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Rockdale County staff previews major UDO rewrite: new districts, tiny-home and ADU options, and architectural standards
Summary
Planning staff reviewed a draft Unified Development Ordinance that reorganizes the use table, creates new districts (Monastery Village, Equestrian Village, PUD), and adds housing options including tiny-home villages, cottage courts and accessory dwelling units; the timeline includes public engagement April 15 and possible adoption in June.
Planning staff used the commission's April 9 training session to walk through the draft Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) and solicit feedback on district maps and housing options.
Jessica Paulette, project manager, said the draft reorganizes the use table by district, updates supplemental standards, and adds new uses "for emerging uses" such as data centers and unique residential types. The draft is in the first public hearing cycle as Text Amendment 2026-03 and the full draft is available on the county's UDO webpage.
Staff described several notable changes: a new Planned Unit Development (PUD) special-purpose district that would allow flexible master-planned communities and require minimum policy components such as public green space; tiny-home options starting at roughly 400 square feet and cottage-court models beginning around 800 square feet; proposed single-family minimums lowered in some categories (staff cited a target near 1,100''1,200 square feet in revised categories); and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) with suggested size caps near 800 square feet and one bedroom in some proposals. "This opens us up for tiny home villages or cottage village development," Paulette said.
Staff also proposed more prescriptive architectural standards to "improve the quality and character of neighborhoods," including minimum brick/stone percentages and limits on vinyl siding. Commissioners asked how village nodes (for example, Honey Creek and Milstead) were identified; staff said selections were informed by service proximity (grocery, medical), available land and prior planning exercises, and that the comp plan and Atlanta Regional Commission guidance inform mapping.
Public outreach and schedule: staff invited commissioners and residents to a community listening session on April 15 (6:00'0:30 PM at CE Still), said the Board of Commissioners will consider the draft on April 14 (second reading) and could refer it back to the planning commission for May 14; staff indicated a public hearing before the Board on May 28, final decision June 9 and implementation July 1 if adopted.
Commissioners expressed a range of views on tiny homes: some supported the missing-middle housing choices and more options for affordability, while others raised concerns about location, services, septic/well constraints, and potential property-value impacts. Staff said regulatory standards (set in the UDO) would address infrastructure, safety and compatibility.
Next steps: staff will continue public engagement, accept written comments, and return to the commission if the Board of Commissioners refers the draft back for additional review.
