Big Chicken closing for renovations

MARIETTA — Marietta’s Big Chicken KFC on Cobb Parkway will close its doors today for the start of a $2 million makeover expected to take 12 weeks.

“There is a lot of passion in the city of Marietta surrounding the Big Chicken,” said Brian Cahoe, chief development officer for KFC U.S. “So, the first thing is to make sure everyone understands the Big Chicken is not going away. We will refurbish it, paint it and complete things that go with maintenance, but we’re not doing away with the iconic structure.”

Renovations at the 4,731-square-foot restaurant include the addition of a screenedin patio and outdoor seating, a retail area where guests can purchase Big Chicken souvenirs and a glass wall that will allow patrons

to see inside the kitchen.

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Plans for poultry houses raising ire

DALTON — John Ridley said he expects a fight but he’s confident he’ll succeed. Ridley is seeking to have 27.02 acres along the north right of way of Ridge Road in northern Whitfield County rezoned to general agriculture from rural residential. He wants to put chicken houses there.

“It has been a farm for a hundred-plus years,” he said. “There’s currently 30 head of cattle there.”

But a number of individuals who live near the property don’t want to see a chicken house there and oppose rezoning the property.

“We’ve got a brand new subdivision out here, $200,000 houses,” said Sheila Edwards, who is gathering signatures on a petition to oppose the rezoning.

“We have nice houses here,” she said. “We don’t want that. We are all upset. We’ve got people who have been here for years.”

She says a neighbor has a pond stocked with rare fish and fears what the runoff from a chicken house might do to them. Edwards says residents are worried about the impact chicken houses will have on their property values and on their quality of life. The Dalton-Whitfield Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the matter when it meets tonight at 7 p.m.

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