Three Levels of Leadership, One Stage

Highlights from the Mableton Improvement Coalition Table Talk #2

On Monday, January 12, The Mableton Improvement Coalition (MIC) hosted its first "Table Talk" of the year.

It’s not often you see three levels of leadership share the stage to discuss their plans, but this session brought together representatives from the City, the County, and the State.

The room was packed with engaged residents eager to hear how local and state efforts are ensuring Mableton doesn't just grow, but thrives. From traffic solutions to mobile banking, the updates were fast-paced and focused on infrastructure and quality of life.

Here are some of the highlights of what our leaders had to say.

Mayor Michael Owens (City of Mableton)

• The "Gateway to the West" Traffic: The Mayor highlighted that Mableton just won its first federal grant ($240k) to study "Safe Streets." He is focused on managing the three main corridors (Veterans Memorial, East-West Connector, and Hwy 20) and making the city more pedestrian-friendly.

• Smart Housing Growth: He noted that Mableton saw a 20% increase in home values recently. He argued that to stop prices from skyrocketing further, the city needs more housing supply (including townhomes) to meet demand, while ensuring a mix of affordable and executive-level housing.

• Fighting Blight: The city's Urban Redevelopment Agency (URA) is now actively buying abandoned or blighted properties to take control of what gets built there.

• Cleaning Up Mableton: Addressing a shared concern among residents, the Mayor discussed the city's commitment to solving the littering problem. He highlighted that the city has already passed anti-dumping and anti-littering legislation to establish stronger policies and enforcement tools to keep our community clean.

Commissioner Monique Sheffield (Cobb County, District 4)

• Buckner Road Progress: She gave an honest update on the Buckner Road construction, noting they hit a "snafu" with gas lines and asbestos mitigation. The new finish line is projected for March.

• CobbLinc Go Expansion: If all goes according to plan in terms of timing, the on-demand transit system (CobbLinc Go) that has been successful in other parts of the county will come to Mableton, likely early next year. It’s an "Uber-style" bus service that costs only $2.25.

• The Riverlands Project: Funding is secured for Phase 2 of the trailhead at Discovery and Mableton Parkway, which will eventually include a boat ramp.

State Representative Terry Cummings

• Banking in Riverside: After seeing the lack of brick-and-mortar banks in the Riverside area, she partnered with PNC Bank to bring a mobile banking unit to the Riverside EpiCenter bi-weekly.

• Safe Housing (Habitability): She is pushing a bill to close loopholes in defining what habitability is in terms of housing. Her goal is to create a clear legal definition of what a "safe and healthy" home looks like so tenants have more power in court against negligent landlords.

• Mental Health Parity: As Vice Chair of the delegation, she is working to ensure insurance companies are legally required to pay for mental health treatment at the same rate they do for physical health.

It was a positive evening seeing such a large crowd in our community come out to hear from our local and state representatives.

A huge thank you to the Mableton Improvement Coalition (MIC) for facilitating this "Common Ground" conversation and bringing us all together under one roof.