Snellville planning staff outline permitting process, major projects and when proposals return to council

Unidentified Speaker 3, speaking for the planning department, walked council members through the department's remit — permitting, plan review, inspections, zoning and enforcement — and described how the city handles large multi-phase projects.

"It allows us to review the plans, approve the plans, and then inspect the work, which is the most important part," Speaker 3 said, explaining why permitting exists beyond fee collection.

Staff outlined how large developments are permitted in stages (a shell permit followed by individual tenant certificates of occupancy) and said the department had logged heavy inspection workloads on recent projects — "we did 300 rounds of inspections" on a multifamily project — which drives consultant and inspection costs.

Speaker 3 also described the city's approach to "substantial deviation" after approval: increases in lot or unit counts, different lot layouts or other changes that materially alter an approved plan will bring a project back to council for reapproval, while modest reductions in intensity typically do not.

The presentation listed several active and potential developments affecting the city's permit numbers, including Rock Hill Circle and Manor Lake; staff said timing, financing and interagency reviews (county and health departments) often determine when projects actually proceed.

Staff told the retreat they will resume a monthly development memo and a simple map to keep council informed of pending applications and project locations so council members are not caught unaware when projects appear on the docket.

The planning overview emphasized that market conditions drive development and that the department aims to inform council decisions by better tracking and communicating project status.