The developer planning to revamp a dilapidated East Cobb shopping center is reevaluating his proposal after mounting opposition to the relocation of a family cemetery and the potential to add more retail space to the project.
Richard Aaronson of Atlantic Realty Partners initially put forth a plan to redevelop the Sprayberry Crossing shopping center to include 195 traditional apartment units, 62 townhouses, 140 apartment units for adults age 55 or older, 12,000 square feet of retail space and 15,000 square feet of office space. The plans also called for moving the Mayes Family Cemetery that exists on the site now to another location owned by a nearby church.
Now, Aaronson said the plan might be redrawn to make adjustments to the apartment component, add more retail uses and to possibly keep the cemetery in place. A planned community meeting to formally unveil the changes is now tentatively scheduled for mid- to late October, he said.
Atlantic Realty is in talks to buy the center at the corner of Sandy Plains and East Piedmont roads from the current owners. The property, managed by NAI Brannen Goddard, consists of a former bowling alley and grocery store. The strip center is now sparsely occupied by a church and a few other tenants.
Aaronson said he assumed there was “a fairly unanimous feeling among the families associated with the cemetery” that they would be OK with a relocation. However, Aaronson said that’s turned out not to be the case. He told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that a redrawn proposal could end up incorporating the cemetery into the redevelopment.
“We’re evaluating that situation right now, and we don’t want to consider a relocation of the cemetery unless there’s near unanimous consent to do that from the families associated with it,” Aaronson said.
Residents reviewing Atlantic Realty’s initial site plan have also criticized the amount of residential units that would be added to the site. Two East Cobb residents, Tim Carini and Craig Blafer, said they do not believe the proposed density is suitable for the community.
“That density is going to change the entire area and it’s not what’s meant to be here,” Blafer said.
Carini said an apartment complex would add to traffic congestion and the potential for surrounding parcels to be rezoned for high-density residential uses.
The opposition to the apartments wasn’t a surprise to Aaronson, but he added, “We think that the success of the redevelopment of the center really needs a significant residential component to create a more sustainable solution.”
Joe Glancy, one of a few East Cobb residents who’ve worked with developers to come up with a solution to the long-standing eyesore, said he still believes there’s hope to finding a proposal that his neighbors can get behind.
“I believe the property will be developed, and I believe the community will be pleased with the result,” he said.
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