Council approves rezoning and use permit for 138‑unit senior housing campus at 0 Norman Berry Drive

East Point City Council on Oct. 20 approved a rezoning and a use permit that clear the way for a proposed senior housing campus at 0 Norman Berry Drive.

The council voted to rezone the property from EI (educational institutional) to MI (medical institutional) with a concurrent variance (staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval). The applicant, CMC Development Group, is proposing to consolidate three parcels and build a campus with two buildings—one assisted living and one independent senior living—totaling 138 units under the use permit approved later in the meeting.

Kimberly Smith, planning and community development director, summarized the staff and Planning Commission recommendation, saying the change would reclassify the site from EI to MI and that the land‑use map designates the area as a redevelopment neighborhood. The applicant’s principal, Sean Bell of CMC Development Group, told council the firm closed on the property in 2022, has added a Washington Road right‑of‑way parcel to improve access, and expects the project to “bring value to the neighborhood.”

Councilmember Mitchell moved and the council waived the ordinance’s first reading by voice vote. Councilmember Atkins then moved to adopt the rezoning ordinance; that motion passed on the voice vote recorded in the meeting. After opening a separate public hearing, council also approved a use permit to allow development of 138 assisted‑living and senior‑living units in the MI district; Atkins moved the use permit and the council approved it by voice vote.

During discussion, councilmembers asked the applicant for operational and financial details. Bell said the developer has modeled a capitalization rate “around 6.5%,” estimated construction costs at about $40 million, and said independent living rents are currently being modeled at roughly $1,400 per unit. He said the assisted‑living side involves paid services and the firm is still developing final pricing for those units. Bell said CMC has discussed coordinating with the East Point Housing Authority and noted conversations with Michael Spann about potentially accessing the HCV wait list so some voucher holders could use portable vouchers at the site.

Council and staff repeatedly noted that detailed design, final unit mix and programmatic agreements (for example, any voucher access) remain subject to later site‑plan reviews and permitting steps. Smith clarified the rezoning and use‑permit approvals authorize the zoning and the use permit; they do not finalize building plans, financing or service contracts.

The council’s approvals were recorded as voice votes at the meeting; councilmembers did not take a roll‑call tally for these items on the agenda. The rezoning ordinance and the use‑permit approval were entered as approved ordinances on the council docket. The project will next proceed to design and permitting with the city’s planning staff and building officials.

The meeting packet identifies the applicant as CMC Development Group; staff materials cite case numbers P2025RZ00108 and P2025UD001‑08 for the rezoning and the use permit respectively.