Meeting discussionsStart with a topic.

Regarding area support, the developer stated that they've gone down Highlands Parkway and met with all businesses they could possibly meet with to gather support signatures for their intended development. There were 13 on the list as of the revision. Uh that's considerably more than 13 businesses on Highlands Parkway and I'd imagine that the low quality of signatures or quantity of signatures is likely parallel to the support. Regarding affordable housing, the developers August 21st Crawford Conditions letter to you all stated that they would provide five affordable units with rents set at 80% of AMI or area median income. According to HUD, 80% of that would be considered low income. Five units out of 250 is only 2%. That concession would not be enough to say that this proposed development should be one that addresses affordable housing. 2% does not even move the needle. Lastly, the May 7th traffic impact study stated that the impact of the proposed development would be minimal. I welcome the author of that study to tell that to the people that drive on that road daily. I believe they would respectfully disagree. If for some reason this is approved, would the developer be willing to install a separate pedestrian activated flashing crossing as currently installed on South Cob Drive at Novvice Apartments? Would the developer consider an overhead crossing like the one at Glock just up Highlands Parkway? A proposed 395 bedroomedroom development housing 400 to 800 people dwarfs what Glock employs in Smyrna on Highlands Parkway. Would the developer consider what sort of precedence this would set in the area? And if the coffee shop fails, will there be restrictions on what sort of retail can go in a limited 2500 foot area when there's 395 bedrooms available? 395 units, pardon me, or excuse me, bedrooms available. In other words, as a member of the planning and zoning commission said, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work.

To require this many variances just seems odd. In my opinion, this development just does not fit. The application for resoning should be denied. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you all tonight. There anybody else who wants to speak for or against this item here tonight? close the public hearing and this is in ward seven. I'll turn it over to Councilman Oglesby. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would like to make a motion to approve this development based off the recommendations by the staff if approved. Say that one more time. Mr. Obsby, I would like to make a recommendation to approve this development with the recommendations set forth today by the staff. which includes the traffic sentinel, the low in the the low income home apartment complexes to name a few. As presented as presented. We have a motion to approve uh by Councilman Oglesme. Do we have a second? Second by Mr. Welch. Everyone, please vote. Just Mr. Pickkins is left now. So I think they bear with us just a moment. Having technical issues. All right, that is that motion fails. Five to two. Right. Move on now to item D. Oh yeah, that's true. That that has I do I have to have a motion to deny that was that motion to approve was okay. All right. So asking me to ask for a Okay. So that so that failed. So I need a motion to deny that. Okay. So moved by Mr. Lindley. Second by Mr. Gold. Everyone, please vote. So the motion to deny is approved 5 to two. Now we'll move on to item D. This is a public hearing special land use permit to allow a modular office and storage container on Riverview Road. Mr. Jones, the background, please. Mayor Arowways has applied for a special land use permit that would allow a temporary modular office, a 6,000 gallon fuel tank in a storage container at 6310 Riverview Road.

Admittedly, the way that this is presented is a bit confusing since the fuel tank in and of itself is not part of what the city would be approving. That approval would come directly from the state fire marshall's office, which has been granted. Um the property is currently zoned as heavy industrial and its existing business as a permitted use. Um with that the um the recommendation from community development recommends approval request with four uh conditions and I will read those conditions all of which particularly pertain to the fuel storage tank. Um however again that approval is not part of your action. That approval has already been approved by the state fire marshal. Uh the module office fuel tank and storage container shall only be allowed for a period of 24 months after the date. If approved, the applicant requires the module office fuel tank and storage container for a longer period of time. Then the applicant must reapply for approval. Number two, the applicant shall install UL 2085 series fuel tank with a maximum capacity of 6,000 gallons. The UL 20 85 6000galon fuel tanks have a minimum separation of 5 foot from any structure and a minimum separation of 15 ft from any property line. And number four, the state and city fire marshall approval is required for the fuel tank prior to the issuance of the occupational tax certificate and as noted the state fire marshall has already deemed approval. Thank you Mr. Jones. Rusty, anything to add? No, you did a great job. Rusty's thunder, right? Um and here doesn't look like the applicant's here. Public hearing. I'd like to invite anybody who wants to speak for or against this item to come up and be sworn in. want to speak for or against this item. Everybody come up. You think you want to speak? Come on up.

If each of you when you come up was uh state your name and address for the record please. I'm Kami Jitain 6216 Amogi River Lane. Um, again, I'm it's a little unclear to me if there is anything related to the fuel storage that's being voted on here. And so, at the risk of is there I don't know if I'm allowed to ask question. That was approved by the state fire marshall. This is only um the council is acting on whether to allow a modular office and storage container. So, this does not have anything to do with the fuel. No. Okay. So, there's no action that this council is taking on the fuel storage. Okay. Well, then I I don't have comments. Obviously, if we were taking action on the fuel storage or the council wasn't making any decision, we would want the opportunity to provide those comments. And so, just wanted to put that in the record because my understanding is that the county has not and is not the city council taking any action as relates to the fuel storage. That's not an AR. I just want to make sure that is granted by the state. Okay, that's Rusty. Mayor, the applicant is here. He could not hear. Oh, okay. I I'll you know, I'm gonna invite the applicant up to speak and then we'll continue with the public hearing. Is that That's all right. And that Okay, come on up. Good evening, council. Name is Scott Roberts with Arrow Waste. Um the property that in question is owned heavy industrial. Uh we have listened to the recommendations from the state as well as the city as to what to do with our requests and we've uh either met or exceeded uh the requirements as well as we did did take some of the recommendations and add those on our behalf with the state request.

So other than that that's really all we got to say. Any questions of the applicant? Thank you. We'll continue with the public hearing. Hope you guys are doing well. Um I'm Kyle Wilson from 1704 Trout Lilly Place, Bernard, Georgia. Um, now that I do have a little bit more of an understanding, I don't know if I'm allowed to ask a question, but is the the modular office itself, is that going to be temporary as well, or is that going to be permanent? Rusty, you want to answer that? That will be a temporary use on the building on the site and they would have to come back. Yeah. from and we can clarify this with the applicant but the understanding is that this area is going to be redeveloped here eventually. Um we know the property owner is actively marketing the property for sale. Um so error waste understands that this is going to be a temporary use here in the meantime till the property gets redeveloped. So um the request is to have a temporary office that will be removed and taken off the site um when the property gets redeveloped at that point. Thank you guys. Have a good day. Good evening. I have a similar question to the gentleman who um just spoke. So it's also my understanding that everything in this area in terms of industrial use is temporary such as aerrow waste. So maybe you might be the correct person to ask this. Do you have any idea when that's going to be turned over? I know myself and I think some of my other neighbors who spoke this was presented as it would be something that's happening along with all of the other changes that are happening in the area. Um but we continue to put things on for temporary use. So my question is how long is temporary?

And that does seem like something that would be in the city's remitt unlike the fuel tanker. So is there somewhere that I can find that information or do we have any conversations that are happening around that? Yeah, the um the subject property um was I guess three years ago, Brand Properties made a resoning request for um the 20 acres that this just south of the Riverview landing development. Um mayor and council, I'm sorry, mayor and council approved that request for 300 and 5,000 square feet of commercial. However, um due to financing and underwriting and everything else with inflation, that project hasn't moved forward. That property is still zoned for that and entitled for it. Uh obviously, the the the property owner now has to find somebody else to do the project. So, in addition to that, we are updating ours comprehensive plan here by 2027 because it's our 10-year mandated update. And um now that we've annexed this area from legislatively from Cobb County into Simrna, we can plan for the improvements and get them on record and get short-term work program and then long range plans for improvements. Anybody else who wanted to speak for against this? Come on. Uh, Mr. Mayor and Mr. Council or council. Uh, my name is James Mccay. I'm a resident along with many of my neighbors uh at the Riverview communities. Uh first off, I wanted to say uh thank you uh mayor and uh rec uh representative uh and everyone else. Uh what we have seen engaged is uh the city uh working to find uh help us find solutions and I am grateful and I know our community is grateful and I definitely appreciate um the time that everyone has spent doing so. Uh the first thing I'd like to enter enter into record is the last time that we were here discussing this during the zoning commission, there were questions specifically about the fuel tank.

And I think that's what led myself and a lot of my neighbors to believe that this was a conversation that uh allowed for the fuel tank. And since we were asking questions specifically about if that was allowed or not during that meeting, I think that's led myself and a lot of my neighbors to believe that it was a continued part of the conversation. And I'd love to see where it's noted specifically and where it was discovered by the council that the um temporary uh container office and the uh fuel storage were separate because when we uh were told about the plan from the city council, uh we were specifically p told that yes, it was a fire permit, but the fire permit was to be considered by the council. And then when it was voted on, we then were told that it was up to this council to vote on the next step. So, we just learned a little bit of different information during the first meeting. And uh I know we might not be able to do so now, but I would like to put it in the record. We'd like some clarification on uh what was said during that zoning commission and specifically the questions and how the fuel storage tanker was uh spoken about and presented to us as a community. Uh and then secondly, uh I'm going to go back on to my spiel, uh that many of you heard and unfortunately many of my neighbors have heard. Uh but I am uh a lifelong resident. Uh I uh remember being a very small child and driving on Riverview Road with my father and I remember him pulling off uh and stopping at the Chattahuchi River so we could find turtles and bring them home. That was a favorite pastime of mine.

Uh I uh ran away from home, came back a few years ago with my beautiful wife and was thrilled to see what I had discovered on Riverview Road, so close to where I grew up and so close to what uh was Georgia and Smyrna and home to me. And uh in our last council meeting uh I feel like myself and my neighbors our concerns were dismissed with not understanding Riverview, not having done our due diligence of Riverview and not understanding the history of Riverview and council. I thought long and hard about that and I worried how could I not understand Riverview? I grew up off of Riverview. I I I I I I I wondered why if I hadn't done due diligence, why my wife and I had invested in our new home on Riverview without due diligence. And I thought about it and I thought about it and then what I realized is that I had an amazing group of neighbors. I had an amazing community that I had become a part of and all of us had done our research on Riverview and all of us had done our due diligence on Riverview and all of us understood what Riverview was and that what I respectfully asked the council to is to understand that Riverview is not what it was 40 years ago. It was not what it is when I grabbed turtles. It is a community full of 162 homes. It's a community full of these people here. It is a community of new businesses, of small restaurants, of coffee shops, of breweries, of the number three barbecue restaurant in the country. So, I would hope Smyrna would hope to keep that posted versus we keep waste storage next to such things. And as I investigated more, it continued to concern me about my connection with the space and why while I understand zoning needs, I understand all of our legal aspects.

My question is are our priorities as a city for residents and small business or private equity firms that own a waste? And then in this meeting, we've also spoken about how Aerow waste is clearly here temporary. They only want this temporary. We don't have to worry about it because in two years, we it's temporary. They they don't even want to be here. They're looking to move out is what we just heard this evening. None of my neighbors are looking to move out. None of the residents that I live with, uh, my wife and I, uh, no one that has bought a home and become a resident of Smyrna in a newly zoned residential space is planning to move away from the area. And I would very much like that to be considered in tonight's thought about the vote. Thank you. Thank you. Anybody else who wants to speak for against this? I have to be sworn in by Mr. Cochran. I don't believe you were sworn in. I saw that letter. I saw Excuse me. I really can't see this. It's kind of small, but this is the Chattahuchi River Keeper. Oh, my name is Cody Hugley and I live at 1641 Flint Riverplace, Smyrna, Georgia 30126. So this is from the Chattahuchi Riverkeeper and it says, "Dear Mayor Derek Norton and Council, Chattahuchi Riverkeeper is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization dedicated to protection and stewardship of the Chattahuchi River and watershed. CRQ CRK represents more than 10,000 members who use and enjoy the river system and depend on the Chattahucha River and it lakes as a source of drinking water, recreation and economic development. Chattahucha Riverkeeper main office is located at 6020 Riverview Road southeast a few hundred feet from Aerrow Waste, a solid waste transfer station. Arow Waste has applied for a special land use permit to allow a modular office building, 6,000galon fuel tank and storage container at 6310 Riverview Road Southeast.

The property does not have sewer service. While the property that Arrow Waist occupies is zoned heavy industrial, the adjacent properties to the north, south, east, and west are zon mixed use and are large and largely residential. Over the last 15 years, former industrial properties along the corridor have been converted to single family homes, town homes, and apartments. The Sorry, I'm trying to find it. is very small. The city and other partners are invested in parks, trails, and river access along Riverview Road, expanding industrial use at 6310 Riverview Road with a sewage storage for the modular office and additional fuel storage. Threat threatens the river with potential leaks and spills. We are excited about the changes of the Chattahucha River corridor in Smyrna and appreciate all the city is doing to create and maintain river access. We support our neighborhood on Riverview Road that is that opposed the special land use permit that expands to arrow waste property. And I just want to say um I oppose it myself. One reason is because driving down where the arrow waste is at. It's not even a fence over there. It's just like a little small gate. They keep the trash u trucks. I mean, it's trash, you know, sometime is not empty. A lot of animals. Um we have a lot more rodents in the area. Um a lot of times when I'm coming through there early in the morning around 6, 7 o'clock in the morning, it's still kind of dark. The trucks just run out in front of you. Um I feel like If you're going to live in a neighbor, I mean, if you're going to be a business in the neighborhood, you should at least try to keep the help keep the neighborhood clean. And I feel like where they're located at, it's a lot of trash. It is a waste company.

Why not pick the trash up? So, I oppose of it myself. That's all I have to say. Thanks. Anybody else? You You had your time. If there's somebody else that would like to speak, I'd love to have them uh take a moment. Okay. Uh, are we are we we're finished with the public hearing. I'll close the public hearing and then you can ask. Um, Russy, I just have a quick question. Um, and thank you for the residents who are who've come to speak because obviously those are some concerns I'd be concerned with. And just speaking also to uh the If there are issues with clean cleanliness of your area, being a good neighbor in the area would be to pick up little things like that help people a lot and being okay with businesses being in their area. Russy, what I'm trying to make sure I understand correctly is this. They're doing this special land use permit to do a temporary structure. If they decided they wanted to do a permanent structure, are they already able to do that under what they've currently um have gotten the zoning and everything for? Yes, ma'am. They just have to build it in accordance with the zoning laws and the setbacks and building height and all that. Okay. So, technically they can do it in a permanent structure, right? All right. I was just trying to make sure I understood. Thank you. Just to clarify, Wilson. Oh, okay. Thank you. Um, just to clarify that they can do that without coming to the council. Yes. Provided it meets zoning requirements and they don't need variance, they can do it without coming to those that couldn't hear Miss Wilson as she asked if if they wanted to, they they could build without coming before council, without a vote, anything. They could build a permanent structure there versus a temporary.

This is just for a temporary building that has to be reboted on by this council. Yes, the the building is already on site. They moved into the site, brought the um the fuel tank and then the building and the storage um ConX box. We identified it. We've issued a notice violation and this is the sort of the method to getting compliance at this point. So they have their business license. They're operating to clear up the code violation. We're here today trying to correct that. Any other discussion from council? All right. I'll entertain a motion. Mr. Mayor, thank you. Um, while I sympathize with the plight of the people that live adjacent to this property, um, we're not here to reszone this property or or anything else. And this property owner has a right to to use this property to its best use. So, with that, I make a motion to approve item 7DZ25-013. Motion to approve. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Mr. Gould. Everyone, please vote. Let's hope our voting systems work. Miss Wilkinson. We're going to have to take a look at our voting system. Huh. That is approved 6 to one with Councilman Oglesby voting in the negative. All right, that completes our um community development items and we'll move on now to formal business. Thank you all for being here for the time earlier uh meeting with council. Um item 8A, this is authorization for on call services, low voltage, fiber optic security, access control, and AV systems. Uh Mr. Jones, any background, please? Uh, mayor, we sent out an RFQ and we had multiple vendors respond uh for the low voltage service and uh using the criteria, the selection criteria provided in an RFQ, this was narrowed down to uh two particular uh vendors to provide support.