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Consultant outlines Sandy Springs design guidelines, posts draft for public review
Summary
RHI principal Sukriti Ghosh presented a near-final draft of design guidelines for Sandy Springs'commercial districts, described a year of outreach and participation metrics, and said the draft will be posted for roughly one month of public comment before planning-commission and council hearings.
Sukriti Ghosh, a principal with RHI, told the Board of Appeals and Planning Commission retreat that the design guidelines aim to provide "a visual depiction and a summary of what good design is" so property owners, developers and staff share a clearer picture of preferred building and public-realm forms in Sandy Springs.
Ghosh said the guidelines focus on three realms: building design (massing, materials and transparency), the private realm (site layout and outdoor amenities) and the public realm (sidewalks, paving, lighting, signage and wayfinding). She emphasized the document is advisory and will be triggered by development or redevelopment, not by routine property ownership: "The design guidelines are not going to be triggered if the property owner doesn't improve their property," she said.
The consultant described a year of outreach that included stakeholder meetings, four rounds of open-house-style public meetings, pop-up events at farmers markets and parks, and online exhibits. Staff and the consultant reported about 53 stakeholder attendees, roughly 91 people at the four public meetings and nearly 100 survey responses, with the most engagement coming from pop-ups.
Recurring community themes included a desire for a warm, family-friendly public realm and a distinct "Sandy Springs" character across different districts such as City Springs and Perimeter. Ghosh said the guidelines will offer a range of flexible options rather than a single prescriptive style so areas with different characters can adapt while maintaining continuity along major corridors.
Next steps: the consultant and staff plan to post the draft online for approximately one month of public comment, then refine the document for public hearings before the planning commission and the mayor and council. Staff directed attendees to the project website (spr.gs/design) for exhibits and details.
