Planning Commission backs 24-unit townhome project on Powder Springs Road with conditions

The Cobb County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of rezoning case Z7 of 2025, proposing a 24-unit townhome development at the northwest corner of Powder Springs Road and Wood Meadows Drive.

The commission made the recommendation after public comment from nearby residents and representatives of the Cobb County School District and a detailed presentation from the applicant’s attorney, Kevin Moore. Moore said the site is shown as medium-density residential on the county’s future land use map and that the plan provides a transition between nearby commercial areas and the existing neighborhood to the rear.

Why it matters: Neighbors raised concerns about traffic, tree loss and school capacity. The school district’s representative, Travis McComb, told the commission that approval would “cause concern for Cobb County School District as a result and an impact on the enrollment of one school already over capacity.” Commissioners and the applicant cited a traffic estimate from CobbDOT that showed about nine cars exiting the site in the AM peak and 14 trips in the PM peak for the 24-unit plan.

The commission’s approval is tied to a stipulation letter from the applicant and multiple conditions: final site plan and elevations to be approved by the district commissioner; county arborist and district commissioner sign-off on the landscaping plan; adherence to Austell Road and service-station regulations where applicable; and standard county reviews for fire, water and sewer, stormwater and transportation. The applicant also agreed to build the internal streets to county construction standards but maintain them privately and to fund a separate account for future homeowners to maintain those streets.

Opponents pressed several points at the hearing: some residents said community notification about the meeting had been incomplete, others questioned parking calculations and expressed concern that the project would remove mature trees. One opponent, Steven Swanson, made a sustained appeal for greater tree preservation and warned about the long-term loss of canopy. The applicant responded that the development footprint for this plan is similar to what an R‑15 subdivision would require and that infrastructure such as roads, utilities and detention would necessitate comparable clearing in either scenario. The applicant said the plan includes a minimum 10-foot landscaped buffer along the western property line but agreed, during the hearing, to expand that buffer to 20 feet.

The commission added two conditions in its motion: approval of a final landscape plan by the District 4 commissioner and restricted hours for construction (Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m.; weekends 8 a.m.–5 p.m.). The motion, which included the expanded 20-foot buffer and the stipulation letter dated May 27, 2025, passed 5-0.

The rezoning will go next to the Board of Commissioners, where the public may comment again and the county makes the final decision.