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Peachtree City approves 180-day moratorium on multifamily housing; council asks staff for zoning alternatives
Summary
Council voted to adopt a 180-day moratorium on multifamily housing to give staff time to draft zoning changes and align future ordinance work with the comprehensive plan update. Councilmembers emphasized the need for clear goals and regular status updates to justify the moratorium.
Suzanne Brown moved to approve the language of a proposed moratorium on multifamily housing, changing its duration to 180 days and moving forward with any required notice or hearing that complies with state law; the motion received a second and carried after discussion.
City attorney and planning staff explained that moratoria are commonly used to temporarily stop new applications while the city revises zoning ordinances or its unified development ordinance (UDO). Staff advised council to clarify the specific goals that the moratorium should accomplish—such as prohibiting multifamily uses in certain zoning districts or drafting "residual" districts—so staff can prepare targeted ordinance language and avoid a repeated blanket moratorium.
Councilmembers discussed timing and scope. Staff said a 180-day moratorium is a typical starting point and could be extended if staff is actively working on draft ordinance language; the council also tied the zoning work to a comprehensive plan update scheduled to begin in 2026 with a 2027 submittal. Members asked for status updates during the moratorium and requested drafts from staff to review prior to any extensions.
The transcript records council approval of the moratorium; no vote tally is shown in the record. After the vote, council directed staff to prepare zoning alternatives and to communicate status updates while work is underway.
Councilmembers and staff repeatedly emphasized the need for a clear, stated goal for the moratorium to avoid creating a moratorium without purpose and to conserve staff time. Planning staff said changes can often be completed within the moratorium period, and, if needed, council could extend the moratorium later.
