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Peachtree City planners begin rewriting administrative-variance rules and UDO items after extended workshop
Summary
Commissioners and staff discussed draft changes to administrative-variance language, including a proposed minor-variance threshold (10% or 10 feet), residential-only limitations, certified-mail notification, a 30-day legal-ad publication requirement and guardrails for parking reductions.
During an extended workshop portion of the July 22 meeting, Peachtree City planning staff and commissioners reviewed proposed changes to the city's administrative-variance procedures and related Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) topics.
Staff summarized the current ordinance structure and recent cases that prompted reconsideration of thresholds, notice and decision authority. Key issues raised included whether minor administrative variances should be codified (for example, up to 1 foot or a small percentage), whether administrative relief should be limited to residential properties, how to require written support or notification for adjacent owners, and what maximum encroachment would remain appropriate for administrative decisions.
Commissioners and staff generally supported lowering the existing 50% administrative-variance allowance (in some categories) to a smaller number; several members favored a 10% cap or a maximum of 10 feet, "whichever is less," with front-setback changes retained for the full variance process. Commissioners also discussed building-separation minimums (to preserve fire-code and neighbor protections), a requirement that applicants provide parking-generation memos to justify reduced parking requests, and using certified-mail neighbor notice during administrative reviews. Staff noted state law requires a 30-day legal-ad publication for quasi-judicial matters, and that legal-ad timing and fees would need to be reconciled in any final language.
Staff will revise the draft ordinance text to reflect the committee's direction (residential-only carve-outs, a minor-variance option, 10%/10-foot thresholds for administrative approvals, certified-mail notice and clarifications for committee membership and publication requirements) and present it for further review and public hearing scheduling. The commission set a workshop for Aug. 12 to continue ordinance topics and planned a public hearing on the short-term rental draft for the second August meeting.
