If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our eNews and Update Alert feed. Thanks for visiting!

Southeast Cobb residents are invited to a public information meeting 6 p.m., Tuesday, June 30, to update the public on recommendations of the River Line Master Plan. The meeting will be held at South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton.

The master plan is a comprehensive set of policies to guide future improvements in the area through land use, economic development and quality-of-life enhancements.

For more information, call Community Development Planning Division at 770-528-2018.

That odd sound you heard yesterday afternoon was the sound of long forgotten irrigation systems pumping out water for the first time since September 2007.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division lifted severe outdoor watering restrictions. These restrictions have been in effect in the northern third of the state for almost two years.

The Level 4 drought restrictions banned most types of outdoor water use, although some of the restrictions have been lessened already this Spring. However, keep in mind that it’s not a free-for-all. I’m sure everyone just wanted to test out their sprinkler systems to see if they still work, but keep in mind that there are still watering restrictions.

We’ll now fall under a non-drought outdoor watering schedule. Residential and commercial property owners will be allowed to water their lawns three days a week.

Odd-numbered addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Even-numbered addresses may water on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

You may be asking, if the drought is over, why are there still limitations?

Well, metro Atlanta has become a big city and drought or no drought, we need to continue to conserve our water resources and be smart about our water usage.

[where: 30080]

You are invited to the 2009 City of Smyrna Memorial Day Ceremony - 10:00 a.m. at the Cobb County 20th Century Veterans Memorial.  (Ceremony begins promptly at 10:00 a.m. in the heart of Smyrna, Georgia)

The Smyrna ceremony is organized by members of the community and it is those members of the community who officiate.  They wish for you to join them on this day to honor and appreciate sacrifices and our commitment to peace through strength and sacrifice.

The 2009 Memorial Day Ceremony sequence is as follows:

• Flyover
• Presentation of Colors
• National Anthem
• Invocation
• Welcome & Remarks
• Veteran Remarks
• Honors
• Armed Services Medley
• Benediction

Each year, a new design for the commemorative lapel pin is approved by the Memorial Day Ceremony Committee and the lapel pins are given to attendees of the event.

Seating is generally unassigned (beyond the two to three rows) but is limited and is expected to start as early as 9:00 a.m. and end at 10:00 a.m..  The ceremony will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m.

——————————-

The annual Smyrna community ceremony began in 2003.  The 2004 ceremony organizing committee created a program with a special sequence launch of honoring - in sequence - the experience of those involved in six wars/conflicts, beginning with WWI.  The 2004 ceremony focused on the WWII experience.  2005 highlighted the Korean War and the 2006 ceremony emphasis was on the Vietnam War experience.  The 2007 ceremony concentrates on the last 25 years.  The 2008 and 2009 ceremonies have included experience from WWII to present.

The first program included a section titled “History and Remembrance,” which narrated history surrounding the development and conclusion of each of six wars (WWI through the “War on Terrorism”) and the costs in dollars and human lives.  A copy of this narrated recording was donated to the Smyrna Public Library.

If you want your children to know why we do what we do on Memorial Day, this is the ceremony that you should attend.

The City of Smyrn will be holding a Public Information Open House - May 19, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The Public Information Open House will cover the proposed median and traffic signals on Windy Hill Road from Old Spring Road to Atlanta Road will be held at the Smyrna Community Center located at (200 Village Green Circle, in Room 1). The purpose of the open house is to afford the public an opportunity to ask questions and to provide input during the early development stages of the project.

[where: 30080]

The Smyrna Economic Development presentation at the Smyrna Town Hall meeting was covered by Andrea Hall, Smyrna’s Economic Development Coordinator.

First up, was a discussion of how home prices are fairing. Nationwide homes prices are down 14.3%, but only down 12.1% in metro Atlanta. But if you look at the following home value index change map:

From the map above, you’ll see that the Smyrna area has fared well, all being in the orange (prices up more than 0%) or light green (prices down 0-5%) categories. A big impact on the current amount of distressed properties hitting the market, is related to sub-prime mortgages that were written from 2004-2006.

Ms. Hall pointed out in the following map that Smyrna has been much better insulated against price drops due to a much lower percentage of high risk loans being written in the Smyrna area, as you can see below:

Smyrna is outlined in blue and comparatively speaking, we’re certainly in much better shape and likely to rebound quicker than some areas such as southwest Cobb county. Click here if you’d like to learn more about Atlanta distressed properties.

Next up was a recap of current construction. There are currently 41 Smyrna subdivisions under construction (1,600 lots approved), with only 42% of those lots having been constructed and 72% of those constructed having been sold. Several subdivisions have been developed, but no homes have been built (274 lots).

So if you do the math, that means of the 1,600 approved lots, 672 homes have been built, 484 have sold and 188 are standing inventory.

The net effect is that 13 subdivisions are either under bank ownership or new investors.

Redevelopment goals are still focused on the tax allocation district (TAD). The city is a big believer in using TAD’s due to the “halo effect” it brings to the community and the incremental property taxes that are generated. Ms. Hall pointed out that a great example of the “halo effect” is the $200 million in additional investment that occurred within a 1 mile radius of the Smyrna Market Village within 5 years of it being built.

Within the tax allocation district, Smyrna wants to increase the amount of residentail units, increase average household incomes to attract quality retail, replace sub-standard rental units, provide redevelopment incentives and establish gateway entries to downtown Smyrna at Jonquil Village and Belmont Hills.

I feel like I’m getting long-winded, so you’ll have to come back for the updates on Jonquil Village and Belmont Hills. I promise not to keep you waiting long, but I need to go eat right now.