On Tuesday, November 12th, the Cobb County Commission voted to impose a moratorium on Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) project applications through April 1, 2014. This moratorium was a result of pressure by some Cobb County residents to amend the portion of the Cobb County Code related to CCRC re-zoning applications.
The residents fighting for a revision to the CCRC ordinance were acting in response to a recent CCRC application by the Atlanta-based development firm Isakson Living to construct a senior living community in East Cobb. This is the first application ever submitted for re-zoning to CCRC since the CCRC ordinance was added to the Cobb County Code in 2008. To read more about Isakson Living’s project proposal, click HERE.
Council for Quality Growth President & CEO Michael Paris testified before the County Commission against any further amendments to the CCRC ordinance. He argued that the CCRC ordinance had been thoroughly vetted and enjoyed broad community and citizen supported when it was passed in 2008, and that there is no reason to amend the CCRC ordinance before it has even been used in Cobb County.
Members of Cobb County staff are expected to meet with experts, community interests, and Commissioners in the meantime to explore whether the CCRC portion of the code should be amended. Commission Chairman Tim Lee is also planning to host a symposium on senior issues this coming February that he hopes will provide additional guidance and information.
The Council for Quality Growth actively opposes any efforts to amend the CCRC portion of the Cobb County code. When the addition of a CCRC rezoning category was originally considered in 2008 by the Board of Commissioners, it underwent an intensive committee vetting process. This committee included the input of experts from the ARC, development community, and other vested interests, as well as heavy involvement by lay persons.
The Council was engaged in this committee vetting process and provided extensive recommendations to the Board of Commissioners. The CCRC ordinance that resulted was supported by these community members, and was passed 4-1 by the Board of Commissioners.
Furthermore, Isakson Living’s proposal is the first project proposal to be submitted for rezoning under CCRC since the CCRC ordinance was added to the Code. There is no reason to amend the CCRC ordinance at this time when it was fully vetted before approval and has not even been used since it was created.
To read the Marietta Daily Journal’s coverage of the moratorium, click HERE.