6. Bells Ferry area cases

Canton Road Neighbors' primary focus is on rezoning cases and planning on and adjacent to the Canton Corridor.

Several times in the past ten years we have worked with neighborhoods and the Bells Ferry Civic Association - both the original and current group- to address some large issues. They are our neighbors with some overlapping areas of interest and our group was mentored in 2004-5 by Bells Ferry Civic co-founder and President Hilda Towery.

In early 2015 CRN had the opportunity to return the favor to Bells Ferry area residents. The organization had grown dormant after the passing of Mrs. Towery and later, Ms. Pat Wegener. In January 2015 at the annual Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Amendments, CRN's Brown was approached by Bells Ferry area residents who had questions about several pending issues. One of them was rezoning application Z-16 which in 2014 had been Z-50, Georgia Kids Project on Canton Hwy. Z-16 was an application by the same person for a larger tract on Bells Ferry. There were other issues but this discussion led to the revitalization of Bells Ferry Civic Association, which incorporated in 2015.

Zoning Cases

2005 Z-170 Greers Chapel, Turner Road for Conservation Subdivision

Turner Rd.

Dickson Rd

2007-08 Z-26 Town Center Associates DRI.

Bells Ferry

2011 Z-34 Shady Oaks at Bells Ferry RSL to RA-5

2013 Z-69 BK Properties Big Shanty, Chastain Meadows Pky, Bells Ferry RM-8 for student housing Withdrawn without prejudice

2015 Z-20 BK Properties, Chastain Meadows Pky, Bells Ferry, OI, R-20 to OS approved 3-2

Zoning cases in the area included two in 2006 on Turner Road, another on Dickson Rd, a rezoning for medium density homes on Bells Ferry near Kurtz Rd, Z-26, the DRI on Big Shanty in the Hidden Forest Subdivision in 2007-8, Z-69 on Bells Ferry, Big Shanty and Chastain Meadows Pkwy. in 2013, and Z-20, BK properties on Bells Ferry and Chastain Meadows Pkwy in 2015.

We supported Bells Ferry Civic in 2005 when they contested Cobb DOT efforts to 4-lane the corridor. The effort to keep it off of the 2006 SPLOST was successful due to substantial opposition. Ten years later, both Bells Ferry (from Cobb Parkway to I-575) and Big Shanty from Chastain Meadows Pkwy to Bells Ferry are now programmed for widening should state funds ever become available. This is to accommodate the planned traffic increase "due to the managed lanes".

To view how this area has been developed over the years, go to Google Community to view a time lapse image from 1993-2014. It is a KMZ file and you will need Google Earth to view it.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/?utm_source=gecshare#!topic/gec-historical-imagery/wffd1LqKKgA

NW HOV/BRT Open House 2005 L-R Mike Tuller Cobb Planning Division Mgr., Hilda Towery, Carol Brown

Mrs. Towery's input in the NW HOV/BRT Public Open House meetings did convince GDOT and GRTA not to build a BRT station on Bells Ferry. As it turned out, the plan to build BRT Stations in the middle of the interstate was abandoned in favor of the current NW Corridor Managed lane project under construction.

Hilda Towery honored by BoC 2006 L-R Tim Lee Dist. 3, Annette Kesting Dist. 4, Sam Olens Chairman,

Hilda Towery BFCA, Helen Goreham Dist. 1, Joe Lee Thompson Dist. 2

Bells Ferry Civic Association can be reached at www.bellsferrycivic.org