Alpharetta planning panel approves Image Studios spa suites at Windward Plaza with conditions

The Alpharetta Planning Commission on Sept. 4 approved a conditional use permit allowing Image Studios to offer specified spa services in Suites T and U at 3070 Windward Plaza, subject to five conditions and limits on square footage and signage. The commission’s approval will be forwarded to the City Council for final consideration on Sept. 22.

City staff said Image Studios will occupy an 8,304-square-foot suite that will be divided into about 40 leaseable salon/suite units and requested that spa services be permitted in up to 4,000 square feet of that space. Michael Woodman, speaking for city staff, said the comprehensive land use designation is commercial and that the unified development code allows spa services in several zoning districts but requires conditional-use approval in the property’s community unit plan (CUP) designation.

Under the conditions recommended by staff and adopted by the commission, spa uses are limited to no more than 4,000 square feet of the total suites; the conditional-use approval is limited to Image Studios; spa services are restricted to a defined list (massage; waxing and sugaring; laser hair removal; spray tanning; body treatments, wraps and scrubs; body contouring; lymphatic drainage; acupuncture; facials; hydrotherapy; cool sculpting; and cellulite removal); hours of operation are set at 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; and window signage is capped at 10 percent of window area. Woodman also noted the city’s licensing division will require individual spa licenses for practitioners and that licensing will be used to ensure the 4,000‑square‑foot limit is not exceeded.

Applicant Dele Oladiji said Image Studios is a salon‑suite operator that leases space to independent beauty and wellness professionals. Oladiji told commissioners that at other salon‑suite locations professionals often have 24/7 access via keypad or app but said he was “open to having restrictions placed on spa services specifically at the discretion of the council.” Commissioners asked whether the 8 a.m.–9 p.m. hours would permit occasional after‑hours appointments; Oladiji and a commissioner agreed the spa‑service hours were intended to apply specifically to spa services and that occasional deviations to accommodate a client would be tolerated only if they did not become routine complaints.

Woodman said public outreach included a community zoning information meeting (CZIM) and that the applicant provided letters of support from existing businesses in the shopping center. Marble Nail Salon and Spa attended the CZIM expressing opposition but Woodman reported the owner had agreed to remove spa services from that business and limit offerings to nail services, resolving the immediate conflict.

A commissioner moved to approve CU‑25‑14 (Image Studios, Windward MP); another commissioner seconded, and the motion carried. The Planning Commission’s approval will be transmitted to the City Council, which will consider the application on Sept. 22.

The commission’s conditions and the city licensing requirement are intended to limit spa‑service area and types, preserve compatibility with other shopping‑center uses, and provide city oversight through licensing if the council approves the conditional use.