2040 Comprehensive Plan

Welcome to the online virtual engagement portal for Cobb County's 2040 Comprehensive Plan 5 Year update.

This website will not only provide you with information about the 2040 Comprehensive Plan update, but you will also find opportunities to participate in virtual engagement activities.

You may scroll through the portal or you many click one of the menu items above to skip to that section.

The 2040 Comprehensive Plan is Cobb County’s long-range policy document and growth strategy for the next two decades.

The State of Georgia requires local governments to maintain their comprehensive plan to accurately reflect current community conditions and determine if the community’s needs are still priorities for the future. As part of this maintenance, Cobb County is conducting a 5 year update to its 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

The priority of this update will be limited in scope as required by the Department of Community Affairs minimum standards and procedures. Focus will be on the following items:

• Determine if the existing needs are still relevant;
• Provide a Report of Accomplishments based on existing 5 Year Community Work Program;
• Create a new 5-Year Work Program;
• Include a Broadband element;
• Update the land use element and future land use map; and
• Reduce redundancy and inconsistencies and better streamline 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Note: In an effort to streamline the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and eliminate redundancy and inconsistencies, some optional elements that are guided by other planning efforts, like Parks and Transportation, may be replaced by reference in the supplemental plans section of the Comprehensive Plan.

The Cobb Snapshot summarizes socioeconomic characteristics that have a bearing on the planning and future growth and development of Cobb County. The following information can help identify new needs and opportunities for the 5 year update or can be used to justify the current needs and opportunities in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

This needs assessment provides an overview of each planning element, as well as a summary of the needs and opportunities from the existing version of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The needs listed are applicable to the issues that were articulate by the community in 2017.

As an essential part of this 5 year update, Cobb County is seeking insight as to whether these needs and opportunities still fit the desires of the community. The needs and opportunities are categorized by element as defined within the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Note: In an effort to better streamline the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and to ensure consistency across multiple planning efforts throughout the County departments, some planning elements will reference other planning documents that guide policy and implementation decisions for that element.

The purpose of the Land Use element is to manage growth in a way that provides for the enhancement of existing neighborhoods, commercial nodes and corridors, and job centers. This is achieved through the goals, polices, community work program, and the Future Land Use Map (FLUM) and its associated guidelines.

The FLUM is the key component to the land use planning process. Each future land use category consists of definitions that provide guidance that promotes the vision for future development. To learn more about the Future Land Use map, click the Future Land Use menu item above.

ASSESSMENT & TRENDS

The steady pace of growth and development in Cobb over the next 20 to 30 years will continue to have a significant impact on existing neighborhoods, activity centers, and transportation networks. With this growth will be a population increase that will need housing, retail, commercial services, and jobs. They will also need places to relax, recreate, and rejuvenate.

As shown in the population charts above, Cobb County is not new to an increasing population The community, has established needs and policies to ensure that growth is accommodated but not at the detriment of existing neighborhoods. In the last 20 years the community has ensured that growth management policies remain a key strategy for land use goals in Cobb County.

The following charts breakdown the existing and future land uses by percentage in Cobb County. You can explore the mapping application below to learn more about the land uses and how they are distributed throughout the County.

EXISTING LAND USE

An analysis of existing land use and development patterns helps the community, staff, and elected officials gain an understanding about existing development characteristics and patterns within the County.

As expected not a lot has changed in the past 5 years. Cobb continues to be dominated by established residential areas in east, west, and south Cobb. In fact, residential represents 69% of the land area in the County. These residential areas are relatively low dense neighborhoods serviced by neighborhood and community level, nodal commercial centers at key intersections. Around these nodal centers residential neighborhoods are relatively more dense.

In several locations, such as south Cobb and parts of north Cobb, there are sprawling commercial corridors along arterial roadways, such as Veterans Memorial, Mableton Parkway, Austell Road, South Cobb Drive, and Canton Road. The more intense commercial centers include Austell Road and East-West Connector and Johnson Ferry Road and Roswell Road. The Existing commercial development makes up 6% of the land area in the County.

The most intense development continues to be concentrated along the Interstate 75 and Highway 41 corridors, include the regional job centers of Cumberland and Town Center. These major activity centers provide the most dense residential areas and include more intense retail, shopping, and entertainment opportunities, as well as being the job centers for unincorporated Cobb County. Over the last five years these regional centers have also seen an increase in office and mixed-use development. These regional centers offer more variety of uses within a single development, which has helped housing, office, retail, entertainment, and tourism. As an example of the trend toward more mixed use, in 2015 mixed-use made up less than half a percent of the overall land area in Cobb County. In 2021, mixed-use makes up just over 1% of the overall land area in the county.

Parks, Recreation and Conservation uses make up the second largest existing land use in the County. The majority of the acreage is federally owned, either as a park, such as Kennesaw National Battlefield and the Chattahoochee Recreational Area or open space, conservation land surrounding Lake Allatoona. Over the last twenty years, Cobb County has been able to add greenspace and park land through the Georgia Greenspace Program and the Parks Bond Properties Program. In addition, the Cobb Water Systems has been successful in adding conservation land through its Floodplain Acquisition Program to help flood mitigation and water quality improvements.

FUTURE LAND USE

Future needs for various land uses are predicated on population and economic projections. The Future Land Use map guides uses to ensure land resources encourage the preservation of existing neighborhoods, allow for a variety of housing choices, promote economic development, preserve natural and historic resources, provide open space and recreational uses and accommodate mobility routes and other public facilities in order to protect, progress, and improve the County's quality of life.

In addition to the future land use guidelines, several future land use designations have Small Area Policy Guidelines (SAPG). The SAPGs provide further guidance on how particular tracts of land are encouraged to be developed. The web map below shows where the SAPGs are located and  Appendix 4  of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan provides the guidelines. Click on the map below to zoom in to specific locations and link to their specific guidelines.

As part of this 5 year update, the County would like to your input on the future land uses in the County, the small area policy guidelines and the distribution of future land uses through out the county. To provide input for the future development in the county please visit our  Community Feedback Mapping Application  or come to one of our community meetings.

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The following Land Use needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

Cobb County and its cities are currently in the process of updating the Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). The CTP, also known as CobbForward is a county-wide, long-range multimodal transportation plan that assesses the county's existing and future transportation needs including roadways, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, transit services, and freight considerations. The goals of the CTP are to assist with identifying short and long term transportation priorities, to establish a relationship between local and regional expectations, and to reinforce and support other local and regional planning and funding initiatives.

The current CTP,  Cobb In Motion , stands in as the transportation element of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Cobb Forward is the planning effort to update the CTP. It is the intention of CobbForward, once its adopted, to be integrated by reference into the 2040 Comprehensive Plan update. For more information regarding the update process please visit  CobbForward .

The following vision and goals are currently in draft form and are the result from collaboration between the CobbForward technical and stakeholder groups, the project management team, and the public. These vision and goals establish project priorities for the CobbForward Plan. To review the CobbForward Executive Summary click  here. 

The Housing element establishes a vision for housing development, redevelopment and affordability. This element is closely related to Cobb's Consolidated Plan, which is updated every 5 years. The Consolidated Plan is prepared by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, which identifies and coordinates strategies for affordable housing.

Housing and households play a big part in comprehensive planning as to the type of housing that is needed to meet the unique preferences of residential demand. The number of housing units has moderately increased from 2010. Single-family detached/attached and multi-family housing with 10 units are more have increased between 2010 and 2019. Housing types, such as Duplexes, Triplexes, Quadraplexes, and housing with 5 to 9 units make up a less percentage of the overall housing types in 2019, as they did in 2010. Consideration of these types of housing should be looked at closely, as they can potential be beneficial to workforce housing in the County.

ASSESSMENT & TRENDS

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The following Housing needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

Incentives play a large role in Economic Development. There goal is to spur economic development by attracting and retaining businesses, grow jobs, strategically target industries and improve the overall look of an area. Below are incentives that the Cobb County Economic Development office offers to potential applicants. For more information on the incentives below click  here .

• Federal Opportunity Zone
• Entrepreneurship and Innovation Grant Program
• Business Retention
• Targeted Industry
• Special Economic Impact
• Facade Improvement Program
• Enterprise Zones
• Military Zones
• Commercial and Industrial Property Rehabilitation Program

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The following Economic Development needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

On October 1, 2018, the Minimum Standards and Procedures were modified in response to the Georgia General Assembly amending provisions of the Georgia Planning Act aimed at facilitating the enhancement and extension of high-speed internet infrastructure, known as the “Achieving Connectivity Everywhere (ACE) Act”. As of 2018, the amended statutes require all jurisdictions to include a Broadband element within their Comprehensive Plans.

According to DCA's minimum standards and procedures local governments must address the availability of broadband services within the community and the deployment of broadband by service providers into unserved areas. The Broadband element must provide steps for the promotion of reasonable and cost-effective access to broadband to parts of the county designated by DCA as unserved areas.

ASSESSMENT & TRENDS

In today's society access to high-speed internet, computer processing, and information storage is the backbone to information and economic growth. Broadband provides a community access to services such as healthcare, public safety, educational and economic opportunities, e-commerce, social connectivity, and other information resources. It is also vital to the success of businesses, whether they are operating within the regional, national or global economy.

Broadband service is based on a fixed, terrestrial, wired or wireless service at minimum download speeds of at least 25 Mbps and uploading speeds of at least 3 Mbps. Broadband can provide high speed internet access via multiple types of technologies including fiber optics, wireless, cable, DSL and satellite.

The following chart provides the percentage of population with access to broadband at varying speeds for Cobb County and compares it to the nation and other counties in the metro Atlanta area.

The chart below provides the population percentage that has access to broadband service at different speeds by the number of service providers available.

Below is a map that provides a geographical representation of Broadband availability across Cobb County.

As evident from the above charts and map, there does not appear to be any deficiencies in the availability of broadband service. Residents of Cobb County and surrounding counties enjoy widespread access to broadband services. According to FCC data, as of June 2021, one hundred percent of Cobb's population has access to the minimum speeds as defined by broadband service. In fact, not only does 100% of the population have access to at least 1 service provider, but all of Cobb has access to at least 2 service providers and most have access to three or more service providers. Overall, Cobb has a healthy supply of broadband availability and service providers throughout the County.

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The Broadband element is new to the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. If the community has any interest, concerns, issues, or ideas regarding the accessibility of broadband services in Cobb County please provide comments in the  survey .

The purpose of the Intergovernmental Coordination element is to promote coordinated efforts between Cobb County and other local governmental entities that are essential to effective delivery of services to residents of the Cobb County. The County maintains working relationships with the six (6) municipal governments that are incorporated within the County. Collaborative partnerships exist with other authorities, agencies, and non-profits at the local, state, and federal level. By including this element, it ensures that intergovernmental relations are consistent and in the best interest of those groups or agencies they serve.

ASSESSMENT & TRENDS

The six (6) municipalities within Cobb County include: Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs and Smyrna. Each of these cities has their own local governing bodies, consisting of an elected Mayor and city council. They oversee the day-to-day operations of their respective city functions that includes zoning, code enforcement, building permits, site inspections, public safety and more. These functions mirror the same responsibilities overseen by the County Manager in terms of unincorporated areas in Cobb County.

Georgia House Bill 489 requires each County and the cities to adopt a Service Delivery Strategy (SDS). The intent of this strategy is to coordinate the services they provide in order to identify overlaps or gaps in service provisions and develop a more rational approach to allocating delivery and funding of these services among the various local governments and authorities. Along with coordinating services such as public utilities, public safety coverage, emergency response, and annexations, House Bill 489 also requires the county and its cities to look at their land use plans in order to minimize conflicts between County and City plans.

Cobb County holds a Service Delivery Strategy agreement for each of its six (6) cities. This agreement ensures there are no duplication of services and that all citizens are covered by services. This is important due to the vast overall area of the County and unincorporated islands that are surrounded by municipal boundaries. The Service Delivery Strategy also guides the annexation process for each of the 6 cities. The last SDS extension was approved in 2017 and the next update will be in October of 2024.

As part of the SDS, the County holds Intergovernmental Land Use Agreements (LUAs) with each of the six cities. The LUAs are intended to ensure consistent land use patterns along the boundary areas of each of the cities. These agreements become significant during the annexation and rezoning process. The LUAs ensure the character of neighborhoods and communities remain intact regardless of whether they are in the city or County.

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The following Intergovernmental Coordination needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

The Human Services element is an optional element within the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Human Services are those services that help provide the basis for assuring the social and health needs of all people. In the current 2040 Comprehensive Plan, the Human Services element includes Senior Services, Public Health, and Education.

Moving forward, Senior Services will be a stand alone element within the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Public Health and Education as it relates to land use, economic development, parks and recreation and any other element will be integrated into those elements based on the need. Otherwise, more detailed planning efforts that decision makers use for public health can be found on the Cobb & Douglas Public Health Department website  Cobb 2020.  Information regarding education can be found on the  Cobb County School District website. 

ASSESSMENT & TRENDS

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The following Senior Services needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

The Natural & Historic Resources element is an optional element designed to supplement the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The intent of this element is to establish policies that support the need to protect the County's unique natural and historic identity, while planning for orderly development of land in appropriate areas throughout the County.

The past four decades have been a time of steady growth of residential communities and commercial and industrial businesses. While growth is inevitable and new residents and businesses need to be accommodated, Cobb County’s natural and historic resources should be considered in the planning process in order to allow for growth without destroying the rich cultural heritage of the County. There are sensitive community features that cannot be regained once destroyed.

ASSESSMENT & TRENDS

Natural and historic resources are inherent characteristics of a community giving it a unique identity and contributing to the list of assets that attract new residents or investors.

The following web map examines the natural and historic resources in Cobb County.

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The following Natural & Historic Resources needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

The Community Facilities element is an optional element within the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. This element covers a wide range of services for the county, including Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, Water Systems, Libraries, and Technology. These facilities and programs provide the necessary services to citizens and are essential to the quality of life that is enjoyed by Cobb County residents.

In 2016, Cobb County developed a comprehensive master plan for the PARKS Department. The goal of the master plan is to guide future improvements to the county's parks, recreation, greenspace, trails, and recreational programming over the next ten years. The plan, which involved community engagement, also examines staffing, operations, funding, and makes recommendations for improvements.

In an effort to better streamline the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and align it with other planning efforts to reduce inconsistencies, the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs element will be guided by the  PARKS Master Plan.  Parks, open space, and preservation as it relates to land use, economic development, housing and natural & historic resources will be integrated into those elements based on the need.

The Cobb County Water System is currently in the process of conducting a long range plan for the County. Once it is adopted, the updated Water Systems Master Plan will supplement the 2040 Comprehensive Plan by reference. This is an effort to better streamline the 2040 Comprehensive Plan and align it with other planning efforts to reduce inconsistencies. Water issues as it relates to land use, economic development, housing and natural & historic resources will be integrated into those elements based on the need.

Because of the new state requirements of adding a broadband element to the comprehensive plan, the technology element will now become the broadband element. Any needs related to technology as it relates to broadband will be integrated into the that element.

Moving forward, the Libraries Element will be a stand alone element within the 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

LIBRARY ASSESSMENT & TRENDS

Public libraries are important assets to Cobb County. With an increase in diversity and aging, the library system will continue to experience increasing demands from patrons. The  2020 Annual Report  provides a great 2020 assessment for libraries across the county.

The map below shows the location of the system of libraries that service Cobb County.

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The following Library needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

Effective delivery of Public Safety services impacts economic development, population growth, and ultimately, the fiscal well-being of the County. The fear of crime and/or the perception of crime is often cited as a primary factor in the quality of life within communities as well as a contributing factor in business and family relocation decisions. 

Cobb County provides Public Safety services for all residents, businesses and visitors in the form of police and fire protection, Emergency 911 (E/911) and Animal Control services. While not under the Public Safety umbrella, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office also provides public safety related services to the County. In addition, the Public Safety Department works collaboratively with six municipal police departments, three municipal fire departments (Marietta, Smyrna, and Austell) and other local, state and federal agencies to reduce crime and increase the overall safety of people and property within the County.

The Cobb County community expects public safety delivery service to be proactive, responsive and innovative. Citizens should expect not only timely and effective response during a crisis but also proven professionals who provide the knowledgeable guidance and considerate intervention to improve the quality of life in homes, businesses, schools, and other public spaces on a daily basis. 

As described in the Cobb Snapshot, the County will continue to see population and economic growth through the year 2050. A growing population will continue to create challenges for public safety. This growth will impact the resources required to provide the desired level of public safety response and protection. Resources will continue to become stretched as the demand for services increase.

NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES

The following Public Safety needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

The Disaster Resilience element is an optional element that has been included in the Cobb 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Planning for resilience enables communities to adapt and thrive when faced with natural and human caused disasters. The Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP), which is maintained by Cobb County Emergency Management Agency (EMA), helps community leaders better understand risks from natural and human hazards and develop long-term strategies that will reduce the impacts of future events on people, property and the environment, in addition to promoting a strong culture of preparedness and mitigation.

The EMA is currently in the process of updating the HMP. Once its adopted, the HMP will supplement the 2040 Comprehensive Plan by reference. This is to ensure consistency among local plans, policies, and programs. You can view the  draft HMP here. 

For more information regarding the draft HMP please visit the  Emergency Management Agency website .

The Military Compatibility element is an optional element that has been included in the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The purpose of the Military Compatibility element is to better promote, strengthen and coordinate planning surrounding Dobbins Air Reserve Base (Dobbins ARB) and associated services and uses.

In 2015, Cobb County adopted the  Dobbins Air Reserve Base Joint Land Use Study (JLUS).  The JLUS was a collaborative effort involving Cobb County, City of Marietta, City of Smyrna, Dobbins ARB, Cobb Chamber of Commerce and the public. The primary goal of the JLUS is to protect the viability of current and future operations at Dobbins ARB, while simultaneously guiding community growth, sustaining the environmental and economic health of the region and protecting the public health, safety and welfare of the community.

The JLUS is a stand-alone plan that includes a compatibility assessment and an implementation plan with strategies that promote compatible land use and resource planning. The JLUS will act as the Military Compatibility element and supplement the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The implementation strategies identified within the JLUS are part of the Military Compatibility community work program.

The Place Making element for Cobb County is an optional element intended to supplement the Cobb 2040 plan to establish broad policies that enable and support the need for an important design tool that enhances the livability and vitality of Cobb’s residents.

Place making promotes a healthy, safe, and sustainable community by encouraging walkable neighborhoods and active commercial centers in places where it is desired. It involves the physical design and management of public space and how that space is experienced and used. Public space includes the totality of spaces used freely on a day-to-day basis by the general public, such as streets, sidewalks, plazas, parks and public infrastructure.

As Cobb County continues to grow and change, place making becomes increasingly important. Place making policies help conserve and enhance aspects of the physical environment and guide growth to fit the old with the new. Place making strategies raise the standards for how public and private developments contribute to the holistic appearance of the built and natural environment and the overall quality of an area.

The following Place Making needs, which are directly related to the goals, policies and work program, were identified by the community during the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan back in 2017. As part of this 5 year update, the County is seeking input from the community to determine if these needs are still relevant. Please review the following needs and take the  survey  to provide your thoughts and ideas on whether or not they are still applicable.

PLEASE NOTE: In an effort to condense and streamline the 2040 Comprehensive Plan, place making needs, goals, and policies will be integrated into the Land Use element for the final update document.

Below you will see the 2040 Comprehensive Plan 5 Year Update Survey. Below the survey is the 2040 Comprehensive Plan Community Input Application that allows you to provide feedback from a mapping perspective. Through the Community Input application you can provide the county information about your desires on future development at specific locations. You may provide your thoughts regarding Park & Greenspace and Natural and Historic Resources as well. Click on the Community Input application for more information.