MABLETON IMPROVEMENT COALITION

NEWSLETTER

March 1, 2016 

From the President...

     

Today is Election Day! 

If you did not vote early, today is the day to cast your ballot in the Presidential primary. Voting is the hallmark of an engaged community, so whatever your political leanings, it is important to vote. Today, you must vote in your home precinct. To confirm that location, check your voter registration card or use My Voter Page. If you go to any other location, you will not be able to vote. Polls are open 7am to 7pm.

As you will see below, MIC's Board elections are coming up soon, too. March 4th is the last day to submit your application for a position on the Board of Directors. If you have any questions about MIC or the Board, please feel free to contact me. The election will take place at our Annual Community Meeting on March 31st.

Until then, feel free to give me a call or send  me an email - I'm always ready to talk about Mableton!
 
Sincerely,   
   
Joel Cope
Join Button tan

MIC President
(404) 550-0475 

MIC Accepting Applications for New Board Members
Applications Due March 4th
Do you have a passion for Mableton, a willingness to learn even more about our community, an interest in working with people, and the time to commit to monthly Board meetings, committee meetings and projects? If the answer is "Yes" and if you are a MIC member and live in Mableton, please consider joining the MIC Board.  The rewards are many - new friends and connections in the community, a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that you are making our world just a little bit better.
  
Applications for the 2-year terms beginning in April are due March 4th, so act now! We will have some open seats this year, and we are eager to welcome new Board members with new ideas and perspectives. Click  here to submit a nomination.

Board members are not compensated financially for their MIC service; we are all volunteers. The Board is responsible for overseeing MIC operations, finances, determining MIC positions on zoning cases, appointing MIC officers, modifying bylaws, and listening to the community as we formulate MIC policies and projects. Each MIC Board member is expected to chair a committee or lead a project of his or her choosing. 

Click here to access the application or to learn more about the process. Click  here to read the bios of MIC's current Board members. MIC Board members are your neighbors - please apply now so that you can join them!

Questions? Contact Tia Minnis, Nominating Committee Chair.

Cobb County Assembling List of Potential Park Property
Public Meeting on March 17th, 5:30 to 7pm
Thanks to the tireless work of greenspace advocates, Cobb County has begun compiling a list of property to be purchased with bond proceeds approved by the voters in 2008, before the Great Recession. While the amount of funds available is still uncertain, the process is underway. Your help is needed to make sure potential property in Mableton and South Cobb is considered.

You have the power to increase our green space, provide wellness trails, promote our community spirit, and make Mableton a destination for new families and companies.  Click here and go Cobb PARKS where you can nominate a property that you think would be a wonderful addition to our community and preserve greenspace.

Please nominate your prospective park by April 15!

PARKS staff will also seek public input through a series of open houses. The first one will be here in District 4 on March 17th from 5:30 to 7pm at the South Cobb Community Center at 620 Lions Club Drive in Mableton. Be sure to attend if you want to learn more about this very important process!

Questions? Contact Meggan Delano, MIC Parks Committee Co-chair.

Mableton Day is Saturday, May 14th
8am to 4pm at the Mable House Complex
The 11th Annual Mableton Day will kick off with the Mableton Day 5K and Fun Run and include entertainment, vendors, a car show, kids corner, and fun for the whole family. Nonprofit organizations and schools are already competing for grant funds, which will be awarded that day. Mark your calendar now and don't miss this great event.

Everyone is invited to monthly Mableton Day Community meetings, designed to bring more people into the planning process for the event. The next meeting is Monday, March 14th at 7:00PM at the South Cobb Library, 805 Clay Road in Mableton. 

For more information, visit the Mableton Day website or contact the organizers via  email.

East Mableton Neighborhood Watch
Organizational Meeting was a Success.
On February 2nd, the East Mableton Neighborhood Watch group, led by its organizer Lessie Matthews, held an organizing meeting with MIC playing a support role.  Commissioner Lisa Cupid, Major Jeff Adcock and Mike Jones of the Cobb Cemetery Commission were in attendance.  Residents discussed trends that they saw in the neighborhood and what responses they can, or ought to take, in response to certain activities such as gang graffiti and break-ins.  In addition, other topics were discussed such as zoning cases, the need for economic development and flooding which was occurring across residents' property.  The group asked Commissioner Lisa Cupid and President Joel Cope to speak. Commissioner Cupid took questions and spoke with local residents, in particular, as to local flooding and sent inquiries that very evening to County officials seeking to take action on their concerns. 

For more information on Neighborhood Watch programs, contact Joel Cope.

Mable House Arts Center News
Classes, Summer Camp, Exhibits and Theatre
Register now for Spring classes at the Mable House Arts Center! From pottery to digital photography, toddlers to seniors - there is a class for you and everyone in your family. Check out the Canvas and Cocktails, Mad Hatters Tea Party and other special events. View the entire course offering and then register online .

Summer Camp at the Mable House is a wonderful asset for our community. Registration opens March 9th. Click here for all the information about the Artist Academy's morning and afternoon classes in performing and visual arts. For more information, call (770) 819-3285.

In the gallery at the Mable House Arts Center will soon be the annual Floyd Middle School Celebrates the Arts exhibit. The exhibit opens March 7th and runs through March 31st. Come and see what these talented middle schoolers can do! Hats off to Ms. Lisa Collins, art teacher, for her dedication to these students and the arts. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 10am to 5pm; call (770) 819-3285 for evening and weekend hours. Admission is free.

Get your tickets now for Mary Poppins, a production of The Theatre Project showcasing our community's great young talent. Tickets will go on sale at The Arts Center, The Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre Box office and Ticketmaster March 14th beginning at 10am for performances April 15th, 16th and 17th. Tickets are $8 for adults; children 12 and under are free. Tables that seat six are $60. Click here for more information.

The Mable House Complex is located at 5239 Floyd Road in Mableton.

Zoning News
Completed in February...
Elite Auto Collision withdrew their application to allow an auto body shop at  380 Veterans Memorial Highway, SE zoning sign small  (OB-57). The MIC Board voted to oppose this request and neighbors in the Allen Road/Lakeshore area circulated a petition in opposition, as well.

The Board of Commissioners approved the rezoning of property owned by John A. Glore at  5756 Sydney Anne Court (Z-3) from General Commercial to Neighborhood Retail Commercial. The MIC Zoning Committee worked with the applicant's attorney to secure some stipulations and as a result, the MIC Board voted to remain neutral in this case. The expected tenant for this property builds movie sets and MIC welcomes another successful business to our community.

Diamond Roofing Company's application to rezone  5827 Powell Drive (Z-7) from R-20 to Light Industrial was approved by the Board of Commissioners. The MIC Zoning Committee worked with the applicant's attorney to obtain improvements to this property and appropriate limitations for this small parcel located in a Neighborhood Activity Center (NAC). The MIC Board voted to remain neutral. 

The property at the corner of  Mableton Parkway and Factory Shoals Road (Z-17), which includes a small restaurant on the corner and the strip center housing Webb's Cleaners was approved for rezoning to Neighborhood Retail Commercial zoning by the Board of Commissioners. The approval included some improvements to the property, such as paving, painting and landscaping.

Coming up in March...

Unique International Auto, LLC's application to rezone their property at  5835 Powell Drive (Z-4) from R-20 to Heavy Industrial for used car sales, auto storage yard and offices. Originally set for February, the hearing was postponed until March 1st. A special land use permit application (SLUP-1) has also been submitted for the used car sales and auto storage. The MIC Board voted to oppose this application because the property is located in an NAC and is too small for such an intense use.

An application for a variance (V-40) has been filed by the owners of 7040 Mableton Parkway for the ice manufacturing business located there can expand. MIC Zoning Committee members met with the applicant and awaiting additional information.

Coming up in April...
 
The hearing for Aldridge Grading and Trucking Co. has been postponed until April 5th. They are requesting rezoning for  86 Veterans Memorial Highway (Z-5) from R-20 to Light Industrial for continued use by their grading business. The MIC Board voted to oppose this application because it would expand a light industrial type use in an NAC. Additionally, the property is close to a thriving day care center and Lindley Middle School.  
  
Also continued until April 5th is the hearing on   Hilltop Shopping Center (Z-11). The owners  applied to rezone this property at  1391 Veterans Memorial Highway to Light Industrial for a climate-controlled self-storage facility. Presently, the shopping center appears vacant except for a dollar store. The MIC Zoning Committee has met with the applicant's representative and is awaiting more detailed plans.  

The application for the KOK warehouse at   281 Veterans Memorial Highway (Z-14) to be rezoned to Light Industrial has been postponed until April 5th. MIC is awaiting additional information about the future use of this property.  
  
Questions? Want to get involved? Contact Robin Meyer, MIC Zoning Committee Chair.

New Businesses in Mableton
Business Licenses Issued in February
During February, 2016, twenty-one new Mableton businesses submitted a request for business_icon.jpg their business licenses from Cobb County. They are: Gonzalez Elizabeth Jrs Taxi, Nails by Sally LLC, Nash Alyssa, Rays Home Inspections, Shipping Match Insight Investments, Simply Bookeeping, Tax Relief City, William Robert D Jrs. Taxi, Coaxum Ervin Jrs. Taxi, Lanier Martin, MC Vending LLC, McLaughilin Courtney A1 Taxi Company, All Inclusive Clean LLC, Raygoza Guillermo Jrs. Taxi, Waller Chanereka Martell A1 Cab, Amanda Grace, Brothers Destiny Grooming Foundation, E Fade Consulting Co, Niang Truck Lines, Parade of Ribbons, Swiney & Swiney Auto Brokers
 
Click here for more information compiled from the county's website. A warm welcome to these new companies.

Thanks to our Sponsors
Please patronize our sponsors and other local businesses. 
If you'd like to become a MIC Sponsor, please contact Joel Cope.



Like us on Facebook 
Join Our Mailing List