First Cobb Unified Development Code installment released

Last week Cobb County Government released information about the first of three installments of a Unified Development Code.

The UDC incorporates zoning, planning and land-use with design, landscaping, architectural and other guidelines into a single comprehensive planning guide.

In metro Atlanta, the cities of Atlanta and Roswell have implemented UDCs, as has DeKalb County.

It’s been more than two years since Cobb officials began presentations to bring various regulations into one process under the UDC, but little has been presented to the public since then.

Some citizens have objected, calling the UDC “a war on the suburbs.” No public meetings are pending regarding the most recent updates.

The new material includes a 97-page public draft of the UDC (you can read it here) that includes general provisions, transitional provisions, definitions, terms of construction and related topics. Related documents can be found by clicking here.

The primary updates for the first installment cover administrative articles that establish procedures for the review of all development applications, including applications for rezoning, special land-use permits, for subdivisions and for zoning variances.

According to a draft public review questionnaire, This article consolidates the decision-making bodies and review procedures from the current Zoning Ordinance into a single chapter. This is done in in order to better improve the usability and readability of the County’s land development regulations, as discussed in the [November 2023]  Code Assessment.”

The questionnaire further states that “the way development applications are reviewed and decisions are made is not changing significantly.”

Among the changes is an additional step in the development process that requires zoning and land-use permit applicants to hold a community meeting before their case is reviewed by county staff.

“The goal of the Neighborhood Meeting is to provide an opportunity for applicants and nearby residents to discuss a project at an early stage,” questionnaire states.

Also new is an administrative variance procedure to address “limited, discrete changes to development standards such as required building setbacks to accommodate specific site conditions, as long as these changes would not impact the surrounding community.”

The county is offering the public a chance to comment on the proposal by completing an online survey.

Additional installments of the UDC will include updated zoning districts and land-use regulations in early 2025.