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Peachtree City staff to bring burn‑ban ordinance after review shows majority of permits on small lots
Summary
Fire Marshal Jeff Feldman told the City Council on May 8 that an internal review of burn permits showed 1,423 permits issued in the last 12 months and that staff will prepare a draft ordinance to ban yard‑debris burning in Peachtree City for council consideration.
Fire Marshal Jeff Feldman reviewed Peachtree City’s burn‑permit process at the May 8 work session and presented two options: retain a permit program limited by lot size or adopt a total ban on outdoor yard‑debris burning inside city limits. Feldman’s analysis of the most recent 12 months found 1,423 permits issued to 524 addresses, with the highest‑frequency permit holders concentrated in several neighborhoods.
Feldman said Georgia Forestry Commission lifted its permit requirement in 2021 and that local ordinances therefore vary: some municipalities require an on‑site inspection (City of Newnan), some follow Peachtree City’s online permit model (City of Fayetteville), and some prohibit burning entirely (City of Griffin). His staff provided a numeric breakdown showing that most permits come from lots smaller than one acre; only 101 city lots exceed 3.5 acres.
Feldman presented two draft ordinance approaches: (1) a ban on yard‑debris burning inside city limits while still allowing recreational or cooking fires (fire pits, grills) without a permit; or (2) continued permitting but limited to larger lots (for example two‑ or three‑acre minimums). He said smoke—not escaping flame—is the primary source of complaints and argued that lot‑size limits would still allow many smaller‑lot burns and not eliminate smoke impacts.
Mayor Kim Leonard and several councilmembers, including Brown and Johnson, said they support a ban. "My opinion is unchanged that we should ban burning in Peachtree City," Leonard said; Brown and Johnson also voiced support for option 1. Councilmember Holland said he supports a ban but asked staff to ensure alternatives for residents (for example continued mulch pit access) are available so people are not left with no practical disposal option.
Staff said they will finalize a clean ordinance draft for council review and indicated they will submit the ordinance to the planning division for review even though it is not a zoning ordinance. Because the statewide air‑quality ban runs through Sept. 30, burning is already restricted during summer; staff said they can bring a draft ordinance to the next council meeting for discussion, and council requested that it appear on the meeting agenda for public comment.
