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I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING, UH, TO THE MEETING TONIGHT.
UM, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR FOR 2026.
MAY I HAVE A NOMINATION FOR CHAIR? CAN I MAKE A MOTION, UH, FOR MICHAEL GORDY TO BE CHAIR? DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? AND CAN WE VOTE ON THAT? PLEASE? JUST RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE A NOMINATION FOR VICE CHAIR, PLEASE.
I'LL NOMINATE MARK GILBERT SECOND.
AND CAN WE VOTE ON THAT PLEASE? THANK YOU.
NOW I'M GONNA TURN THE, THE MEETING OVER TO OUR CHAIR.
ALRIGHT, WE WILL OFFICIALLY CALL IT TO ORDER THEN.
UM, SO WELCOME TO OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS.
WE'VE GOT CRAIG JOHNSON, TAMMY LUCAS, AND BRENT BEAM.
AND THEN WE WILL, UH, DO THE PLEDGE.
PLEASE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FRAUD.
ELLIE, DO WE NEED TO DO ANY, UH, SWEARING IN OR ANYTHING FOR ANYBODY OR NO, THEY'VE ALREADY DONE ALL THAT.
WE JUST HAVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AND THEN I HAVE TO DO THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURE.
[3. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES]
SO FIRST ITEM UP IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETING, MEETING MINUTES FROM DECEMBER 18TH, 2025.DOES ANYBODY, UH, HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THE MEETING? THE MINUTES.
THAT GOOD? CAN WE GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, MEETING MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
[4. PUBLIC HEARING]
READ THE, I'M GONNA READ THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURE.AN INDIVIDUAL REQUESTING TO BE HEARD ON THE MATTER RELATED TO THE PURPOSE OF THE HEARING MUST BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR BEFORE ADDRESSING THE BOARD.
UPON RISING TO SPEAK, THE SPEAKER MUST IDENTIFY HIMSELF OR HERSELF AND FURNISH A HOME OR BUSINESS ADDRESS BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANY COMMENTS OR REMARKS.
THE BOARD WILL ALLOW THE PROPONENTS OF A TOTAL OF 10 MINUTES TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF AN APPLICATION.
OPPONENTS WILL ALSO BE ALLOWED 10 MINUTES TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION.
COMMENTS ARE ACCEPTED FIRST FROM THE APPLICANT, FOLLOWED BY A PERSON SPEAKING IN FAVOR.
AND THEN FROM THOSE IN OPPOSITION UPON CONCLUSION OF ANY OPPOSING COMMENTS OR PRESENTATIONS, THE CHAIR WILL ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO OFFER REBUTTAL IF ANY TIME IS REMAINING IN THE ORIGINAL ALLOTTED 10 MINUTES AND THE CHAIR HAS DISCRETION TO GIVE EXTRA TIME IF NEEDED.
SO THE FIRST ITEM UP FOR THIS EVENING IS ITEM V DASH 26 DASH ZERO NINE.
SORRY IF I PRONOUNCE THIS WRONG.
SIZ, UH, FOR 200 SWEETWATER TRACE IT'S CONSIDERATION OF A VARIANCE TO UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE SUBSECTION 1.3 0.1 B ONE TO REDUCE THE REAR PLATTED SETBACK FROM 35 FEET TO 23 FEET TO ALLOW FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COVERED SCREEN PORCH.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 200 SWEETWATER TRACE AND IS LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS BEING LOCATED IN LAND LOT.
5 5 2 FIRST DISTRICT, SECOND SECTION, FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA.
MR. WOODMAN, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN AND BOARD MEMBERS.
THE ITEM BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS A REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE TO REDUCE THE REAR PLATTED SETBACK FROM 35 FEET TO 23 FEET, AND THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE A COVERED PORCH AT THE REAR OF A SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOME.
I HAVE THE LOCATION MAP ON THE OVERHEAD.
THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 200 SWEETWATER TRACE AND THAT IS LOCATED IN THE SWEETWATER CLUB SUBDIVISION.
UM, THERE IS A TYPO ON PAGE ONE OF THE STAFF REPORT I WANTED TO POINT OUT.
THIS PROPERTY IS NOT 0.28 ACRES.
UM, IT'S ZONED R FOUR A, UM, DEVELOPED WITH A ONE STORY, JUST LITTLE OVER 2000 SQUARE FOOT SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOME.
AND THERE IS AN EXISTING, UM, AT GRADE PATIO AT THE REAR OF THE HOME.
THE SUBDIVISION WAS DEVELOPED IN UNINCORPORATED, UH, FULTON COUNTY AND THEN ANNEXED INTO THE CITY IN 2005.
SURROUNDING PROPERTIES ARE ZONED R FOUR A AND LOCATED IN THE SWEETWATER CLUB SUBDIVISION EXCEPT FOR THE PROPERTY TO THE EAST, WHICH IS ZONED R 15
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AND IS PART OF THE NORTHFIELD SUBDIVISION.SWEETWATER CLUB BACKS UP, UM, ACTUALLY THE LOTS ALONG THE NORTH AND WEST SIDE OF THIS SUBDIVISION HAVE, UM, 40 FOOT REAR SETBACKS, THE LOTS BACKING UP TO THE EAST PROPERTY LINE, WHICH THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS HERE.
HAVE A 35 FOOT REAR SETBACK, THE LOTS BACKING UP TO THE SOUTH PROPERTY LINE, HAVE A THIR, HAVE A 30 FOOT REAR SETBACK.
AND THEN THERE ARE SOME INTERNAL LOTS HERE THAT ONLY HAVE A SEVEN FOOT REAR SETBACK.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THERE'S A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT, UH, SETBACKS IN THIS SUBDIVISION.
AND THEN THE ZONING DISTRICT THAT, UM, THIS SUBDIVISION CARRIES ACTUALLY THAT ZONING DISTRICT WOULD ONLY REQUIRE A 20 FOOT REAR SETBACK.
BUT REMEMBER THIS WAS, UM, THIS, THIS PLAN THAT FOR THIS SUBDIVISION, UH, WAS DEVELOPED IN UNIN, UNINCORPORATED FULTON COUNTY AND THEN DEVELOPED IN, UH, FULTON COUNTY BEFORE IT WAS ANNEXED INTO THE CITY.
SO THAT'S WHY THE THE SETBACKS DON'T MATCH OUR ZONING STRIKES.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE VARIANCE THAT IS REQUESTED IS TO UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE SUBSECTION 1.3, 0.1 B ONE.
AND THAT SECTION STATES NO STRUCTURE SHALL HEREAFTER BE ERECTED OR ALTERED TO CREATE A NON-CONFORMITY.
THE REASON WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR THE VARIANCE TO THAT SECTION AND NOT TO THE ZONING DISTRICT IS BECAUSE THIS IS A PLATTED SETBACK.
THIS IS THE SETBACK THAT IS ON THE ACTUAL SUBDIVISION PLAT FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE PLATTED SETBACKS ALWAYS TAKE PRECEDENT OVER THE ZONING SETBACK.
IF THIS HAD BEEN THE ZONING SETBACK, THE VARIANCE WOULD BE TO THAT ZONING DISTRICT'S REAR SETBACK REQUIREMENTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN THAT THE APPLICANT STATES IN THE APPLICATION THAT THE VARIANCE IS NECESSARY TO INCREASE THE USABLE OUTDOOR AREA ON THIS PROPERTY, WHICH IS CURRENTLY LIMITED.
THE HOME ON THIS PROPERTY WAS BUILT RIGHT UP TO THE 35 FOOT REAR SETBACK.
SO HERE'S THE SITE PLAN FOR THE APPLICANT.
THIS IS THE EXISTING HOME HERE AND THE REAR WALL OF THE HOME IS BUILT RIGHT UP TO THAT 35 FOOT SETBACK LINE.
SO THERE ARE, AND CURRENTLY THE AT GRADE PATIO THAT IS NOT COVERED, IS NOT SUBJECT TO SETBACKS.
SO AS SOON AS YOU PUT A COVERING OVER TOP OF THE PATIO, IT IS THEN SUBJECT TO SETBACKS.
SO THAT IS THE NEED FOR THE VARIANCE.
AND SO THE 35 FOOT IS AT THE REAR OF THE WALL.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR A 12 BY 18, UH, COVERED PATIO SO THAT, UM, PATIO, UH, COVERED PATIO IS COMING 12 FEET INTO THAT 35 FOOT SETBACK, WHICH WOULD LEAVE IT WITH A 23 FOOT SETBACK FROM THE REAR.
THE APPLICANT ALSO, UH, INDICATES IN THE VARIANCE APPLICATION THAT THERE WILL BE NO TREE REMOVAL WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THE COVERED PORCH.
UH, WE DID LOOK AT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE WANTED TO SEE WERE THERE ANY OTHER REAR SETBACK VARIANCES, UM, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS WE DID FIND ONE, UM, AT TWO 90 SWEETWATER TRACE.
THERE WAS A REAR SETBACK VARIANCE APPROVED TO ALLOW FOR A DECK INSTALLATION.
BUT WE ALSO FOUND SEVERAL PROPERTIES WITHIN THIS SUBDIVISION, UM, INCLUDING AT 100, 1 22 0 5, 2 10, 2 20, AND TWO 80 SWEETWATER TRACE WHERE THERE ARE STRUCTURES THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE REAR YARD AND THEY DEFINITELY GO BEYOND THE REQUIRED SETBACK.
SO I'VE NOTED THIS, THIS PROPERTY HERE AS WELL AS THIS PROPERTY HERE, THIS IS THE APPLICANT'S PROPERTY.
UM, THE TWO PROPERTIES SOUTH OF IT HAVE ADDED, UM, SOME STRUCTURES IN THE REAR YARD AND THEN ON THE SOUTH END OF THE SUBDIVISION, THESE THREE HOMES HAVE ADDED DECKS IN THE BACKYARD.
NOW, I DIDN'T TAKE, I DIDN'T GO TO THE LEVEL OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT THEY GOT PERMITS FOR THOSE STRUCTURES, WHETHER IF IT, IF THEY DID GET A PERMIT, IF IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT AND SOMEONE DIDN'T CATCH THE REAR SETBACK.
BUT THOSE, THOSE PROPERTIES DO GO BEYOND THE REQUIRED REAR SETBACK.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT THE REVIEW, THE THREE REVIEW CRITERIA FOR A VARIANCE, UM, AND WE LOOKED AT THIS PROPOSAL AGAINST THOSE REVIEW CRITERIA.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT THE PROPERTY DOES HAVE EXCEPTIONAL PECULIAR CONDITIONS AND PRIMARILY RELATED TO THE SIZE.
IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST UNDER 5,500 SQUARE FEET.
UM, SO WHICH LEAVES VERY LIMITED SPACE FOR, UH, KIND OF RESIDENTIAL ACCESSORY STRUCTURES, WHICH HAVE TO BE IN THE SIDE OR THE REAR YARDS.
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SIDE YARD IS DEFINITELY NOT AN OPTION.AS I NOTED, UH, WE DID FIND OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE SAME SUBDIVISION THAT HAVE LESSER, UH, REAR SETBACK REQUIREMENTS.
WE NOTED THAT THE, THE ZONING DISTRICT ALLOW FOR A 20 FOOT REAR SETBACK, WHICH THIS WOULD BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH.
UM, AND WE DID FIND THOSE EXAMPLES OF THE LEGAL NON-CONFORMING STRUCTURES IN REAR BACKYARDS.
AND, AND THE EXAMPLE OF THE VARIANCE, UH, THE APPLICANT DID, UH, PROVIDE THEIR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION PLAN.
UM, THE REPORT STATES THAT THEY DID NOT RECEIVE ANY OBJECTIONS.
UH, THEY DID PROVIDE THEIR APPROVAL LETTER FROM THE SWEETWATER CLUB HOA AND THEY ALSO PROVIDED LETTERS OF NO OBJECTIONS FROM SOME SURROUNDING AND NEARBY PROPERTIES.
I BELIEVE THEY, THEY DID, UH, NOTIFY THE PROPERTY TO THE EAST, WHICH IS COMMON AREA FOR THE NORTHFIELD SUBDIVISION.
I KNOW THAT THEY NOTIFIED, UM, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM NORTHFIELD HOA REGARDING THEIR REQUEST.
AND SO STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST SUBJECT TO ONE CONDITION THAT CONDITION STATES COVERED PORT SHALL BE PERMITTED SUBSTANTIALLY AS DEPICTED ON THE SUBMITTED SITE PLAN.
AND WITH A 23 FOOT REAR SETBACK AS APPROVED BY STAFF, THERE SHALL BE NO TREE REMOVAL RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE COVERED PORCH.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER THOSE FOR YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE APPLICANT WOULD PLEASE COME FORWARD AND IF YOU'D STEP UP TO THE PODIUM THERE, THE CENTER PODIUM, AND JUST PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE.
STATE YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, AND RELATIONSHIP TO THE APPLICATION.
I LIVE AT 200 SWEETWATER TRACE.
WE'VE BEEN HERE, I THINK 10 YEARS NOW.
SO JOSEPH COSMOS, UH, LIVED AT 200 SWEETWATER TRACE, UH, GOING ON ABOUT 10 YEARS NOW.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO MAKE AN ADDITION TO OUR BACKYARD AND HAVE A COVERED SCREEN IN PORCH THAT KIND OF TIES INTO OUR MASTER BEDROOM, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF, WE WOULD REMOVE THE WINDOW AND ADD A DOOR SO WE COULD WALK RIGHT OUT INTO IT.
UM, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, AFTER HAVING TWO KIDS AND, AND TWO DOGS, OUR, OUR HOUSE KIND OF FILLED UP A LITTLE BIT QUICKER THAN WE EXPECTED.
UM, AND ARE LOOKING TO REALLY JUST ADD A SECOND LIVING ROOM AND PLAY AREA FOR THE KIDS.
UH, BUGS ARE EXTREMELY BAD IN OUR BACKYARD, SO KIND OF ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT, UM, WITHOUT A SCREEN IMPORT.
SO, UH, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.
UM, AND REALLY JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR TAKING THEIR TIME TO COME AND, UH, TAKE CONSIDERATION ON OUR ADDITION.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC HEARING RESPONSE TONIGHT? I'D SAY NOT.
UH, DOES THE BOARD HAVE ANY, ANY COMMENTS, CONCERNS? DO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM ANYBODY? I'M GONNA MOVE, I'M GONNA MAKE SOME COMMENTS FIRST.
MY ONE COMMENT IS, THANK YOU FOR COMING FORWARD AND GOING THROUGH THE ACTUAL PROCESS TO PUT A SCREENED IN PORCH ON YOUR, ON THE BACK OF YOUR HOME.
BECAUSE WHETHER THEY HAVE A PERMIT OR NOT, WHO KNOWS, BUT YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO PUNISH SOMEONE WHO IS ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE RIGHT STEPS TO DO SOMETHING.
SO FOR THAT REASON, I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ACCORDING TO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? NO.
UH, NEXT UP TONIGHT IS, UH, PH 26 DASH 13 GOODS STORES.
LLC APPEAL? NO, THAT ONE, THAT ONE HAS BEEN, YEP.
WAS I SUPPOSED TO READ THAT PART OR NO? OKAY.
WELL THAT'S BEEN WR WITHDRAWN, SO IT'LL NOT BE CONSIDERED TONIGHT.
DO WE HAVE ANY ITEMS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? ANY ITEMS FROM STAFF? ALRIGHT, WE WILL ADJOURN.