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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Kennesaw City Council Approves Major Rezoning, Code Update, and More on February 16, 2026

City Council — Monday, February 16, 2026

BodyKennesaw, Georgia

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, February 16, 2026

StatusFILED

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Transcript — Verbatim

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.

Speaker 1

0:18

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

0:20

If you would uh please rise and Ms.

0:23

Carleen, would you mind praying tonight?

Speaker 2

0:58

Andrew,

Speaker 1

0:59

would you lead us in the

Speaker 2

1:00

Pledge

Speaker 1

1:01

of

Speaker 2

1:01

Allegiance, please?

Speaker 1

1:04

Allegiance to the flag

Speaker 2

1:05

of the United States of America.

1:08

And to

Speaker 1

1:08

the

Speaker 2

1:08

Republic for which it stands.

Speaker 1

1:16

Thank you.

1:16

And with that, the meeting is called the order.

1:19

If you're going to speak tonight for any reason,

Unassigned speaker

1:24

uh

Speaker 1

1:24

please stand and be sworn in by our city attorney.

Speaker 3

1:28

Thank you, Mr.

1:28

Mayor.

1:29

Yes, if you'll be making a public comment or any sort of presentation before this council this evening, would you please raise your right hand?

1:35

Do you swear or affirm that the presentation or comment that you'll be making this evening will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

1:42

If so, say I do.

1:44

Thank you.

1:44

You are now all under oath.

1:46

You may be seated.

Speaker 1

1:48

Very good.

1:48

Thank you, Sam.

1:52

All right, with that, um is a public comment.

1:56

This is for any item.

1:57

This is to comment on any item that is on the agenda.

2:02

Floor is open.

2:06

Hearing none and seeing none, the floor for public comment is closed.

2:11

We have three public, well, four or five public hearings this evening.

2:16

The first one is an ordinance, it's a rezoning request for 6095 Pine Mountain Road.

Speaker 2

2:32

Apologies, there's a lot of paperwork.

Speaker 4

2:35

Okay, so the first public hearing on tonight's agenda is the rezoning application submitted by DRB Group, Georgia, LLC.

2:43

The case was postponed from the January agenda and is now before Mayor Council for consideration to rezone approximately 8.82 acres from Highway General Business to Planned Unit Development Residential for the development of 89 fee simple town homes.

3:00

To provide a little background, in 2006, the mayor and council approved the rezoning of the adjacent 2.88 acre parcel to the east of the highway general to Highway General

Speaker 2

3:11

Business.

Speaker 4

3:38

While the remaining 8.8 acres remain undeveloped.

Unassigned speaker

3:57

So

Speaker 4

3:58

these are just photos of the current existing site.

5:02

A town home subdivision represents a suitable use of the property.

5:07

The proposed residential character is compatible with surrounded development patterns, including Woodland Acres Mobile Home to the East and the Village at Pine Mountain Town Home Subdivision to the South, which was constructed back in 1993.

5:21

Introducing additional commercial or auto-oriented uses at the location would likely intensify traffic impacts and conflict with the site's physical constraints.

5:32

In contrast, a townhome development provides a lower intensity option that aligns with the area's established residential context while supporting the broader goals of the community activity center design.

5:45

On January 16, 2026, staff received a letter of opposition from the representative of Cedar Creek Professional Center.

5:54

A copy of the letter is included in your packet.

5:57

In addition, the representatives has subsequently submitted a separate rezoning application requesting the removal of condition number 14 from ordinance 2006-20, which pertains to interparcel access with the adjacent 2.88 acre parcel.

6:14

Staff recommends approval with condition.

6:17

But rather than listing out all 20 conditions, I will go ahead and just highlight a couple.

6:25

And again, this can be accessed in your staff analysis.

6:30

So these are the proposed elevation, and I'm not going to stick to it because DRB also has a presentation.

6:36

So to eliminate redundancy, I will go ahead and present it from staff's perspective.

6:44

Okay.

6:45

So for the rezoning conditions, again, there are 20, but I'll go ahead and just highlight a couple.

6:51

The first, the rezoning of the subject property to planned unit development residential zoning districts should be consistent with the technical and conceptual site plans submitted with the application and should comply with the proposed minimum front, side and rear setbacks, as well as the overall density of 10.0 acres unit per acre.

7:14

Sorry.

7:14

The subject property shall be developed as a maximum of 89 for sale, fee simple town home.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████████████████████████████████60%

Procedural█████████████████23%

Community Engagement███4%

Environmental Protection███4%

Alcohol Licensing██3%

Public Safety██2%

Parks and Recreation██2%

Affordable Housing█1%

Personnel Matters█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Kennesaw City Council Meeting – February 16, 2026

The City Council of Kennesaw, Georgia, met on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 6:30 PM. The agenda included five public hearings, a consent agenda, an alcohol license, crime statistics, and public comments. The Council approved a major rezoning for 89 townhomes at 6095 Pine Mountain Road, postponed another rezoning, approved two smaller rezonings and a final plat, amended the Unified Development Code, adopted the 2026 Zoning Map, approved the consent agenda and alcohol license, accepted crime statistics, and heard public comments on a proposed native garden registry and a natural playground.

Consent Calendar

Minutes: February 2, 2026 meeting.
Resolution: GovMVMT cooperative purchasing agreement.
Resolution: Purchase of dispatch consoles for 911 center.
Resolution: Playground equipment and shade structures at Chalker Park.
Resolution: 2026 Concert Series contract with RCS Productions.
Road closures: Big Shanty Festival (April 17-19, 2026).
Road closures: Parks and Recreation events (Touch a Truck, Gran Prix 5K, Concert Series, Salute to America).
Final plat: Consolidation of six lots at 1992-2046 Maple Dr.

All consent items were approved unanimously (5-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

On the Pine Mountain Road rezoning:

Stephen Snow (Attorney for Cedar Creek Professional Office Association) opposed the rezoning. He argued that the private drive is not designed for 89 townhomes and that the traffic study underestimates impacts. He requested that access, if granted, be limited to Cobb Parkway or that two access points be required.
Dave Schwickerath (HOA President, The Village at Pine Mountain) supported the development, noting the builder's reputation and the need for two access points.

On general matters:

Andrew Bramlett (City Resident) presented historical data from Sholes Georgia State Gazetteer and Business Directory.
Timothy Heying (City Resident) advocated for a natural playground at Depot Park, suggesting rock features and hillside slides.
Megan Richardson (City Resident) proposed a Native Garden Registry to allow intentional native landscapes to exceed the 12-inch height limit while preserving enforcement. She cited examples from other cities.
Steven Luitjens (Owner, Conservation Landscaping) supported Richardson, explaining that height is not a reliable indicator of maintenance and that many jurisdictions have modernized codes to accommodate designed native plantings.

Discussion Items

Rezoning: 6095 Pine Mountain Road (Case RZ2025-03)

The Council considered a proposal by DRB Group Georgia, LLC to rezone 8.823 acres from Highway General Business (HGB) to Planned Unit Development - Residential (PUD-R) for 89 fee-simple townhomes. The site has a history of stalled development. Staff recommended approval with 20 conditions.
Council expressed concerns about traffic on Pine Mountain Road and the need for two access points. A rental cap of 10% (9 units) was proposed. After discussion with the applicant, the Council amended the motion to add conditions for two access points (Cobb Parkway and Pine Mountain Road) and the rental cap. The rezoning was approved unanimously (5-0).

Rezoning: 1600 Old 41 Hwy (Case RZ2026-01)

The item was postponed to the March 2026 cycle at the applicant's request. The postponement was approved 5-0.

Rezoning: 2995 & 2997 N Main Street (Case RZ2026-02)

The Council rezoned 0.11 acres of right-of-way to R-15 Single-Family Residential. Councilmember Orochena recused herself. Approved 4-0.

Unified Development Code Amendment (Case MISC2026-02)

Staff proposed changes to address nonconforming lots created when the code was updated in 1996. The amendment streamlines the process so that property owners no longer need variances for routine improvements on legally created lots that now have substandard dimensions. It affects about 1,051 parcels in subdivisions such as Woodland Acres. Variances for stream buffers remain required. Approved 5-0.

2026 Zoning Map (Case MISC2026-03)

Annual update adopted, incorporating rezonings (e.g., 2615 South Main Street) and removing the Woodland Acres notation. Approved 5-0.

Final Plat: 2995 & 2997 N Main Street (Case PC2026-01)

The consolidation of the right-of-way into the residential lots was approved 4-0 (Orochena recused).

Alcohol License: Johnny's New York Style Pizza

The Council approved a retail pouring license for beer, wine, and Sunday sales for Shree Pizzeria d/b/a Johnny's New York Style Pizza. A required distance waiver was granted. Approved 5-0.

January 2026 Crime Statistics

Chief Westenberger presented the stats: decreases in intimidation, larceny theft, vandalism; increases in drug/narcotics and fraud. Total Group A offenses down from 125 to 113. Accepted 5-0.

City Manager and Mayor Reports

City Manager Drobney commended Planning Director Chanelle Campbell and staff.
The Council selected Councilmembers Jones and Gutierrez-Leon as Cobb Municipal Association delegates for 2026.

Key Outcomes

6095 Pine Mountain Road rezoning approved with conditions (two access points, 10% rental cap).
1600 Old 41 Hwy rezoning postponed to March 2026.
2995 & 2997 N Main Street rezoning and final plat approved (4-0).
Unified Development Code amendment approved.
2026 Zoning Map adopted.
Consent Agenda approved en bloc.
Alcohol license granted to Johnny's New York Style Pizza.
January 2026 crime statistics accepted.
Cobb Municipal Association delegates appointed.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:03 PM. The next work session is scheduled for February 23, 2026, at 6:30 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. If you would uh please rise and Ms. Carleen, would you mind praying tonight? Andrew, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, please? Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you. And with that, the meeting is called the order. If you're going to speak tonight for any reason, uh please stand and be sworn in by our city attorney. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Yes, if you'll be making a public comment or any sort of presentation before this council this evening, would you please raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm that the presentation or comment that you'll be making this evening will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? If so, say I do. Thank you. You are now all under oath. You may be seated. Very good. Thank you, Sam. All right, with that, um is a public comment. This is for any item. This is to comment on any item that is on the agenda. Floor is open. Hearing none and seeing none, the floor for public comment is closed. We have three public, well, four or five public hearings this evening. The first one is an ordinance, it's a rezoning request for 6095 Pine Mountain Road. Apologies, there's a lot of paperwork. Okay, so the first public hearing on tonight's agenda is the rezoning application submitted by DRB Group, Georgia, LLC. The case was postponed from the January agenda and is now before Mayor Council for consideration to rezone approximately 8.82 acres from Highway General Business to Planned Unit Development Residential for the development of 89 fee simple town homes. To provide a little background, in 2006, the mayor and council approved the rezoning of the adjacent 2.88 acre parcel to the east of the highway general to Highway General Business. While the remaining 8.8 acres remain undeveloped. So these are just photos of the current existing site. A town home subdivision represents a suitable use of the property. The proposed residential character is compatible with surrounded development patterns, including Woodland Acres Mobile Home to the East and the Village at Pine Mountain Town Home Subdivision to the South, which was constructed back in 1993. Introducing additional commercial or auto-oriented uses at the location would likely intensify traffic impacts and conflict with the site's physical constraints. In contrast, a townhome development provides a lower intensity option that aligns with the area's established residential context while supporting the broader goals of the community activity center design. On January 16, 2026, staff received a letter of opposition from the representative of Cedar Creek Professional Center. A copy of the letter is included in your packet. In addition, the representatives has subsequently submitted a separate rezoning application requesting the removal of condition number 14 from ordinance 2006-20, which pertains to interparcel access with the adjacent 2.88 acre parcel.

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