THIS THURSDAY: Our next ABC Social in Smyrna!
We are hosting our next social this Thursday, Sept. 25, and this one might be our favorite one yet!
We will be hosted by Robert who has refurbished the Old Smyrna Firehouse to become a center of the Smyrna Arts & Culture Community. Learn more about his experience in creating a gathering place and what placemaking best practices we can apply to the future of Smyrna’s Downtown.
Attendance is free, but please RSVP or register so that we have a good head count. A $15 donation ($10 for members) will provide 2 drink tickets and pizza!
Register here: bit.ly/abcsept25
Tuesday, Sept. 23rd Board of Commissioners Preview
On Tuesday, Sept. 23, there will be the 7 p.m. Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting.
Not much jumps out from the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting, but it’s still important for you to attend if you’re able to!
Here’s a preview:
Presentations (4 items)
Public Comment Round 1 (10 speakers, up to 3 minutes each on any topic)
Consent Agenda (22 items)
The “Cumberland Sweep” is the subject of Item 13 and Item 14 on the Consent Agenda. Here’s the background info on the “Sweep” per the county’s agenda:
The Cumberland Community Improvement District (CCID) and the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) have jointly identified Cumberland Sweep as a capital transportation improvement project to construct a three-mile multimodal loop to accommodate walking, biking and a proposed autonomous vehicle circulator connecting major employment, cultural, and entertainment destinations within the CCID.
Item 13 is a contract for acquisition of Right-of-Way with the Georgia
Department of Transportation for Cumberland Sweep, Segment C, which will consist of an approximately 14-foot-wide path along Galleria Drive, from Akers Mill Road to the pedestrian bridge across Interstate 285. Currently in the preliminary engineering phase, Segment C will be approximately 0.4 miles in length. Item 14 is approval of Amendment No. 1 to the Cobb Framework Agreement with the Cumberland Community Improvement District, in an amount not to exceed $4,858,435.00, for right-of-way acquisition services for the Cumberland Sweep.
Several transportation improvement projects are being eyed for county commissioners’ fiscal 2025 contingency funding. (The county’s fiscal years run Oct. 1 - Sept. 30.) In Item 12, Commissioners Keli Gambrill (District 1, northwest and west Cobb) and Monique Sheffield (District 4, southwest Cobb) have each requested two projects in their respective districts to be supported by their respective district contingency funds. According to the county, the fiscal 2025 budget included capital contingency funding for the Chairwoman and district commissioners, in the amount of $200,000 each, to support improvements within their respective districts. Here’s what the two commissioners are proposing:
Gambrill seeks to allocate $70,000 of her district’s contingency funding to support a road maintenance safety improvement project that would include the clearing of trees and overgrown vegetation along various corridors within the district to improve sight distance for motorists. She also wants to use $100,000 in contingency funding to support the
Frey Road operational and safety improvement project, which will include preliminary engineering to address vehicle and pedestrian safety concerns with merging traffic on Frey Road northbound lanes, between Chastain Road and Skip Spann Connector.
Sheffield is seeking to allocate $128,000 of her district’s contingency funding to support the Chattahoochee Riverlands Boat Launch Ramp project. This project would include the demolition and removal of
the abandoned pump station located at 6653 Discovery Boulevard. The property would be improved to feature a new boat ramp. She is also proposing $40,000 to support a safety improvement project at Mableton Town Square Park that would include the installation of bollards
as a safety measure to control vehicle access at key locations entering the park, aimed at improving safety for pedestrians visiting the park.
This meeting agenda is seemingly a rare instance of more interesting items up for vote in the Consent Agenda (where all items within it are considered in one vote) versus the Regular Agenda where each item is voted on separately.
Regular Agenda (2 items)
Public Comment Round 2 (10 speakers, up to 3 minutes each)
Appointments & Announcements (0 items)
Feedback on Powder Springs’ LCI plan's goals, preliminary recommendations needed
As previously shared, the City of Powder Springs is updating its Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) Plan, last completed in 2016. Here’s the latest:
On Sept. 9, the City hosted a Visioning Workshop at the new City Hall. Members of the community were invited to share their thoughts on the plan's goals, see exciting concepts take shape in real time, and tell the City staff and consultant team what matters most to them.
We’re not done yet, and we still need your help before we’re finished.
We invite those who were unable to attend our workshop to participate via an online forum. Visit www.springsinmotionlci.com/visioning-workshop (or scan the QR code) to download and view the Visioning Workshop boards that were shown at the Sept. 9 event. Then, via the website, find links to give feedback on the plan's goals and its preliminary recommendations.
All of this feedback will be compiled and incorporated into a draft plan. City officials and our consultants have tentatively scheduled a Draft Plan Open House for Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, at City Hall, with the time to be determined. (Event details subject to change.)
That’s it for this edition of the ABC Newsletter! Don’t forget to sign up as an ABC Member to receive future newsletters! We’re working on our schedule for the next events so stay tuned for that information!