour signs will be posted to direct motorists to alternate routes. Access to the Square could be reduced to two entrances and two exits for a short time because of the weather. The city has developed a plan to help vendors and merchants unload merchandise in loading zones around the Square.

City facilities including City Hall, 205 Lawrence Street, the Marietta Fire Department headquarters, 112 Haynes Street, and the Marietta Police Department, 240 Lemon Street, will not be affected by the construction or detours.

Construction on the waterline will occur in two phases on each side of the Square, and service will be restored when construction is complete. Workers will replace the waterline first and begin by replacing the line under the parking spaces in front of businesses on North Park Square. Waterlines will also be replaced under the parking spaces on West Park Square and South Park Square. The city plans to close no more than half of the parking along the north side of North Park Square at a time during most of the construction on the waterline. The city expects half of the parking spaces along one side of North and West Park Square to be closed for approximately two to three days during construction while work moves to West Park Square.

After work is completed on the water main along North Park Square, work will begin on West Park Square, then South Park Square. Work along West Park Square and South Park Square will be completed in a similar fashion as North Park Square. Contractors will also begin construction on brick crosswalks, and work will continue at the same time workers are replacing the waterline. Workers will build brick crosswalks across part of the intersections of West Park Square, South Park Square and East Park Square.

After construction is complete on the waterline near the North Park Square and East Park Square intersection, sidewalk construction will begin at the intersection of North Park Square and East Park Square. As construction begins on the water main around the Square, improvements to the crosswalk will follow at each intersection. The crosswalk construction at each intersection will be completed in two phases to keep traffic flowing smoothly and help motorists park easier.
Sign, pole upgrades

The city will replace signs around the Square while construction on the waterline and crosswalks is taking place. Staff will replace current poles and street signs with decorative ones. Workers will reduce the overall number of poles by putting street signs on light poles or consolidating them with other signs on decorative sign poles. Workers will replace the remaining overhead light poles with new decorative poles during the sign replacement.
Street repaving

North Park Square, West Park Square, South Park Square, and East Park Square will be resurfaced after construction on the waterline and crosswalks is completed. Workers plan to mill and resurface the streets at night to maintain traffic flow during the day. The resurfacing is expected to be complete by the end of April, but could extend until the end of May.

With so many projects being constructed simultaneously, citizens, merchants, motorists and visitors are encouraged to be patient during construction.

The project is funded by the special purpose local option sales tax passed by voters in 2005 to fund transportation improvements.

An efficient transportation system, which places a high premium on the quality of life of Marietta’s citizens, is a goal City Council established as part of its vision statement.

For more information, call Marietta’s Public Works Department at 770-794-5650, or to sign up for e-mail updates, visit mariettaga.gov/transportation.

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Cobb County Splost Update – Dec. 2009

December 16, 2009 – 7:41 am

Cobb voters approved the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax in 2005 to fund important transportation and public safety projects. Since then, significant progress has been made in many areas, including transportation improvements and the new courthouse project.

JUDICIAL

Substantial progress continues on the new courthouse, which will combine all of the county’s court services on one campus and allow Juvenile Court to move to downtown Marietta. Concrete slabs have been poured for the first five floors of the building and construction was completed on the storm water detention vault. Underground sewer lines were also installed and Marietta Power established permanent power to the building. Metal stairways have been put in place and masonry wall construction began on holding cells. Metal stud construction of exterior walls also began in October. Turner Construction plans to install a connecting bridge in January and the courthouse should be open for business in spring 2011.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Jail
The $110 million expansion of the Cobb County Adult Detention Center is substantially complete and continues within budget. Construction of the visitor center, administrative building and housing tower is complete. With the opening of the visitor building earlier this year, video visitation and bonding functions were relocated to the new facility. Construction of the housing tower is finished and the Sheriff’s Office is installing equipment, testing security systems and preparing for occupancy during the first quarter of 2010. Renovation and expansion of the laundry and kitchen areas has been completed. Renovation of the booking area into mental health facilities will begin as soon as booking functions transition to the new tower. The jail expansion will add more than 320,000 square feet and 1,152 beds to the Detention Complex bringing its capacity to 3,077 inmates.

TRANSPORTATION

With the SPLOST program progressing ahead of the original schedule and on track for completion within eight years, improvements to Cobb County’s transportation system steadily move along. As of September, 251 of the 260 transportation projects were underway or completed. Of these projects, 178 have begun the right-of-way acquisition phase, 150 were completed and 192 have initiated construction, including the following:

* 21 school zone improvement projects valued at $5.4 million
* 34 bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects valued at $18.3 million
* 37 intersection safety and operational improvements valued at $20.3 million
* 30 thoroughfare and roadway safety improvement projects valued at $77.3 million
* 260 miles of road resurfacing valued at $30.2 million

Project Focus

Construction on the
Windy Hill Road/Macland Road
Connector

Year in Review
2009 proved to be a challenging year for the Cobb Department of Transportation due in part to the impact of the recession and flooding from unprecedented weather events. Despite these difficulties, DOT had many notable accomplishments for the year, including:

* More than 50 SPLOST projects let for construction, totaling nearly $60 million.
* All 10 summer closures were successfully opened to traffic prior to start of the new school year.
* As part of the Windy Hill Road/Macland Road Connector, the bridge at Callaway Road was completed prior to the opening of the North Georgia State Fair. This completed a key objective of phase I construction of the project.
* The drainage component of the SPLOST program funded more than 20 drainage repairs needed countywide as a result of the historic flooding in September. This provided the matching funds needed to receive federal and state emergency repair funding.
* All SR 176 (Lost Mountain Road/Mars Hill Road) intersection projects were let to construction. This included seven separate intersection projects from Corner Road to Mars Hill Church Road.
* Jamerson Road/Wigley Road safety and operational improvements will be let for construction this month, providing additional safety and congestion relief on this highly-traveled east/west corridor in northern Cobb.

Austell Road at East-West Connector Intersection Improvements
The project just started construction after a lengthy utility relocation process. This is a critical project in the program because in 2006 this intersection was identified as one of the most accident-prone intersections in the county. The project is anticipated for completion in the spring with construction costs of $1.2 million. Improvements at this intersection include:

* A six-lane divided roadway (three lanes in each direction) on the East-West-Connector from Lipson Drive through Hospital Drive South
* Dual left-turns from the East-West Connector eastbound to Austell Road northbound
* Dual left-turns from Austell Road southbound to the East-West Connector eastbound

Construction at North Church Lane
and Atlanta Road

North Church Lane over CSX Railroad (D1260)
This project will replace the bridge over the CSX Rail line. Improvements will include pavement widening and turn lanes on both sides of the Atlanta Road intersection as well as pedestrian improvements on North Church Lane and along Atlanta Road. The roadway will reopen at the time of the project’s completion which is scheduled for 2010.

Jiles Road, Phases I, II and II
This project is a jointly-funded project by Cobb County and the City of Kennesaw. Phase I adds a four-lane divided section between Baker Road and Cherokee Street. This phase has been under construction since March and is expected to be completed in May.

Phase II includes the construction of a bridge over CSX railroad, parallel with the existing bridge. This will extend the four-lane divided section over the railroad tracks. This project began construction in September and is expected to be completed in May.

Phase III of this project is currently being designed and will include additional lanes, turn lanes, geometric improvements and other enhancements from Cobb Parkway (US 41) to the bridge over CSX railroad. Right-of-way acquisition is expected to start on this project in early 2010 with construction to begin in November.

Completion of these three phases will greatly improve the safety and operations of this segment of roadway between Cobb Parkway (US 41) and Cherokee Street.

Additional Information

Planning Update: Kick-Off Community Meeting held for Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) Project
arrowProject Fact Sheet

Cobb County, along with the City of Atlanta, recently hosted a kick-off community meeting focusing on the Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) Planning Project in the D.L. Hollowell Parkway/Veteran’s Memorial Highway corridor. The study area is approximately four miles from Hollowell Parkway at James Jackson Parkway to Veteran’s Memorial Highway at Buckner Road. Visit the project Web site dot.cobbcountyga.gov/active-studies.htm, contact the Cobb DOT Planning Division at 770-528-1629 or email at planning@cobbcounty.org.

SPLOST Oversight Committee
Throughout the 2005 SPLOST Program, there has been a great deal of work and effort behind the scenes by a group of citizen volunteers that make up the SPLOST Oversight Committee. This committee was formed by a resolution adopted by the Board of Commissioners in October 2005, directly after the approval of the 2005 SPLOST by voters.

The SPLOST Oversight Committee is made up of 15 citizens appointed by each of the members of the Board of Commissioners (three for each commissioner and chairman). The committee has been meeting on a bi-monthly basis since 2005.

Primary roles of the committee for the Transportation Improvement Program portion of SPLOST include:

* Confirming the county remains accountable for expenditure of funds in the SPLOST program.
* Ensuring the county implements SPLOST projects in a timely manner.

Meeting agendas and minutes for the SPLOST Oversight Committee can be found at www.cobbcip.org/oversight_min.htm. We thank all members of this committee for their dedication and service to Cobb County.

SPLOST Oversight Committee members from left to right:
Alice Summerour, Bill Borden, David Hong, Lee Berg and Dr. Michael Rhett

Deferred Projects
The approved 2005 SPLOST Program was budgeted based on anticipated revenues (sales tax) throughout the life of the SPLOST. However, SPLOST revenue has averaged below projections for the past 21 months due to the economic recession. To stay fiscally-responsible, the budget was revised to account for these losses in funding. This required a number of projects within the SPLOST program to be deferred or delayed until funding can be restored. Meanwhile, the funded projects continue to move forward into construction as soon as possible. Click here to view deferred project schedules and status.

Projects on the Horizon

Jamerson Road/Wigley Road Safety and Operational Improvements
The Jamerson Road/Wigley Road project will make significant improvements to this east-west corridor in northern Cobb. This project should be bid for construction this month and begin construction in February. Project highlights include:

* Creating four-lanes in the existing roadway between Canton Highway and Lee Waters Road (at Kell High School)
* The addition of turn lanes and other roadway improvements between Lee Waters Road and Sandy Plains Road
* Improvement to sidestreets and turning lanes at approaches to intersections
* Addition of sidewalk on the entire south side of the project
* Modifications of signals throughout the project limits

Canton Road
This project will improve Canton Road between Hamby Drive/Rosedale Drive to just north of Blackwell Road/New Chastain Road. Improvements will include a raised concrete median from the beginning of the project to just north of Piedmont Road and from Worley Drive to the end of the project. Major intersection improvements will be completed at Piedmont Road and Blackwell/Road/New Chastain Road as well as improvements to roadwork aesthetics; a red brick patterned median will be added at locations between the raised medians. Several sidewalk gaps will also be filled within the project limits to promote pedestrian access and safety. This project is letting for construction this month and construction will be underway in early 2010.

Childers Road
This project will improve Childers Road from Shallowford Road to the Fulton County line. Improvements include the addition of sidewalk on the northwest side of the roadway and a short stretch on the southeast side from the shopping center to the first subdivision. The roadway will be widened as well as the hills and curves reduced to improve safety and visibility. A roadway closure will be required in the summer to make a hillcut near Ellenwood Park Drive. This project is letting for construction this month and construction will be underway in early 2010.

Information relating to SPLOST transportation projects is updated regularly at www.cobbcip.org. If you have questions or comments regarding transportation projects, please contact Cobb DOT at cobbdot@cobbcounty.org or 770-528-1621. The next SPLOST transportation e-newsletter scheduled for March.

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Dear Manning Properties, use my money and buy some signs please.

December 14, 2009 – 1:34 pm

manning-properties-no-parking
Whatever you do, don’t dare park in one of the Manning Properties spots off the marietta square. They’ll gladly take your $50 or $125 when they tow your vehicle if you park in their ‘unmarked’ spaces behind Dupree’s. They claim each space is marked but that’s up for debate if you ask em.

Trust me, they took $50 from me today with no worries while I was trying to support a local business on the square. While they claim their spaces are ‘marked’ – a washed out yellow number on each space highly constitutes a ‘marked space’ imo. So if you ever think of parking back there, definitely think again or you might just find yourself out $50 (if you can stop the tow truck before they leave) or a full $125 if they tow you and you have to recover your car.

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Marietta receives $1 million+ to fund streetscape improvements on Roswell Street

September 25, 2009 – 8:54 am

Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue recently certified $1,048,000 to fund the city of Marietta’s streetscape improvements on Roswell Street from Lakewood Drive to Park Street as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

When complete, the project will include brick sidewalks, streetscape enhancements and pedestrian lights, city engineer Jim Wilgus said. “The project is already underway, and was originally funded by the Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) and special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) funds,” he said. “When it was selected as an ARRA project, the funding changed.” Wilgus expects construction to be completed by summer 2010.

“These projects will bring much needed repair and maintenance to roads, intersections and bridges,” Governor Perdue said. “The federal funds will strengthen our transportation network and help us to better serve Georgians.”

An efficient transportation system, which places a high premium on the quality of life of Marietta’s citizens, is a goal City Council established as part of its vision statement.

For more information, call Marietta’s Public Works Department at 770-794-5650 or visit dot.state.ga.us/gastimulus.

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