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McDonough council allows limited extra move‑ins at Symphony Park while amenities are finished
Summary
After weeks of delay and staff negotiation, the council voted 6–1 to let the developer issue additional certificates of occupancy for Symphony Park up to 25% tied to percent-complete amenities, a conditional move intended to protect homebuyers while preserving leverage on the amenity contractor.
The City Council of McDonough on April 20 approved a conditional variance that lets the Symphony Park builder issue additional certificates of occupancy (COs) before the neighborhood’s amenity center is finished, but only up to a 25% cap tied to measured amenity completion. The vote was 6 in favor, 1 opposed.
Builder representative Alex Barr, general counsel for Valor Communities, told the council the company is the primary builder for the project but does not own the land or control the amenity center’s construction schedule. Barr said the project’s amenity escrow is funded and that significant progress is underway but that the existing ordinance’s 10% cap has left buyers unable to move in. “We’re asking for some leniency to allow us to get certificates of occupancy so they can move into the city of McDonough,” Barr said, describing delays caused by the developer–contractor arrangements.
Staff said it had expedited plan review and issued a one-percentage-point CO allowance earlier to keep the model home operational. Community-development staff showed progress photos and a completion estimate for elements of the amenity center, reporting partial completion (staff noted pavilion and pool construction ongoing, some items at roughly 27%). City attorneys and staff proposed tying any additional COs to measurable milestone progress and to leave performance bonds available as a backstop.
Council members who supported the measure said it balanced protecting future residents and protecting the city from an uncompleted amenity. One council member summarized the compromise as allowing limited, conditional additional COs tied to specific percentages of amenity completion and subject to continued staff oversight. The council directed staff and legal counsel to document the percentage‑completion triggers and conditions to ensure the city could call the performance bond if work stalled.
The council’s decision finalizes a negotiated approach intended to allow homebuyers under contract to move in while retaining legal remedies if the amenities are not completed. Staff will report back on the specific language and monitoring procedures before additional COs are released.
