Code may change for infill neighborhoods

“McMansions” may receive more review and regulations by Cobb County officials.

A public hearing and an expected final vote will be held at 7 p.m. March 28 by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners on whether to change the county code for these infill neighborhoods.

The meeting will be in the BOC Board Room, second floor, 100 Cherokee St., Marietta.

An infill neighborhood is defined by the proposed Section 134 of the county code as “a neighborhood that is currently experiencing infill development pressures from the tear down of existing homes and the construction of new homes.”

The new county code would include a new Infill Development Technical Review Board and require the county commissioners to designate infill neighborhoods after holding two public hearings.

Members of the review board would be appointed by the county commissioners but none may be employed by the county, hold public office in the county or be a member of another county board or commission.

The review board will consist of two architects with a current state registration, a landscape architect with a current state registration and two residential building contractors with current state licenses.

During the public meetings of the five-member review board, the board “shall review applications for material changes of appearance and accessory structures attached to the primary structure and grant or deny applications based upon a technical review of the proposed development activity to determine recommendations for how it can fit in the neighborhood.”