Peachtree City council asks staff to draft ban and lot-size alternatives after public outcry over backyard burning

Peachtree City council members on Thursday directed staff to prepare ordinance language that would either ban residential yard-debris burning citywide or limit burning to properties above an explicit lot-size threshold, after a presentation from Fire Marshal Jeff Thelmet and multiple public speakers who said smoke from neighbors’ burn piles routinely affects nearby homes.

Fire Marshal Jeff Thelmet told the council the city’s current ordinance allows daily permits for burning yard debris with a maximum pile size of 75 cubic feet and that cooking and recreational fires are exempt. He said state air-quality rules bar outdoor burning from May 1 through Oct. 1 in the Metro Atlanta area and that the city’s online permit system provides limited enforcement data. "In the last 24-month period, we issued 4,881 burn permits. Those 4,881 permits were obtained by 1,509 addresses," Thelmet said, adding that roughly 137 addresses accounted for 50% of permits issued in that period.

Several residents described repeated smoke in their homes and health impacts. Felicia Stoney, a Planterra subdivision resident, said her family had to leave their home to avoid smoke from a neighbor’s multi-day burn and urged the council to prohibit backyard burning in neighborhoods where homes are close together. "Smoke doesn't just stay in one yard. It spreads into nearby homes through vents, windows and doors," Stoney said.

Council members pressed Thelmet and staff on enforcement options and data. Thelmet said the CivicPlus permit system cannot reliably prevent serial daily permit requests or automatically distinguish lot size. He recommended two paths: stop issuing permits without changing the ordinance (an administrative step) or adopt an ordinance to prohibit outdoor yard-debris burning in the city. He said a secondary option would be a permit framework tied to parcel size, plus a fee to deter daily permits.

After discussion, the council asked staff to bring back two ordinance drafts and supporting data at the next work session: one that would ban residential yard-debris burning citywide and one that would permit burning only on parcels above a to-be-determined acreage (staff will identify suggested thresholds by analyzing county parcel data and sample comparators such as Newnan). Councilmembers also asked staff to model limits on number of permits per address and to estimate costs for any permitting-software changes that would enforce parcel-size-based rules.

The fire marshal emphasized safety and health trade-offs: while large-lot open-country burning can be managed differently, he said, "I am concerned about the environmental impacts and the health impacts, to the neighbors and to the residents." Council members cited the city’s free mulch/yard-debris drop-off as an alternative and asked staff to include disposal and hauling options in any recommendations.

Next steps: staff will return with two ordinance drafts (full ban and lot-size/limited-permit alternative), a parcel-size analysis of affected properties, estimates for permitting-software changes and recommended permit-fee structures. The council did not adopt an ordinance at Thursday’s workshop; it directed staff to return with the materials for formal consideration at the next work session.