PROPOSED ZONING ORDINANCE CONCERNS DHCA

A proposed new zoning ordinance for DeKalb County has serious implications for the Druid Hills neighborhood. Under the new ordinance, all properties in the county will receive a new zoning classification. The DeKalb County administration appears eager to push through the new ordinance.

Here are some of the proposed changes:

-Reduce the size of buffers between zoning classifications to make it easier to redevelop commercial corridors;

-Eliminate the 35 ft. height limitation in zones classified for office buildings, thereby permitting five-story buildings to go up adjacent to single family homes;

-Exempt pervious pavement from paving restrictions, enabling homeowners to pave all or larger portions of their properties (this affects the watershed);

-Severely limit the ability of homeowners and public officials to appeal land use decisions;

-Allow administrative reductions of required setbacks and minimum lot sizes;

-Allow the construction of cell phone towers anywhere without adequate recourse for homeowners and businesses;

-Allow for rezoning with embedded variances (“concurrent variance”);

-Provide for generous density bonuses in many zones countywide.

Stay tuned for updates!