Cobb Approves New Baseball Complex

MARIETTA — This week, the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted 4-0, with Commissioner Keli Gambrill absent, to approve a new baseball complex in east Cobb.

The applicant, Blake Bondurant, requested a special land use permit to build a baseball complex on three parcels at 4775 Lake Drive, Jamerson Road and 4785 Lee Waters Road.

According to a June 3 letter from Gaskins + LeCraw, Inc., the 12-acre site would include two new baseball fields, food concessions, a batting cage facility, a barndominium, or metal pole barn, and a playground area.

The proposed complex would be located near East Cobb Baseball Georgia, which already has five baseball fields. While not a part of East Cobb Baseball, Bondurant said the complex will supplement what East Cobb is already doing and offer services to the public.

Site improvements required to accommodate the new additions include grading, tree removal and paved parking.

The board approved the project, as long as all staff comments and recommendations are met. Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, who represents the area, added that the site plan was recently updated as a result of revised comments from stormwater management on June 28.

The property, zoned and used as single-family residences, contains a major portion of Wilson Lake. Because of this, the applicant will have to apply a stream buffer around the lake and cannot build over the emergency spillway adjacent to the lake in order to follow stormwater comments.

Bondurant says once they break ground, the complex should only take a few months to develop.

“Baseball is the mecca here in east Cobb. People from all over the world travel here just to play,” Bondurant said.