Board approves modified variances for Panda Express site at Campbellton‑Fayetteville Road; developer to reduce landscaped islands and limit signs to three

The Zoning Board of Appeals on Sept. 18 approved a package of variances allowing a commercial redevelopment at the corner of Campbellton‑Fayetteville Road to proceed with modifications the applicant agreed to on the record. The board approved relief for setback and landscape requirements identified as Z‑1 through Z‑5 and Z‑7, and approved a modified Z‑9 allowing three wall signs instead of the five the applicant initially requested; two requested items (Z‑6 and Z‑8) were removed from the request before the board vote.

Cassius Coleman, who said he acquired the corner lot from Fulton County about two years earlier, described the site as a “corner lot” with multiple constraints. “GDOT is doing a roundabout and ... it's going to, obviously, encroach, take some of the land,” Coleman said, adding that the development team had rezoned the parcel from G‑1 to C‑2 to accommodate a Panda Express concept and that the taking reduced the area that could be developed.

Civil engineer Eric Houston of Ingenium Enterprises told the board the parcel has steep topography (roughly 12 feet of fall across the site) and a single point of access at the rear, and argued several of the landscape and parking‑island variances were necessary to allow emergency and delivery vehicle maneuvering. Houston said without retaining walls and reconfigured end caps the site would be “essentially undevelopable.” He also noted that GDOT’s right‑of‑way changes reduced the area where a compliant building footprint could sit.

Panda’s real estate manager Ross Westbrook told the board his team has a purchase agreement conditional on approvals and that the company expects to move forward once the variances and due diligence are complete. Westbrook said the site plan had been negotiated with the applicant and the project was real‑estate committee approved contingent on approvals.

Board action: Miss Patterson moved to approve Z‑1 through Z‑5 and Z‑7 and to grant a modified Z‑9 allowing three signs; the motion recorded that the applicant had agreed to drop Z‑6 and Z‑8. The motion carried with no recorded opposition.

Key site details noted in the hearing: the applicant said GDOT’s planned roundabout would remove about 30–35 feet of the lot’s miter, the tallest retaining walls planned could be about 10 feet, the proposed Panda design seats about 58 customers and the applicant estimates an 18‑month buildout before opening. The applicant and engineer told the board they would work with staff to provide as much landscape improvement as possible in lieu of full‑size islands where safety and vehicle circulation require striped end caps instead of raised islands.

Why it matters: The board’s approval allows redevelopment of a visible corner parcel the applicant said otherwise would remain vacant; board members emphasized balancing neighborhood character and safety with site constraints. The revised approval limits the total number of permanent wall signs to three and requires the applicant to work with staff on the remaining landscape and circulation details.

What’s next: The applicant will submit final permitting plans consistent with the approved variances and the modified site plan; staff will monitor implementation and the applicant estimates an 18‑month target to opening if permitting and construction go as planned.

Speakers quoted or cited include Cassius Coleman (owner/applicant), Eric Houston (civil engineer), Ross Westbrook (Panda real estate manager), and multiple board members.