The project is scheduled to let to construction in October of 2009,
which means it should be awarded to the contractor in late November and
construction will begin then. Utilities usually start their relocation
process first, so you will probably see that construction first. Since
the County requests the contractors not work during the Thanksgiving and
Christmas Holidays, there is a possibility construction will not start
on the road until January.
The construction is expected to proceed for at least 18-20 months.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
MAXIMUM HEIGHT of fences 6 feet (per Cobb County)
Hey all,
I just hung up the phone with Carolyn in Cobb County Code Enforcement...
Carolyn told me the maximum height of a fence adjacent to a right of way (in our case Jamerson Road) is 6 feet as measured from the ground to the very top element (picket, post, cap, etc.). I shared with her that this does not make sense for several of our residents as their property is significantly below the road surface...a six foot high "privacy fence" in this context provides little, to no privacy. She understands, but indicated that we would need to go through the variance process to get this approved. Otherwise residents who install a higher fence will be required to remove it later (if a complaint is called in).
So, then I talked with John Peterson in the Zoning Department (who confirmed 6 feet is the limit). John also agreed with Carolyn, the way to "fix" this is to go through the variance process...he said the key is to make sure your neighbors agree with the height of the fence (I don't expect any problems here). Each property owner who is interested in installing a fence higher than 6 feet must apply for the variance. There is a $100 application fee and a $100 refundable deposit for the signs to be posted on the property. Additional information can be found at http://comdev.cobbcountyga.gov/downloads/zoning-variance2009.pdf
IMPORTANT!!!
Please understand the Board of Zoning Appeals is not obligated to grant a you a variance just because you applied for one. You must demonstrate a hardship (which I think the road widening project qualifies) and request a variance that is within reason. (and remember what is reasonable to you may not be reasonable to the adjacent property owner's or the Board of Zoning Appeals. You or your designated representative must attend the Variance Hearing.
EVEN MORE IMPORTANT!!!
For those of you who are not familiar with how this works, please do not feel intimidated by this. In my line of work (architecture) I do this all the time, so I am very familiar with how this works. I am happy to answer any questions / concerns you may have.
As you can see this is turing into a very large project so everyone's involvement is important. The FWRHA will continue to support in any way possible, but we can't do it alone....we need you to help us. Please talk with your neighbors and get them involved...get them involved in this blog and if they are unable to post here, please let me know what I can do to help get the information in their hands. Everyone's involvement is vital to the success of this project.
We have a lot of work ahead of us (I'm actually pretty glad DOT is starting down at Wigley Road, this gives us a little more time to get all of our ducks-in-a-row).
Quack,
Tim
I just hung up the phone with Carolyn in Cobb County Code Enforcement...
Carolyn told me the maximum height of a fence adjacent to a right of way (in our case Jamerson Road) is 6 feet as measured from the ground to the very top element (picket, post, cap, etc.). I shared with her that this does not make sense for several of our residents as their property is significantly below the road surface...a six foot high "privacy fence" in this context provides little, to no privacy. She understands, but indicated that we would need to go through the variance process to get this approved. Otherwise residents who install a higher fence will be required to remove it later (if a complaint is called in).
So, then I talked with John Peterson in the Zoning Department (who confirmed 6 feet is the limit). John also agreed with Carolyn, the way to "fix" this is to go through the variance process...he said the key is to make sure your neighbors agree with the height of the fence (I don't expect any problems here). Each property owner who is interested in installing a fence higher than 6 feet must apply for the variance. There is a $100 application fee and a $100 refundable deposit for the signs to be posted on the property. Additional information can be found at http://comdev.cobbcountyga.gov/downloads/zoning-variance2009.pdf
IMPORTANT!!!
Please understand the Board of Zoning Appeals is not obligated to grant a you a variance just because you applied for one. You must demonstrate a hardship (which I think the road widening project qualifies) and request a variance that is within reason. (and remember what is reasonable to you may not be reasonable to the adjacent property owner's or the Board of Zoning Appeals. You or your designated representative must attend the Variance Hearing.
EVEN MORE IMPORTANT!!!
For those of you who are not familiar with how this works, please do not feel intimidated by this. In my line of work (architecture) I do this all the time, so I am very familiar with how this works. I am happy to answer any questions / concerns you may have.
As you can see this is turing into a very large project so everyone's involvement is important. The FWRHA will continue to support in any way possible, but we can't do it alone....we need you to help us. Please talk with your neighbors and get them involved...get them involved in this blog and if they are unable to post here, please let me know what I can do to help get the information in their hands. Everyone's involvement is vital to the success of this project.
We have a lot of work ahead of us (I'm actually pretty glad DOT is starting down at Wigley Road, this gives us a little more time to get all of our ducks-in-a-row).
Quack,
Tim
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Kick-off meeting minutes
First off, thank you to everyone who was able to make it out to our kick-off meeting tonight. It was nice to meet everyone and I look forward to working with y'all on this project.
Here are the notes I captured from the meeting....if any of the attendees feel that I have recorded this inaccurately, please send me an email (timgoering@aol.com) and I will amend the notes immediately.
1. General consensus is that the designs proposed (A & B) are acceptable and should be used moving forward. One resident has requested we incorporate a 8’ high fence to provide additional privacy and address grading issues. I will sketch this design, and send out to fence companies for pricing. Please look for this design on this Blog (Design C) in the next few weeks. While uniformity along the fence line is the goal, it is understood that not every family will have the same needs or desires for a fence. Working together, we would be able to transition between an 8’, 6’ or picket fence and still maintain an aesthetically appealing neighborhood perimeter.
2. There is interest in having the FWRHA HOA play a major role in this project…from facilitation of the project (in process) to contributing to the project. I will discuss what role the FWRHA is able to facilitate at the next Board meeting….please look for additional information on this soon.
3. Additionally, we’re looking into opportunities for homeowners to take advantage of volume discounts in other areas of their property. These may include replacement of side fences and landscaping at the same volume pricing using participating vendors.
4. General consensus is that the introduction of landscaping on the Jamerson Road side of the fence is a good idea for future consideration with the involvement of the FWRHA board.
5. For volume pricing, homeowners may be interested in utilizing one source for landscape materials (and installation as necessary). Daniel Galyas (our neighborhood horticulturist) has graciously volunteered to help me with this task (as his work schedule permits). We intend to design 3-4 landscape packages with varying cost which homeowners may elect to use. The plants and trees will be chosen by Daniel to complement one another while providing a sound buffer. We are offering this not to discourage individuality in landscape design, but rather to offer a group discount to those who would rather buy a “plan”. Viewing these “packages” may help homeowners estimate costs and visualize quantity of plants/trees desired for a sound barrier. Purchasing in bulk will undoubtedly reduce costs and improve aesthetics along our neighborhood perimeter. Special thanks to Daniel and his family for the time sacrifices they are making for the improvement of our neighborhood!!!
On a personal note, I’m encouraged by the response to the meeting tonight and I look forward to continuing the excitement. For those of you who were unable to attend, (I’m sorry for the late invitations), please look for me on your doorstep in the next few weeks. Your concerns/questions/opinions are important to me and I want to make sure you’re heard.
As always please feel free to post your questions here….I’ll do my best to get these answered in a timely manner.
Thanks,
Tim Goering
Here are the notes I captured from the meeting....if any of the attendees feel that I have recorded this inaccurately, please send me an email (timgoering@aol.com) and I will amend the notes immediately.
1. General consensus is that the designs proposed (A & B) are acceptable and should be used moving forward. One resident has requested we incorporate a 8’ high fence to provide additional privacy and address grading issues. I will sketch this design, and send out to fence companies for pricing. Please look for this design on this Blog (Design C) in the next few weeks. While uniformity along the fence line is the goal, it is understood that not every family will have the same needs or desires for a fence. Working together, we would be able to transition between an 8’, 6’ or picket fence and still maintain an aesthetically appealing neighborhood perimeter.
2. There is interest in having the FWRHA HOA play a major role in this project…from facilitation of the project (in process) to contributing to the project. I will discuss what role the FWRHA is able to facilitate at the next Board meeting….please look for additional information on this soon.
3. Additionally, we’re looking into opportunities for homeowners to take advantage of volume discounts in other areas of their property. These may include replacement of side fences and landscaping at the same volume pricing using participating vendors.
4. General consensus is that the introduction of landscaping on the Jamerson Road side of the fence is a good idea for future consideration with the involvement of the FWRHA board.
5. For volume pricing, homeowners may be interested in utilizing one source for landscape materials (and installation as necessary). Daniel Galyas (our neighborhood horticulturist) has graciously volunteered to help me with this task (as his work schedule permits). We intend to design 3-4 landscape packages with varying cost which homeowners may elect to use. The plants and trees will be chosen by Daniel to complement one another while providing a sound buffer. We are offering this not to discourage individuality in landscape design, but rather to offer a group discount to those who would rather buy a “plan”. Viewing these “packages” may help homeowners estimate costs and visualize quantity of plants/trees desired for a sound barrier. Purchasing in bulk will undoubtedly reduce costs and improve aesthetics along our neighborhood perimeter. Special thanks to Daniel and his family for the time sacrifices they are making for the improvement of our neighborhood!!!
On a personal note, I’m encouraged by the response to the meeting tonight and I look forward to continuing the excitement. For those of you who were unable to attend, (I’m sorry for the late invitations), please look for me on your doorstep in the next few weeks. Your concerns/questions/opinions are important to me and I want to make sure you’re heard.
As always please feel free to post your questions here….I’ll do my best to get these answered in a timely manner.
Thanks,
Tim Goering
Monday, April 6, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
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