GOVERNMENT
and trails and a new recreation center. Public safety would receive
a fire truck, radio upgrades, new police cars and more.
102 FACTBOOK 2021
KENNESAW
Kennesaw will direct one-quarter of the funds it would receive
from a new penny sales tax to public safety should county voters
approve the tax in November.
Kennesaw City Council approved on May 18 a list of projects
to be funded by the tax totaling almost $32 million. The list includes
$12.5 million in upgrades to city parks and facilities, and
almost $11 million in transportation and road upgrades.
The single largest expenditure, according to the list, is a new facility
that would house the city’s police department, 911 staff and
emergency operations department. The price tag: $8.5 million.
In addition to the public safety facility, other big-ticket items
include the completion of Depot Park, a recreation center and
Sardi Street extension.
According to the list, the city would add parking, an amphitheater
and a festival area to the Depot Park at a cost of $6 million
and a multi-sport court and gymnastics to the recreation
center at a cost of $3 million (with another $3 million coming
from the county).
Should the tax exceed revenue projections, the city would use
extra money for fleet maintenance and road improvements.
MARIETTA
“We’re looking at a group of necessary, make us a better
city (projects) at the same time,” Mayor Steve Tumlin said.
Marietta’s largest line item in the city’s SPLOST list is annual
street resurfacing, at $13.2 million, followed by sidewalks
and trail construction at $6.25 million.
The list shows Marietta City Hall could get a face-lift in
the next few years. Nearly $4 million is allocated for City
Hall renovations, including new windows, replacing carpet,
renovating 12 bathrooms, installing LED lights, renovating
elevator doors, a new roof and resealing the parking deck.
Heating and air conditioning plans include replacing two
chillers and a cooling tower.
Another $2.7 million is allocated for traffic system upgrades,
specifically automated systems like timed traffic
signals. And, nearly $2.3 million is earmarked for a new
training facility for Marietta Police and Fire departments, as
well as equipment.
POWDER SPRINGS
Powder Springs would get a total of $14.3 million. The single
largest expense would be on transportation projects, at $9.5
million. A third of that — the single largest item on the list —
would be for road repaving, at $3.6 million. Another $2 million
would go toward parks; $1.8 million will go to facilities and
capital equipment; and $1 million will go to public safety.
SMYRNA
Smyrna is eyeing a “complete rehab” of the South Cobb Drive
area as well as several improvements that would help people get
around the Jonquil City.
“Oh my gosh, man. I’ve got a big foldout map that shows some
of the possible improvements and it’s amazing,” Mayor Derek
Norton said of the potential improvements to South Cobb
Drive. “The halo effect from doing that would be terrific.”
Improvements to downtown and South Cobb Drive, budgeted
at $13.3 million as of Thursday afternoon, is the largest single
item on the list.
Several years ago, the city commissioned a study of the South
Cobb Drive area, Norton said.
It presented “three or four options” totaling between $6 and
$10 million “for a complete rehab of South Cobb Drive, particularly
between Windy Hill and Concord Road,” he continued.
“It’s just never been enacted upon and that’s an area of the city I
feel like needs some attention.”
Potential improvements to downtown include an amphitheater
and splash pad, he said.
The second-largest item on the list is a joint aquatics, gymnastics
and family learning library estimated to cost $12 million.
Norton said no location had been decided for the facility.
Another $22 million would go toward transportation projects,
including the resurfacing of existing roads ($6 million), a downtown
parking deck ($4 million) and a pedestrian bridge between
Cobb Parkway and The Battery Atlanta ($4 million).