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South Fulton zoning board defers developer’s appeal over denied Sandtown plat
Summary
The Zoning Board of Appeals heard arguments from developer counsel and city attorneys over whether a staff denial of a land-disturbance/plat submission was arbitrary or based on an erroneous reading of a 2001 site plan; after public comment and extensive questioning, the board deferred the case to Jan. 15, 2026 for further review.
The City of South Fulton Zoning Board of Appeals on Dec. 18, 2025 deferred a decision on an appeal by developer Cortera over a planning denial tied to the Emblem at Sandtown project, giving the board 60 days to collect questions and evidence and return on Jan. 15, 2026.
Attorney Hakeem Hilliard, representing Cortera, told the board the company relied on a July 3, 2024 written confirmation from the city’s planning director that the 2001 zoning allowed up to 200 additional multifamily units in the northwest portion of the subject property. Hilliard said the developer followed staff direction through more than a year of reviews and that "the status was flipped from approved to denied" in the city portal without written findings or direct notice. He said Cortera "invested roughly $900,000" in planning and pursuit costs and asked the board to reverse the administrative action as arbitrary and unlawful.
City counsel Paul Mitchell told the board the question before members is narrow and legal: whether the…
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