|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
December 2, 2008
On December 4 there will be the first of three 'open house' sessions with the consultants charged with rewriting the Zoning Ordinance, in large part to match up with the rewrite of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan in Spring of 2008. It is somewhat disturbing that the Zoning Code is being modified to match up with a land use plan that has been the center of a major controversy regarding the Planning Department's deciding on parcel by parcel land use changes without any public hearings or voting by the Board of Commissioners. The current Zoning Ordinance forbids land use changes without a series of public hearings and public input. Could this be about to change? Is this merely an attempt to codify the poorly thought-out designation of so many major intersections in DeKalb as Town Centers by the Comprehensive Plan?
Here are links to the list of executive committee members, the minutes of the first meeting and the Public Input Plan.
Task Force Members
Minutes of First Task Force Meeting
Public Input Plan
These are the meeting dates/locations:
Thursday December 4, 2008
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Mason Mill Center
1340-B McConnell Drive
Decatur, GA 30033
Tuesday December 9, 2008
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Lou Walker Senior Center
2538 Panola Road
Lithonia, GA 30058
Thursday December 11, 2008
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Chamblee Public Library
4115 Clairmont Road
Chamblee, GA 30341
There will be no formal presentation. Drop in at any time during workshop hours.
The following is a recent email posted by the District 2 representative to the Task Force, Gene Schmidt.
It seems hard for me to believe that its been 10 years since the 1999 Dekalb Zoning Ordinance replaced the 1985 version. The County has compressed the schedule to rewrite the code to address obvious disparities with the newer Comprehensive Land Use Plan as well as ambiguities that need clarity to administer equitably. There is also a new procedure being followed by the consultant Pond and Company. A Zoning Task Force was established to include District representatives, county department representatives, and others. I agreed to represent Commission District 2 by appointment from Commissioner Rader.
The Task Force had its first meeting Nov. 20th, with introductions and code concerns from the perspective of each representative. The first round of public hearings begin on Dec. 4th at Mason Mill Center 1340-B McConnell Drive from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. The format will not include a formal presentation, but will be an open house to listen to public concerns throughout the evening. Additional dates allow for flexibility, but will be the same format.
Code pages will be presented for Task Force review throughout the winter, with the next round of public hearings scheduled for April 14, 16, and 21st. Presumably a first draft will be available for review at that time. The first public hearing in front of the Planning Commission will be July 22 2009 with revisions scheduled to follow.
The second public hearing at the Planning Commission is to be Aug. 26th, with the final Board of Commissioners adoption hearing on Sept. 22nd 2009. These of course are tentative and optimistic!
The County and consultants have established an interactive website where they welcome your comments for inclusion in the process: www.co.dekalb.ga.us/planning/zoningCode.html
or call 404-371-2155
As District 2 representative, I also would like to hear from zoning professionals and neighborhood zoning representatives, of any code issues that you have dealt with in the 1999 Ordinance that need clarity or revision. This process is for Chapter 27 - ZONING of the County Code, but will consider how to reference and coordinate with other Chapters ( Historic, Subdivision, Signage, Code Enforcement, Trees, etc.). I will pass any comments on to the consultants if you have not done so directly.
Gene Schmidt
LaVista Park Civic Association
Zoning Coordinator
zoning@lavistapark.org