Council holds first read of 7,848‑acre rezoning/DRI in Chattahoochee Hills; councilors and residents press for outside technical review

Staff planning lead Mike introduced a first reading of a major rezoning and DRI application covering approximately 7,848.25 acres across roughly 70 parcels in Chattahoochee Hills. He explained the proposal is organized into four planning areas and nine DRI phases; the first six phases focus on the East planning area and later phases will require separate DRI submissions. Mike said the city would require about 5,493 acres preserved as open and civic space and that the concept anticipates 8,384 residential units (the applicant plans to use transfer‑of‑development‑rights to meet density requirements).

A planning consultant walked council through the redlined UDC changes and the DRI materials. The applicant’s representative described prior community outreach (two large public meetings and HOA briefings) and emphasized open‑space preservation and trail connectivity. Council members pressed for more outside technical review — traffic, stormwater and other engineering — rather than relying solely on applicant‑supplied materials, and several members asked staff to compile a list of third‑party firms the city could retain to review complex engineering and long‑range impacts. One councilor noted an ARC traffic table printed in the packet had incorrect totals; staff and the applicant said the ARC report was corrected on the record and that updated materials would be supplied.