🌱 Sprayberry Crossing Redevelopment + New Cobb School District Budget

Good morning, friends! I'm back with your fresh edition of the East Cobb Patch newsletter, fresh off the presses. Come along to find out the most important things going on in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Warmer with periods of sun. High: 79 Low: 60.
• Sunday: A thunderstorm or two. High: 72 Low: 45.

📢 I'm looking for business owners and marketers in East Cobb who want to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales.

I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top three stories today in East Cobb:

1. After a year of demolition, work on the redevelopment of Sprayberry Crossing will begin when permits are issued by the city. The first phase will commence this summer with the building of a 132-unit apartment building for 55 years and older residents. The development plan also includes 14,500 square feet of retail space. This is down from the 30,000 square feet that were originally planned. Some groups in the community believe that the city needs to hold them to at least the 14,500 square feet that are in the development plans now, otherwise, all that will be put on the site are townhomes and apartments squeezed as tightly together as possible. The developer says that they plan to maximize the retail space as much as zoning will allow. An updated site plan is expected to be released by the developer soon. (East Cobb News)
2. The Cobb County Schools District has proposed a 2024 budget that would cut millage tax rates for the county by 7.6 million. The proposed budget for the year is 1.448 billion dollars and would include pay raises for school district employees. If this budget goes through, this will be the first change in the general fund property tax rate for the Cobb school district in nearly 15 years. Superintendent Chris Ragsdale is also proposing to hire 11 more officers to the school police force, which already has 70 officers. The budget is expected to be formally adopted in May and be in effect by Jun. 1. (East Cobb News)
3. Four East Cobb women are in their seventh year of leading the Kettle Krush 5K fundraiser event for The Salvation Army. The fundraiser benefits the programs and services provided by The Salvation Army of Metro Atlanta and is nearing the 500,000 dollar proceeds mark over its six-year run. Dawn Menear, fundraiser chair; Tonya Cheek, SAWA president; Mary Allphin, SAWA vice president; and Cindy Theiler, communications chair, are striving to exceed that mark at this year's event. Even though COVID, they held a race-in-place event for two years that received a lot of support from the community and fundraised money during a crucial time when the Salvation Army needed it most. This year's title sponsors are Mt. Bethel Church and The Home Depot Foundation. The race begins at 8 a.m on May 20. (Yahoo News)

Today and tomorrow in East Cobb:

Saturday, April 15

• Book Sale, Cobb County Library (9:00 AM)
• Saturday Art School, Marrietta Cobb Museum of Art (11:15 AM)

Sunday, April 16

• Book Sale, Cobb County Library (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has listed 15 things to do all around the Atlanta metro Area this weekend. Get more details on each at the link. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Former Cobb Chamber leader Bob Prillaman has passed away. He served as the Chairman of the Board in 1997 and on the Board of Directors for over 20 years. A friend and mentor to so many in the community, Mr. Prillaman will be greatly missed. (Cobb Chamber via Facebook)
• The Cobb County Library Book Sale started yesterday and will go through Sunday! This is a great opportunity to buy all your favorite books for a great price. (Cobb County Public Library via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• CME Schubert Trio - Piano, Violin & Cello (April 15)
• Saprea Battle of the Bands! (April 16)
• VIETRI Book Signing with Founder Susan Gravely - Italy on a Plate (April 17)
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Featured gigs & services:

• Masonry repairs (Details)
• Medicare Specialist (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you soon for your next update.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.