Citizens call for redevelopment of strip mall in Atlanta suburb

Citizens listened and posed questions to politicians and government officials 
at Sprayberry High School Theatre.

East Cobb,  Marietta, Ga... A standing room only crowd filled the Sprayberry High School Theater Wednesday night to hear how local government would keep their community from becoming "Shithole, America" just because a Superior Court judge deemed commercial real estate protected by a quitclaim deed not to be in a dilapidated, ruinous condition. 

The meeting was organized by Sprayberry Crossing Action, a group led by Joe Glancy, Shane Spank, Adrianne Clough, and others. Glancy is an insurance agent with business in Acworth.  The group's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/350695325316788/about/) has over 3,800 members, and it is estimated that hundreds of them showed up. Several government officials addressed the crowd, and political candidates also attended the event. The meeting was an example of how social media and persistence can bring the community together to discuss important issues and solve problems.

There was a SRO crowd at the event.

Large attendance at the meeting could signal that people are afraid their property values will be negatively affected if what they deem "dilapidated" properties are not improved. Others feel a nuisance abatement claim and determination of a rehabilitation zone would bring the property into compliance. Still others think it may be an attempt to rid the area of low rents being paid by small businesses and a way for a large company or group of individuals to get hold of some prime real estate through the courts or eminent domain.


I posed the following questions to organizer Joe Glancy:

WW: Were you surprised at last night's turnout, and what were you hoping to accomplish?

Glancy: I expected a nearly full auditorium.. so maybe just under 400. I underestimated the turnout of many of our senior citizens who are not online on the Facebook group page. We had several members who made an effort to distribute flyers in local neighborhoods to reach those who are not online. It was a strong showing from those individuals. I'm guessing total turnout was somewhere around 600. Hard to know for sure because people were being turned away because they couldn't get in.

WW: What was the outcome of the meeting?

Glancy: I think there are multiple outcomes. 1. The community is better informed, not just on the specifics of the shopping center, but on how the county is addressing it. 2. The county has a better idea of how important this is to the community. In spite of my efforts over the past year, I don't think they could have a full appreciation until they were in an auditorium full of fairly agitated voters.

WW: Do you live near Sprayberry Crossing?

Glancy: Yes, I'm approximately a mile and a half from the shopping center.

WW: How will your actions affect small business owners already renting commercial space in the development and the surrounding area?

Glancy: If our efforts result in the property being redeveloped, those current tenants will be faced with trying to find a shopping center that can offer an economically comparable lease, which won't be easy. That's an undeniable reality and I would have empathy for them. I don't wish that upon them, but the rent on that property is well below what it should be for that neighborhood. It's that way because of the dilapidated state of the property.

Renters at the strip mall pay lease money to Hale Retail Group, a commercial retail and property management company headquartered in Atlanta. According to its website, "Hale Retail Group is a full-service provider of commercial real estate services including marketing, leasing, and property management. Sam Hale, founding principal, has nearly thirty years of experience in the Atlanta real estate market and has established himself as a top producer in the marketing, leasing, and sale of shopping centers."

One tenant in the mall is Vineyard Community Church.

After talking to the company's leasing manager, Adam Hale, by telephone, I emailed the company's president, Sam Hale, the following questions:

1. What is your company's response or written statement?
2. Who is behind Sprayberry Crossing Action group?
3. What needs to be improved at Sprayberry Crossing, and what will be improved?
4. How will community involvement positively affect the area?
5. How will existing renters and affordable commercial rent be affected?
Mr. Hale attended the meeting, according to his son. By press time, I had no response.

After the meeting, we stopped by a mosque in the strip mall as some members were coming out. “This area is pretty busy, so we haven’t had any trouble here,” said one man leaving the location. The Imam there told us, “Some people have complained, saying the homeless and drug dealers are around here, but we haven’t seen any.”

At the meeting, Don Parsons (R) Marietta, District 44, said the commercial real estate in question used to house a thriving Bruno’s grocery store, a Chinese restaurant, a bowling alley and a beauty salon. “Now it’s like driving through Beirut back there,” he said of potholes which are constantly being repaired.

Now a church, a mosque, a thrift store, a barber shop, a dry cleaners and other small businesses are speckled in between vacant properties and two open daycare centers. Close by are a thriving panoply of fast food restaurants, doctors offices, a jewelry store, and a cemetery. 

A school is in the area in question.

It was rumored that Lowe’s wanted to build a new store in this location, but an existing preschool and Montessori school would be negatively affected by traffic. 

District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said, "Incentives need to be given to businesses to move to Sprayberry Crossing.  Sometimes as government, our hands are tied, but this group coming together like this and the support, participation, and involvement that you have, and enthusiasm, really is helping us.  So stay with it, please."

Students used event to sell baked goods to finance educational trip.

One solution is to create an economic incentive to benefit the community, maybe in the form of a tax abatement. One local government official said a five year tax abatement should be given to potential businesses. Another option is to get the courts and the county attorney, Debra Lynn Blair, involved. 

This picture was taken of businesses in mall at 9:30 p.m.

Birrell said that between 2011 and 2017, 85 police calls have been acted upon at this location. Another item talked about was possibly relocating the cemetery on Sandy Plains Road near the mall. "Having a cemetery nearby is not a good excuse for not taking care of the property,” said one of the organizers. 

It is evident that the property owners neither want to get rid of their investment or spend millions to improve it. Although it doesn't look like new developments in Buckhead, it still is a place where small business people can work and earn a living.

Citizens were very attentive at meeting, standing near exit.

Jim Smith, who is running against Birrell, stated in an interview outside the meeting that the property has been an eyesore for almost 20 years, and neighbors and people living around it are tired of it. If he were commissioner, "I would use every method, every law we had, to force them (the owners) to clean it up or demolish it," Smith said.