The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 63

(Ddo SECTION Eht Atlanta Stomal the Atlanta constitution THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1987 ill headache load planners trying to relieve Windy By Diane R. Stepp Staff Writer The interchange of Windy Hill Road at 1-75 is the busiest stretch of interstate in Georgia, including the Downtown said Transportation Director John Wade. by the year 2000. 'That puts us 13 years behind on improvements on that interchange," said Floyd Hardy, director of the DOT's planning and programming division. County and state officials are trying to catch up with planned improvements that will help alleviate, but not solve, the daily traffic grid- club not far from the Boomershine Pontiac dealership on Cobb Parkway, where he is sales manager.

To get there, Thompson never leaves Cobb County or travels an interstate. By distance, perhaps 10 miles, he doesn't cross half of the county. But the east Cobb resident daily travels what is arguably one of the most congested traffic areas in the state. It includes major arteries leading to the Windy Hill Road-In- Transportation Director John Wade. In Wade's estimation, Windy Hill Road at 1-75 ranks at the top of the list as the busiest surface-to-interstate interchanges in the state.

State Department of Transportation (DOT) official Tony Dowd adds Jimmy Carter Boulevard at I-285 and Holcomb Bridge Road at I-85 to that list Already the intersection is carrying the capacity state transportation planners had projected for it Randy Thompson Jr. rises before dawn on weekdays to beat the traffic to work. The drive normally takes about 12 minutes if he leaves his east Cobb home by 6:15. If he leaves any later, the same commute costs him anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, he says. In the time he saves, Thompson works out at a health terstate 75 interchange, one of Cobb's biggest traffic headaches.

Thompson says he is lucky that he is able to skirt the interchange of Windy Hill Road and 1-75, one exit north of the Cumberland Mall- Galleria area at 1-285 and 1-75. The interchange carries thousands of cars daily at what is already "the busiest stretch of interstate in Georgia, including the Downtown Connector," said ceunty See WINDY HILL 6 ft Cbb get lliiliillfl voir LegDslator 5 Keeping local option sales tax to be top priority of session I Mm" -AY'" By Dlan R. Stepp Staff Writer mm ii 1nmili i 1 IIIIBllOTlWl -a ui -fc 5 rjwiGHT ROSS jnysta UP: Six Flags Over Georgia President Spurgeon Richardson has been welcoming visitors to Cobb County for 20 years. annexation legislation that would require a two-year waiting period for cities to intensify zoning on any newly annexed land and mandate that cities notify the county of any planned annexations. Such a law would put an end to charges of favored treatment to builders and developers who "zoning shop" among the cities and county, he said.

The city of Marietta, now under a five-year annexation moratorium, would stand to win, but officials of other Cobb cities have indicated they would not support the two-year waiting period. "It may be a lot better than what Marietta's got now, but it would be a lot worse than what we've got" said Kennesaw Mayor J. O. Stephenson. However, commissioners would first be asked to give their approval to the proposed legislation and some, such as Mrs.

Powell, question the its timing in view of progress being made between the county and cities on developing a countywide land use plan scheduled for adoption this summer. The mandatory notification provision would not only help with providing police and fire coverage under the new E-911 emergency call system, but safeguard the county against annexation attempts such as made by the city of Kennesaw last year. In other issues, Tax Commissioner Jim McDuffie is backing an Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) proposal that would give counties one year to adjust their tax digests if found to be too low by the state instead of being forced to accept a blanket factoring by the state. This year, Cobb's tax digest was factored by 10 percent across the board by the state. "Such factors are unfair and only intensify the inequities," said McDuffie.

Richardson stays ahead of Cobb tourism race Cobb's legislative watchdog for the upcoming General Assembly will be Eastern District Commissioner Thea Powell, who said this week she plans to make frequent visits to the Capitol throughout the three-month session. "I will be visiting offices and talking with people on a regular she said of her lobbying efforts. "I didn't realize how important it is to keep in close touch with our legislators until some recent issues came up such as the local option sales tax. It's certainly worth the time and effort to track legislation affects so many people in Cobb, County," she said. A legislative priority for Cobb, said Chairman Earl Smith, will be" ensuring the continuation of the local option sales tax for counties, now threatened by a sunset provision that would terminate the option if the state adopts an additional one percent sales tax.

"Local option is a great funding source," said Smith. "It keeps the tax burden off the homeowner." Cobb currently funds its $400 million road-building program with a special 1 percent local option sales tax, scheduled to end in 1989. Rising costs are forcing commissioners to make cutbacks on pro- fwsed road improvements amount-ng to over $50 million, which could be completed if voters approve an extension of the additional one cent tax. But Cobb legislators Rep. Joe Mack Wilson (D-Marietta), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Rep.

Carl Harrison (R-Marietta), chairman of Cobb's delegation, say the task of repealing the sunset amendment won't be easy now that it has passed. Smith is also pushing for local By Ronald Roach Staff Writer tourism department In 1986, the County spent $221,000 to aid the Chamber's tourism program. "I have a special interest in tourism. It's an area that I have considerable expertise because of my involvement with Six Flap," he said. 1 Citing other achievements, Richardson mentioned that the chamber successfully campaigned for a mass transit system prior to last spring's voter referendum on a county bus system.

The chamber has also lobbied its membership to support a special tax district in the Platinum Triangle area. He said on-going chamber programs such as small business seminars, and the Partners In Education April, 1988 opening of Z-Force, a new roller coaster ride. "We're planning to do a huge promotion on the Z-Force. It's going to be an awesome ride," he said. Richardson, who was the park's vice-president and general manager before his promotion earlier this year, started his career at Six Flags 20 years ago when the park opened, he said.

In a recent interview, the busy executive reflected on his term at the chamber, as well as two decades with Six Flags in Cobb County. Ever the promoter, Richardson likes to joke about how well a start his term got off to last January. The day after he took office, RJR-Na-bisco a Fortune 500 company, announced that it was moving its corporate headquarters from Winston-Salem, N.C. to Cobb County. "I think their announcement was a good omen for me," he said with a chuckle.

In discussing the Chamber's activities, Richardson pointed out that tourism got a big boost this year. "I think our biggest accomplishment of the year was creation of the Cobb-Marietta Convention and Visitor's Bureau," he said. The county commission and the Marietta City Council agreed earlier this year to contribute a total of $1.2 million to expand the Chamber's tourism department With Marietta expected to kick in nearly $200,000 and the county responsible for $1 million, Richardson said Cobb will have a first-class program to stimulate the area's already growing tourism business. Prior to this year, the chamber relied on the county to support the Spurgeon Richardson is not accustomed to looking back. his year-long term as chairman of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce ends this week, Richardson, 46, has had little time to think about 1887.

The Edison, native said he is more accustomed to looking ahead, particularly now, as he becomes the Chamber's vice-chairman jit -charge of the newly created Cobb-Marietta Convention and Visitors Bureau. In addition to Cobb responsibilities, he will be president of the Atlanta Convention find Visitor's Bureau in 1988. As president of Six Flags Over Georgia, a 331-acre theme park, Richardson looks ahead to the See RICHARDSON 6 'i I Church holiday home for 28 foreign students Shelter short of donations; opening near By Alma Hill Staff Writer By Katie Long Staff Writer Members of the executive committee of the Marietta-Cobb Winter Shelter have been working through the holidays to meet their goal of opening in early January. The project represents the ef- 4 i A I I WW tf ft 1 at First Presbyterian are natives of Hong Kong, Thailand, Cyprus, Tunisia, El Salvador, Bolivia and Japan. They are enrolled in schools including Oregon State University, the University of Arkansas, the University of North Carolina and the University of Southern Mississippi.

The basement of First Presbyterian at 189 Church St is being; used as a temporary dormitory fori the visitors. Students paid the cost' of transportation to and from Georgia; the church provided shelter and food. Christmas International, although operated by churches, is not religiously based. "The program is what we call quiet ministry," Johnson said. "We're offering the hospitality.

We encourage, but we don't insist that the students go to any of our worship services. We're not here to convert people." During their two-week stay in Marietta, which began Dec. 18, congregation members have taken the When it comes to sharing and extending a hand to those in need, the First Presbyterian Church in Marietta practices what it preaches. For the past 10 years, the church has opened its doors and become a haven for foreign college students who cannot go home for the Christmas and New Year's holidays. dorms are closed so they don't really have any place to go, so they go with us," said Richard Johnson, a deacon at the church, By participating in the Christmas International House program, First Presbyterian receives requests from foreign students throughout the country to be their home away from home for the holidays.

About 60 U.S. churches participate in the program and are housing a total of 1,100 students this year, Johnson said. Nearly 800 pupils had to be turned away due to lack of space, he added. The 28 students who are guests ions 01 muneua civic ana cnurcn leaders to provide warm beds to the homeless during the winter months. The shelter, which will be housed in the old Elizabeth Community School near Kennestone Hospital, will operate January through March.

Marietta City Councilman Paul Fields, who chairs the committee, said he is concerned about raising the money needed to operate the shelter, but believes it can be done. Fields said $11,000 toward the estimated $32,000 cost of running the shelter has been leaving roughly $21,000 for the community to raise. DWIGHT ROSS JRVSUff 6 See STUDENTS 6 Ted and Jean Freeman of Marietta prepara to ring In one of many Cobb restaurants and nightspots plan- see SHELTER the new year at Shillings on the Square in Marietta, nlng a celebration tonight..