Council tables Traton Homes rezoning after neighbors cite driveways, schools and noise
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Summary
Traton Homes sought to rezone 19.451 acres near I‑75 for 79 single‑family detached homes, promising open space protections and a $107,000 contribution for road improvements, but neighbors raised concerns about short driveways, traffic at nearby intersections, noise from I‑75 and school capacity; the council voted to table the proposal to Dec. 10.
Traton Homes asked the Marietta City Council to rezone roughly 19.451 acres along Herbert, Blanche and Crestridge drives from a mix of R2/R4/RRC to PRD single‑family residential for up to 79 detached houses, but the council voted to table the matter to give the developer and staff more time to work with neighbors.
Kevin Moore, representing Traton/Traighton, told the council the plan emphasizes open space and site protections and includes more than seven acres of undisturbed area — “nearly 40% of the entire site” — plus pocket parks, rear‑loaded units and an active amenity. Moore said a third‑party traffic study estimated 43 new trips in the morning and 48 in the evening and that all studied intersections would remain at level‑of‑service B or better; he said the developer would contribute $107,000 (described as 38% of the estimated road‑improvement cost for Scott Drive and Crestridge) and restrict construction traffic to Banbury/Blanche/Franklin Gateway rather than neighborhood streets.
The applicant also asked for several variances tied to a PRD development at this parcel and requested reduced driveway lengths for some rear‑loaded units; Moore said the reduced driveway length is mitigated by guest parking located on the street in front of those units.
Opposition: residents cite safety, noise and capacity
Multiple residents told the council the plan is out of scale with the surrounding neighborhood and raised public‑safety and quality‑of‑life concerns. Millie Reed, who lives on Scott Drive, said the city zoning code’s stated purposes (cited in the staff report as section 700.3) require protection of existing development and expressed several objections: that nearby schools are already over capacity; that pedestrian safety at the Scott Drive/Powers Ferry intersection is a serious concern after recent crashes; and that the application’s data appendix did not demonstrate compliance with life‑safety, fire and accessibility requirements. Reed urged the council to cap the site at 51 units if rezoning were considered.
George Balbona, who lives on Matthews Circle, criticized the traffic study’s omission of his intersection and asked the council to require a noise study along I‑75; he also accused the planning‑commission attorney of a personal relationship with the applicant’s counsel and called that a conflict of interest on optics grounds. Sully Mar Diaz told the council the development’s prices — which the applicant described as “in the 500 to 600” — and reported rental figures would make the homes unaffordable to many Marietta residents.
Council response and outcome
Councilmembers pressed the developer on details including bedroom mix (mostly three to four bedrooms), alley widths (20 feet where alleys are primary access, 16 feet otherwise), and feasibility trade‑offs of reducing unit counts. Several councilmembers said they wanted the developer to return after working through driveway dimensions, fire and life‑safety clarifications, neighborhood access alignment and additional outreach.
Councilmember [mover] moved to table the rezoning to the December 10 council meeting so staff, the developer and neighbors could continue work; the motion was seconded and passed 7–0. The council asked that progress come through the JL review and that the public receive updates if more time is required.
What’s next
The rezoning stays pending; staff and the developer will meet with neighbors and with Public Works to refine access, driveway and road‑improvement details before the council’s December meeting. The council’s December calendar was announced during the motion to table.
