Council defers Embry Farm rezoning after heated public hearing and traffic concerns

Council opened a lengthy public hearing and debate on RZ240010 (Embry Farm) after Community Development Director Song outlined the proposal for a 200-lot single-family subdivision on 204.1 acres with a proposed density of 0.98 units per acre and significant encumbrances including floodplain, wetlands and river corridor frontage. Director Song emphasized that portions of the site fall within the 100- and 500-year floodplains and that any encroachment into stream buffers would require state and city variances and Metropolitan River Protection Act (MRPA) review.

The developer’s representative, Den Webb of Toll Brothers, asked the council to defer a final decision so the applicant could complete engineering for a large, multi-leg roundabout at Rogers Circle and try to resolve neighbor concerns. Webb said the application included a concept for a 120-foot diameter roundabout and offered to further engineer it in coordination with public works, the Fulton County School Board and affected homeowners. Residents and experts testified about environmental constraints and disputed the developer’s characterization of preserved open space, arguing much of that area is floodplain or wetlands. One resident told the council the application’s density calculations confused gross and net acreage and cited potential impacts to school traffic and safety. After back-and-forth on procedure, motions to deny and then to grant a deferral were made; the council voted to grant the applicant’s request and deferred RZ240010 to the August 25, 2025 meeting to allow additional engineering and neighbor coordination.