Peachtree City staff asked to draft ordinance options to limit backyard burning

Peachtree City’s fire marshal recommended that the city stop issuing burn permits for yard debris and the council directed staff to draft two ordinance options to consider: a full ban on residential yard debris burning and a version that would allow burning only on parcels above a specified lot size.

Why it matters: Council members said smoke from backyard burns has repeatedly generated complaints, posed public-health concerns for people with asthma or other conditions and strained fire department resources. Staff data showed a small number of addresses accounted for a large share of permits, prompting questions about equity and enforceability.

Fire Marshal Jeff Thalmet summarized the current rules and the department’s concerns. Under the existing ordinance, residents may burn yard debris with a daily permit, subject to a 75-cubic-foot pile limit and distance requirements. Thalmet said the Metro Atlanta regional air-quality rule bars outdoor burning from May 1 through Oct. 1 and that the city’s CivicPlus permitting system provides little usable data for enforcement. He told council that, in the prior 24 months, the city issued 4,881 daily burn permits to 1,509 unique addresses and that 37 addresses accounted for about half of all permits issued.

Resident Felicia Stoney told council during public comment that smoke from yard fires spreads to neighboring homes, harms people with respiratory conditions and poses a fire hazard when embers smolder. “My family felt helpless and trapped,” she said. “Peachtree City prides itself on nature…backyard burning doesn’t belong in a community like this.”

Council members pressed staff on enforcement limits and options to reduce complaints. Councilmember Brown asked whether the permitting system could be tied to parcel size so small-lot homeowners could not obtain permits. Thalmet said the current system cannot do that without new permitting software and recommended either stopping permits immediately (no ordinance change required) or drafting an ordinance that would ban burning with a possible large-lot exemption. He also recommended a permit fee if the city continued to allow burning, to help cover management costs and discourage daily burning.

Council direction: By consensus the council asked staff to return with two ordinance drafts and supporting data: 1) a complete prohibition on residential yard debris burning and 2) a prohibition with a lot-size exception (staff to propose specific acreage thresholds and provide GIS parcel counts). Council also asked staff to evaluate permitting-platform options, enforcement implications and possible fees for any permit-based approach.

Next steps: Staff will research lot-size thresholds used by neighboring jurisdictions (Newnan’s 200-foot clearance was referenced) and obtain GIS counts of parcels meeting candidate thresholds. The fire marshal said his office will prepare recommended language and implementation options for the next work session.

Ending: Councilmembers emphasized balancing public-safety and environmental concerns with resident needs for debris disposal; some suggested expanded yard-waste pickup or other disposal options if burning is limited.