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Mableton council approves special land use permit for 3,500-seat Swarm soccer stadium at Marathon Circle
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Summary
After a public hearing and staff review, the City of Mableton approved Special Land Use Permit 25-001 allowing Swarm Football Club to redevelop soccer fields at 3598 Marathon Circle into a 3,500-seat stadium with adjacent parking, subject to planning and Cobb DOT conditions.
The City of Mableton council approved a special land use permit on May 28 to allow Swarm Football Club LLC to redevelop an existing soccer site at 3598 Marathon Circle into a 3,500-seat stadium and associated facilities, voting 7-0.
The council’s approval of Special Land Use Permit 25-001 follows a planning commission recommendation and a staff report that included 12 conditions. Applicants said the 14.8-acre site, on the city’s northern edge adjacent to industrial tank farms, would be upgraded with a high-quality artificial-turf stadium, locker rooms, concessions, a plaza and on-site parking plus additional parking on adjacent property under agreement with Marathon Oil.
Applicant representative Kevin Moore told the council, “This is an application for a special land use permit. It covers 14.8 acres located on Marathon Circle.” Simon Davies, speaking for the club, said the ownership and operating model links the pro teams with Southern Soccer Academy and community players: “we have within our membership 5,000 players that will all have access to this stadium.”
Staff and the applicant said the project underwent a multi-month traffic study accepted by Cobb Department of Transportation; Cobb DOT recommended traffic-management and road improvements that would be conditions of approval. Moore said DOT’s recommendations “are spelled out in the staff report, and as would be conditions, of any approval, we would want that to be the case here.”
Council members asked about hours, lighting, stormwater and pedestrian safety. The applicant said the stadium field would use artificial turf and that field lights already approved at the site would be upgraded. On stormwater, the applicant said a preliminary engineering hydrology memorandum had been submitted and that full hydrology and permitting would follow if the permit is approved. Christopher Wheeler, planning and zoning division manager, confirmed the planning commission recommended approval with conditions.
During motion and amendment discussion, council set hours of operation by amendment to the applicant’s preferred hours. The council voted to approve the permit and conditions, including an hours-of-operation limit of Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The permit file includes requirements tied to Cobb DOT’s traffic plan, the applicant’s parking agreements with Marathon Oil and conditions from the planning commission and city staff. The council closed the public hearing, considered staff and applicant presentations, and approved the application as recommended.
The council’s vote completes the city’s review step; building permits, full hydrology review and any additional state or county approvals remain to be completed before construction and events can begin. The applicant said, if approved and permitted, the aim is to open for professional events in 2027.
Details recorded in the council meeting minutes and staff report cite the permit number as 25-001 and refer to 12 planning conditions adopted with the approval. The council did not authorize public funding for the project; the applicant stated development would be privately funded.
