In Marietta, Georgia, Houses Disappear as New "Doughnut" Expected

MARIETTA, Georgia -- The landscape looks as if there is a war going on. Twisted and broken remnants of trees lay out in the sun as several men sift through a nearby pile of rubble for usable things. A few houses still sit empty as construction equipment roars by on big flatbeds. The day has just now begun, and it won't be ending anytime soon. The nearby drivers may not see a thing, but big changes are underway; It's another day behind the Windy Hill and Austell intersection, and there will soon be another 'loop' around the Marietta area.

A man and a woman sort through the last of their belongings on one of these mostly-empty lots. Eric McIntyre, one of the now-displaced homeowners, reported that the county had first requested a price on his home, and he got the amount he wanted; he reported that he is happy with the deal. He was given thirty days to move out. Several other homeowners were bought out. Ten houses so far have been claimed in the process of this recent county project.

This recent activity can cause homeowners to be worried about the fate of their houses; Austell Road is expanding by two lanes and Windy Hill Road is being extended around Milford Elementary School to connect with neighboring roads. There are three ways a homeowner can check on the status of projects and find out if the county may be considering their property.

1. The county building permits office contains maps, charts, and permit information that is really the best source you can obtain your information from. This office contains current and future land use information that can be obtained through permit requests, grants, and denials. Also, the staff does have a big picture view and they can help you find out what projects, private and public, are scheduled to occur in your residential area.

2. County planners are a wealth of information; a visit to the office of community development can help a homeowner understand what is planned for his or her regional area; this may involve the purchase of property from homeowners to ensure adequate property for use in these projects.

3. Cobb County DOT information from http://dot.cobbcountyga.gov/ will also provide homeowners with a wealth of information about road closures, traffic problem resolution, and roadway construction projects.

Talks with some of the construction workers, unnamed per their requests, revealed the fact that commuters from the Marietta & Smyrna areas may experience temporary traffic delays as a result of heavy construction activity. Windy Hill, Austell, Powder Springs, County Services, and Macland Roads will all be affected by this construction, which is being done to ultimately reduce the traffic burden of these very roads.

Sources: McIntyre, E. Interview, March 6 2009