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Board approves Zayn Abdullah’s online games resale home‑occupation in North Augusta
Summary
The North Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special exception allowing Zayn Abdullah to run an online resale business (Augusta Retro Retro Games) from his garage at 702 Brooks Drive, subject to conditions barring on‑site customer visits, signage and expanded operations.
The North Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals on June 2 approved a special exception permitting Zayn Abdullah to operate an online resale business, Augusta Retro Retro Games, from his residence at 702 Brooks Drive.
Stacy Clark, city planning staff standing in for the regular planner, told the board the proposed operation is online‑only and will be conducted within the principal residence and enclosed garage. Clark said staff found the business—specializing in video games, trading cards and collectibles—would generate "minimal to no traffic" and would not alter the neighborhood's character.
Abdullah, sworn in before the board, said there would be no customer visits, no storefront or exterior signage, that inventory will be stored inside the home and that he personally will take shipments to the post office. "There's going to be no extra traffic, no extra delivery trucks," he said.
A neighbor, Steve Zimmerman, questioned whether that could be guaranteed and expressed concern that approval might "open the door" for other similar operations. Board members and staff clarified that an approval is owner‑specific and that other applicants would need to apply separately.
The board reviewed the required home‑occupation criteria in the North Augusta Development Code—covering compatibility with neighborhood character, scale, traffic, nuisance potential and serviceability—and voted to approve the request with conditions. The conditions require that no on‑site customer visits or walk‑in retail occur; no signage or advertising devices be placed on the property except as allowed by code; deliveries and shipping remain limited in scale and frequency consistent with normal residential use; and the business be conducted entirely within the principal residential structure and not expand beyond the areas identified in the application without additional review and approval.
The motion to grant the special exception was made and seconded; the board approved the application by voice vote. The board cited the application’s compliance with the North Augusta Development Code (staff referenced sections cited in the staff report).
