August 2026 Update

Dear Pinetree Civic Association Members,

We wanted to share a few updates on transportation and development projects that affect our neighborhood. As always, we will continue to keep you informed as new information becomes available.

WIDENING OF CHEROKEE STREET

As we move into early fall, you will soon see major construction activity beginning along the Cherokee Street corridor.   The City of Kennesaw is breaking ground on the long-awaited Cherokee Street and Ben King Road SPLOST project.

The finalized plan is a three-lane roadway. The construction will stretch from McCollum Parkway to Ben King Road.

• Continuous Center Turn Lane: The city is keeping one travel lane in each direction but adding a dedicated, continuous center left-turn lane. This approach is designed to eliminate the daily traffic backups caused by vehicles waiting to turn into neighborhoods or businesses, without requiring the massive footprint of a four-lane highway.

• Curbs, Gutters, & Sidewalks: The project will replace the old open-ditch drainage system with modern concrete curbs and storm gutters. It also includes a continuous 6-foot concrete sidewalk along the east side of Cherokee Street to safely connect our neighborhoods to local pathways.

• McCollum Parkway:  The McCollum Parkway – Cherokee Street intersection will see significant signal and turning lane upgrades to better manage traffic flowing between KSU and downtown.

Exact timing has not been finalized.  The city is managing a bid process to finalize the selection of the construction partner.  The hope is the project will start early this fall.  A schematic is attached.   It is an older aerial picture of Cherokee street.   The intersection with traffic light on the right side of the schematic is McCollum Parkway.    The intersection with traffic light on the left side of the schematic is Ben King Road.  We will do our best to keep the neighborhood updated as construction gets underway. Please allow extra time for your commute if you regularly use Cherokee Street or McCollum Parkway.

SPEED HUMP UPDATE

We received a positive update from Cobb County regarding our traffic calming project.

The County advised that the project has reached the next phase of the procurement process and expects to seek approval from the Cobb County Board of Commissioners in early August. Once that approval is received and the contractor provides a project schedule, the County expects to have a better idea of the installation timeline. The transportation team also indicated they will ask the contractor to prioritize our neighborhood's project.

TOWN CENTER MALL

Many of you have probably heard about the recent sale of Town Center at Cobb. If you haven't seen it, this recent Hoodline article provides a good overview of the sale and what it could mean for the future of the property. The article also mentions the Town Center Community Improvement District (CID). The CID is a public-private partnership made up of commercial property owners in the Town Center area who voluntarily pay an additional property tax to fund transportation, traffic improvements, pedestrian safety, beautification, and economic development projects. While the CID does not own or approve private development projects, it works closely with Cobb County, developers, and state transportation agencies to help plan and fund the roads, sidewalks, trails, traffic improvements, and other infrastructure needed to support redevelopment. As plans for the former mall property evolve, the CID is expected to be a key partner in helping create a vibrant, mixed-use destination while improving mobility, safety, and quality of life for surrounding neighborhoods. The CID has also been an important partner in advancing traffic calming and other transportation improvements that directly benefit our community.

Thank you,

The Board of Directors

Pinetree Civic Association

Barry A. Balint

3581 Club Drive NW

Kennesaw, GA  30144

678-592-7077