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Board approves Medley storefront color variance while barring neon and fluorescent finishes
Summary
The board approved variance V‑25‑0008 allowing Medley storefronts to use a broader color palette than the city's Pantone table, with staff retaining review authority and an explicit ban on neon/fluorescent colors; the decision applies only to storefront facades and remains subject to design standards and permit review.
The Johns Creek Board of Zoning Appeals approved variance V‑25‑0008, allowing a broader palette of colors for commercial storefronts within the Medley mixed‑use development while keeping Pantone color requirements for other building facades and prohibiting neon and fluorescent finishes.
City staff member Ruchi Agarwal described the 41.7‑acre Medley site at Johns Creek Parkway and explained the requested deviation from Article 12E of the city's zoning ordinance, which lists permitted Pantone colors for commercial buildings. "The proposed color variation would be limited to the commercial retail storefronts within Medley development," Agarwal said, adding that staff recommended approval subject to conditions, including that storefront colors be reviewed at the building permit stage and that neon or fluorescent colors be prohibited.
Bridal Cox, representing Touro Development Company, told the board Medley will include roughly 750 multifamily units, 133 townhomes, about 150,000 square feet of retail, 110,000 square feet of office and a 150‑room hotel. Cox argued that a limited Pantone palette would constrain tenant branding and that allowing brand‑aligned storefront colors will help attract high‑quality tenants and create a vibrant town‑center atmosphere. "Our request seeks flexibility to allow vibrant, brand aligned, and complementary colors for retail storefronts, excluding fluorescent and neon colors," Cox said.
Board members repeatedly asked who would serve as the gatekeeper for storefront colors and whether approving the variance would amount to an open‑ended waiver. Staff and the developer said the city would review tenant color submittals during building permit review and the developer operates an internal tenant design review; several members asked the developer to share an example palette when possible. A motion to approve V‑25‑0008 passed with the staff conditions.
