How Does Development Review Work in Buckhead?

Commercial districts and single-family neighborhoods are somewhat strange bedfellows, so, development review is often a very touchy subject – and probably even more so in Buckhead given the community’s history of having been split by the construction of a major highway. Residents are often concerned that commercial development will clog their streets and degrade their property values while developers are fully motivated to exercise their property rights to maximize the returns for their investors. Zoning and development review are the tools that a community can use to make sure everyone is working together toward the best interests of the community as a whole. The trick is that everyone must give a little to get it right.

What is an SPI?  Special Public Interest Districts are a unique type of zoning district that essentially sits on top of the City’s underlying zoning code and is specific only to a designated geographic area. Special Public Interest Districts typically focus the more aesthetic and “touchy feely” parts of zoning that are unique to the specific geographic area and not captured in a citywide zoning code. Buckhead has two of these districts; SPI-12 which covers the commercial core and SPI-9 which covers the Buckhead Village. In 2010, several community organizations (including business and residents) came together and worked collaboratively to update the zoning code that guides development in the Buckhead Village area. This same approach happened again in 2011 for the commercial core of Buckhead.

What is a DRC? As part of the negotiations to update these SPI zoning districts, the neighborhoods were able to codify nearly all the things that they typically had to exact from developers along the way – like streetscapes, bike racks, greenspace, and more. In exchange for getting these requirements written in the code, the neighborhoods agreed to simplify the development review process for those developments that satisfied all the code requirements. These projects can move forward with a staff level review which is known as a Special Administrative Permit (SAP). For both of Buckhead’s SPI districts, the community was not comfortable with completely giving up the ability to have input, so we created Development Review Committees (DRC). DRCs provide comments to the City which are taken into consideration during the staff-level review for any project seeking an SAP.

What does not go before a DRC? Pretty much every little project that needs city sign off goes before a DRC, however, any projects that are requesting more significant changes that impact the broader spirit and intent of development in an area – things like density and use – require more rigorous zoning review and are beyond the purview of the DRC. These types of changes go before the neighborhood planning unit and zoning review board.

Who is on the DRC?  Representation on each DRC is a little different depending upon the needs of the district.

For SPI-12 the seven members include:

• Two representatives from either the Buckhead Heights neighborhoods, the North Buckhead neighborhood, the Peachtree Park neighborhood, the Pine Hills neighborhood or the Ridgedale Park neighborhood as appointed by Neighborhood Planning Unit – B (NPU-B)
• Two district commercial property owner representatives as appointed by the Buckhead Community Improvement District
• One commercial property owner’s representative as appointed by the Buckhead Area Transportation Management Association (which is now Livable Buckhead)
• One MARTA representative as appointed by MARTA
• One representative from City Council District 7 as appointed by the City Council District 7 member.

For SPI-9 the five members include:

• One member appointed by NPU-B
• One representative from City Council District 7 as appointed by the City Council District 7 member.
• One commercial property owner representative as appointed by the Buckhead Area Transportation Management Association (which is now Livable Buckhead)
• Two district commercial property owner representatives as appointed by the Buckhead Community Improvement District

When and where does the DRC meet?  The two DRCs that oversee Buckhead’s village and commercial areas both meet the first Wednesday of each month.  SPI-9’s meeting starts at 1pm and SPI-12 starts at 3pm. The meetings are held in Suite 1515 of Tower Place Building #100. All meetings are open to the public.

How do I find out what projects have gone before the DRC?   Livable Buckhead makes sure all information that comes before the DRCs is distributed openly. All project information and recommendations are featured as part of our electronic newsletters, all projects are included on Livable Buckhead’s interactive website and we also present a summary of the projects to the Livable Buckhead board, Buckhead CID board, residential property managers council and commercial property managers meetings.

The public can contact any representative with questions and concerns, including members representing NPU-B. You may also contact Livable Buckhead directly with questions or comments.