The Results Are In For What Mableton Needs Most

We Asked And Y'all Answered

In our July 16th issue, we asked you to vote on what Mableton needs most. While options like a central downtown and new grocery stores took the top spots, 19.4% of the 140 voters selected "Other" and left a write-in response.

These comments were incredibly insightful, showing a beautiful vision for what our community could look like while offering a critical look at the growing pains we face right now.

Scroll down to read the full list of write-in ideas and see what your neighbors are suggesting!

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"Dog Waterpark"

Mableton is missing gathering spaces. The square has lovely green space and a playground but there’s no businesses nearby to bring people there. A local coffee shop, bakery, burger/ diner, wine/beer/cider bar could do well. Look at the Marietta Square or the Sandy Springs area for example. They have been successful in the city planning. People come out if there’s affordable restaurants, easy parking, and the arts. Mableton has many of these things, but they are scattered throughout the area. There’s not a walkable area once you’re off the Silver Comet Trail.

"Steak house, more family oriented restaurants, green space for sure, a good coffee shop no Starbucks ... definitely a Whole Foods !"

"Ice cream parlor like a Bruster's."

Citywide sanitation department for trash, recycle and debris (seasonally) collection service from a created Mableton City Sanitation Department. Presently some areas of Austell have city sanitation and others do not. Additionally, street sweeper would be great especially in the autumn when dead leaves have fallen, pine needles collect along the side of our roads, and sadly to sweep-up litter too along the curbs, either on demand or as cycled scheduled by sanitation department.

"Coffee Shop, but I want to be specific—more indie coffee shops like Bolivar, not gimmicky corporate coffee shops like 7 Brew or Starbucks. We need more cute, tasty, comfortable cafes the likes of Cool Beans, Rev Coffee, and Portrait Coffee."

"Private owned business quaint shops from our own community and remove all those mechanic and tire shops off of Mableton Pkwy eye sore!!!"

"Central Downtown that includes the other items on the list, really more like Marietta Square nice to have, shops, restaurants, a coffee shop, and a nice park in the middle."

"What Mableton needs is to clean up some of the mess and the blight along Veterans Memorial and Mableton Parkway. Whatever you build next to empty for decades building will not prosper.

Everything centers on Floyd Rd but there is much more to Mableton.

Let's start with the old Bolton Furniture building and the buildings near the fire station there... Clean up the empty buildings, parking lots and the buildings that do have tenants. The KFC is an eyesore. Next, how many tire stores and used car lots does Mableton need? Get those consolidated and cleaned up.

If we freshen up Veterans that clears the way for better businesses to want to move to Mableton. Until we do the block and tackle basics, nice restaurants, coffee shops and other retail won't consider Mableton.

Side note: Trader Joe's is never coming to Mableton. Possibly a local owned grocery like Nature's Pick Market in Marietta but I don't think there is enough demand for that and certainly not enough people willing to pay the premium prices these types of retail cost.

My vote would be to partner with Austell and clean up the corridor between Floyd and Austell down Veterans that way first. Make that a walkable wide side walk with a brewery, a green space that has movie nights, a playground and a splashpad like downtown Powder Springs but bigger. We need to clean up so we can build back better.

The idea of having a town square at the intersection of Mableton Parkway and Floyd and Veterans Memorial is preposterous. It is the main thoroughfare. Any downtown/square should be closer to the amphitheater (repurpose the Food Lion plaza?) or possibly as part of the redevelopment going toward Austell or the other way toward Atlanta on VM although the bus depot is going to challenge that area for any type of true redevelopment. Lions Club park area with car lots and tire stores. The clean up Mableton needs to be the priority before attracting new retail or more building."

"GET OUT OF CITYHOOD! Taxes will KILL those on a fixed income in retirement."

"Nice sit-down restaurant like Roasters Rotisserie in Buckhead & Sandy Springs. "

More lanes to handle the traffic thats been brought in by all the residential growth.

"Walking retail district, with a country cooking restaurant."

"We need more places to eat, coffee shops, Whole Foods. We are growing."

"Healthy option restaurants"

"More Restaurants like Copeland’s, and others Seafood Restaurants. We need to build our own Mall."

Absolutely nothing! People like me who have lived out here for 15 years came out here for privacy! If we wanted to move to Atlanta, Smyrna, or Marietta, we would have. Stop trying to change Mableton!

"Less traffic!"