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Councilman Schmidt urges 'preservation through rural land ownership' to return lot-rights to landowners
Summary
Councilman Schmidt proposed an amendment to Chattahoochee Hills zoning that would let rural landowners sever small home lots while preserving the larger parcel, arguing the current 'one house per 20 acres' implementation unfairly limits owners' 'right of disposition.'
Councilman Schmidt presented a lengthy proposal he described as "preservation through rural land ownership," arguing the city's implementation of its minimum-lot rules has locked up property and disproportionately favored large landowners. He said the amendment would let owners take a limited number of lot-line adjustments or "cuts" (his example used a 100-acre parcel split into multiple 5-acre home sites) while leaving the majority of acreage preserved.
Schmidt framed the change as restoring private property rights: "Give me back my rights to my land," he said during his presentation, adding the proposed system would allow owners to "cash in when you want to" without selling large tracts to developers. He recommended council consider minimum lot sizes, a capped number of lot-line adjustments per parcel and procedural safeguards to protect preservation goals.
The council did not take immediate action on the proposal; Schmidt invited public feedback and said he will present a formal amendment in a future town-hall format. Several residents who later spoke during public comment echoed his concerns about the current zoning implementation and urged clearer, more transparent processes for traffic studies and enforcement of rezoning conditions.
