Opinion: Balancing Real Estate Development with the Cobb Lifestyle

By Rich Hintze

Homeownership is a cornerstone of the American dream, and homeowners in Cobb County have a legal right to the peaceful enjoyment of their properties. That principle has been tested recently as the Board of Commissioners (BOC) has worked to address what they call a housing crisis in the county. While it’s encouraging that the BOC has decided to withdraw the proposal to allow Accessory Dwelling Units on every residential lot, this issue is far from over. The debate over how to handle future growth in Cobb reflects larger questions about development, the housing market, and the kind of community residents want to live in.

The BOC’s decision to address Cobb County’s supposed housing crisis is based on the belief that there is a shortage of affordable housing and that the county needs to squeeze more residents into available spaces. However, it’s my belief that Cobb is already a desirable place to live—there is no shortage of buyers, no shortage of workers, and no lack of demand for housing. What we do have is a mismatch between the types of housing being built and the needs of the people who live here.

The focus on increasing housing density without a clear strategy only complicates the issue. Cobb needs to stop reacting to every developer’s proposal and instead create a cohesive plan for future land use. This plan should identify where higher-density housing is appropriate—ideally in town centers, near shopping areas, and along major state roads. Higher-density housing, such as townhomes, apartments, and mixed-use developments, can serve as an answer to demand for more affordable living options. But it needs to be part of a larger, well-thought-out development strategy.

Currently, Cobb’s future land use map looks like a patchwork quilt—piecemeal zoning districts that are inconsistent and often unclear. Some districts are as small as a single lot, leaving little room for comprehensive planning. The BOC needs to create a steering committee to look at where redevelopment should occur and to set the direction for future growth. Where do we want to see townhomes and apartments? Not in the backyards of single-family homes tucked away behind winding dirt roads. These types of developments should be focused along major thoroughfares and near commercial centers, where they can integrate into existing infrastructure and support local businesses.

Zoning decisions should reflect a long-term vision for the county, not just the desires of the latest developer with a proposal. We need to create places where people can live, work, and play in the same community. Town centers with high-density housing, parks, shopping, and recreational spaces within walking distance would meet the needs of many residents. These mixed-use developments would quickly fill up and offer alternatives for people looking for affordable housing.

There’s also confusion around the term “affordable housing.” Often used by the BOC to refer to provide cheap and available residences, “affordable housing” has long referred to subsidized housing programs designed to assist people who can’t afford market prices for homes. But in Cobb, it’s more accurate to say there’s a demand for lower-cost housing, and not necessarily subsidized units.

The BOC has been in favor of rezoning many lots from R30 to R-20 in an effort to create more ‘affordable homes’.  However, today we have newly constructed homes in R-20 neighborhoods with starting prices in the $800,000s, and there are Residential Senior Living (RSL) developments with starting prices in the $700,000s. We have a new R-30 development in unincorporated Acworth featuring three quarters of an acre lots and a starting price of $1.2M. These prices are hardly affordable for most first-time homebuyers, retirees on fixed incomes, or those looking for more modest options.

To bring lower cost housing to Cobb, developers would need to build smaller homes such as apartments, condos, and townhomes. The market, not the BOC, determines what homes are worth. And if there is no designated areas for more urban town centers, developers are forced to build larger homes in more expensive areas to maximize their return, the cost of housing will continue to climb.

The BOC needs to take a step back and develop a true, long-term plan for Cobb’s growth. Allowing the random rezoning of lots each time an heir sells off the family estate or farm is not a good plan for our future.  This practice of ‘rezoning’ lots based on individual applications is counter intuitive. Cobb’s charm lies in its suburban lifestyle, its mix of single-family neighborhoods, parks, leagues, churches and its proximity to larger urban centers is the key to its success. If we allow unchecked higher-density development on random lots as they come to market, we risk losing what makes Cobb such a desirable place to live in the first place.

Yes, we need more housing options, but we also need to know when enough is enough. At some point, we will have to stop focusing on building more housing and start thinking about preserving the Cobb lifestyle—the quality of life that comes with living in a community with green spaces, lower crime rates, and less congestion.

The BOC has the opportunity to create a comprehensive plan that identifies the locations of future live, work, play developments with a mix of condos, apartments and townhomes in various locations around the county.  This may create some of the lower cost housing that Cobb residents need.

But it’s important to remember that the BOC is supposed to represent the interests of current residents—not just future ones. The desire to grow tax base needs to be balanced by the strain on our infrastructure, the increase in traffic, and other changes to our community. Growth can’t be the goal. It is a by-product of developing a successful community. The desire for starter homes and lower-cost housing  will be met by the marketplace. Developing a plan for town centers where smaller living units are appropriate is the job of the BOC.

In the face of all this growth, residents need to stay vigilant. We can’t allow the vision of a few developers or the political ambitions of the BOC to dictate the future of Cobb. If we want to preserve our way of life, we must be proactive in shaping how our communities grow.

In the end, the county needs a comprehensive plan developed by the BOC with lots of community input. It’s time to stop reacting to every new development proposal and start planning for a balanced future—one that integrates growth with the values that make Cobb County a great place to live. Only then can we protect both the peaceful enjoyment of our homes and the future of our community.