MIC Corner: An Introduction

 For those of you unfamiliar with the MIC, (pronounced Mick as in Jagger),the Mableton Improvement Coalition, has been around since 2001. Originally started by irate neighbors protesting an objectionabledevelopment in their backyards, MIC evolved into an official 501(c)4community organization with a Board of Directors, officers, andcommittees.

While MIC is well known in many Cobb County offices (zoning, economic development, code enforcement, school board), MIC mysteriously remains unknown to a lot of Mableton residents. The MIC Board can only assume that its accomplishments are actually the mystery, and it wants to inform everyone in the Mableton area, especially those who do not get the newsletter, or come to meetings, just exactly what it is MIC does.

MIC is convinced that if everyone was familiar with its projects, surely everyone would join MIC in its continual pursuit of smart growth, more greenspace, better schools, higher home values and increased economic and community development in Mableton.

South Cobb Patch has given MIC an opportunity to fill everyone in on a regular basis. While MIC could spend lots of time catching everyone up, let’s just start with what’s going on right now. You’ll catch up soon enough:

• Last year, Green Street Developers filed a zoning application for a huge mixed use development along Riverview Road. While this development is inline with the River Line Master Plan, MIC still had concerns about building on the river bank, the flood plain, traffic, and the developer’s future modifications to the zoning. To iron these issues out, MIC has been communicating back and forth with the developer over the last few months. Despite opposition from the industrial owners in the area, on February 1, the Planning Commission recommended approval with a few more stipulations to work out. Once MIC receives the latest stipulations, the MIC Board will vote to either fully support this development or remain neutral in further proceedings.
• The Chattahoochee River Line committee meeting is Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Mable House Arts Center.

• MIC members cleaned up its one mile stretch of Floyd Road last Saturday in the first quarterly Adopt-A-Mile trash pick up for 2011. Even with regular cleaning, because this section of Floyd Road is so busy, it doesn’t stay “picked up” for long. It does keep trash from building up though and hopefully when folks see hardworking MIC members picking up trash, they will think twice before tossing a fork, or a candy wrapper or a soda canout the window.

When I started crashing early MIC meetings 10 years ago, I was married with no kids, a full time job and a great amount of free time. Now, I have two school-aged children, a part-time job, PTA commitments, pets, a minivan and not enough time to put on makeup before I leave the house. But I make time for what’s important to me – my family, education, green space and a sense of community. I promise that one meeting a month will be easier to make than you think. Just tivo your show and come to a meeting. You'll be glad you did!