Sandy Springs planning commission backs development-code edits to ease equipment siting, clarify civic uses and sign rules

The Sandy Springs Planning Commission on Feb. 18 recommended amendments to the city’s development code intended to give staff limited flexibility around placement of mechanical equipment, correct an apparent omission in permitted civic uses and clarify signage rules.

Senior planner Matthew Spahn presented the ordinance package, labeled TA-261, saying the changes are largely technical and intended to reflect prior briefing discussions. "This would allow for up to 10 feet of discretion," Spahn said of the adjustment to setback rules for some mechanical equipment, adding that the change requires a minimum of 5 feet to remain between the equipment and the property line.

The proposal also fixes the use table for the 0N district so that government facilities are shown as a permitted civic use rather than barred, Spahn said. Staff also is reorganizing sections governing commercial requirements for multiunit developments to improve clarity and moving a subsection so the code reads closer to its intended structure.

On signage, the edits revise references to "open" window signs and exposed neon: Spahn described the change as replacing a prior reference to a windows-sign stating "open" with language allowing exposed neon or similar LED "open" signs in some circumstances, and clarified that certain LED or tube lighting must be installed "behind some sort of face." He said the intent is to make the sign code consistent and avoid unintentionally limiting speech while maintaining layout controls.

Chair Reid Haggard opened the public hearing; staff reported no comment cards were received and the hearing was closed. After a brief clarification from commissioners about whether the code requires the word "open" verbatim or could accommodate other languages or phrasing, the commission moved and approved the recommendation to forward TA-261 to city council for consideration.

The changes will next be transmitted to the City Council (council review was noted as the next step in the process). The commission recorded no public opposition during the meeting and took no amendments to the ordinance on the floor.

The package includes specific numeric clarifications that will be part of the record: the code will allow up to 10 feet of administrative discretion for siting certain mechanical equipment (with a minimum 5 feet remaining to a property line), whereas the current calculation method—based on a 10% measure—typically yielded about 2.5 feet or less in many cases, according to staff.

The commission’s action was procedural — a recommendation to the City Council — and does not itself change the development code until council review and any subsequent adoption.