Mableton council expands URA boundaries, approves $6.7 million bond and two land purchases after heated public hearing

Mableton — The City of Mableton Council on July 16 voted to expand the city’s urban redevelopment areas and to approve amendments to the city’s Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA) plan, and then adopted a bond resolution and intergovernmental agreement to finance potential land purchases tied to that plan.

The council approved expanding URA Area 1 and creating a new Area 2, then voted 4–3 to adopt the amended URA plan. Later on the same agenda the council approved a bond issuance and related intergovernmental agreement with a winning bid from Truist Bank to finance URA activity. During an executive-session follow-up the council also authorized the mayor to finalize two purchase agreements: one near 6084 Mableton Parkway (purchase price not to exceed $297,000) and one near Hicks/Concord/Brazos (purchase price not to exceed $5,500,000).

Why it matters: the URA is the city’s primary tool to identify parcels for acquisition and redevelopment to “combat blight” and attract investment. Approving the URA areas and the financing gives the city a path to acquire land and pursue future public-private projects; opponents said the measures came too soon given unanswered questions about municipal service costs and how debt would affect the city long term.

What the council approved and why

- Expansion of URA boundaries: Council members voted to expand URA Area 1 to include several parcels along Mableton Parkway (including the parcel that currently houses the city’s operations building) and to add a new Area 2 near the Silver Comet Trail. The council voted to consider and approve the resolution updating the URA areas; the motion carried with no recorded opposing votes.

- Amended URA plan: After a public hearing and debate, the council approved the amended City of Mableton URA plan (related to 2024 plan updates) by a 4–3 vote. The mayor emphasized the URA’s statutory role in combating blight under Georgia law and described the plan as a preliminary vehicle to allow the city to study and later propose specific redevelopment projects.

- Bond resolution and intergovernmental agreement: The council approved a bond…