A unified development code is a single regulatory document that guides development within a jurisdiction. This may include zoning and subdivision regulations, infrastructure requirements, design guidelines, landscaping standards, sign regulations, etc.

Cobb County currently has two primary documents that regulate development: the County Code of Ordinance and the Cobb County Development Standards. In addition to these regulatory documents, the County has also adopted design guidelines to offer additional standards for design, architecture, landscape, etc. in targeted areas of the County. In their entirety, these documents consist of several hundred pages, which are often overlapping and sometimes inconsistent. A unified development code would streamline these documents into one combined document that would be more easily accessible to the public, designers, and County staff reviewers.

When Cobb County’s zoning ordinance was drafted decades ago, Cobb County was quite different than it is today. Over the years, Cobb County has transitioned from a bedroom community into a metropolitan county of nearly 800,000 residents. Cobb County offers a broad range of lifestyle options, from large-lot residential and suburban neighborhoods to bustling activity centers. The County boasts tremendous natural and historic resources, as well as regional employment hubs. There is truly something for everyone in Cobb, and it is important that the County’s development regulations are up to date to preserve the character of Cobb’s rural and suburban neighborhoods, protect natural and historic resources, provide a variety of housing options, as well as to encourage appropriate economic development and redevelopment in corridors and centers where the infrastructure is in place for business to thrive.

The unified development code is not intended as a wholesale rewrite of the County’s zoning and development regulations and it is not an effort to rezone any part of the County. Through this effort, the County’s current zoning and development regulations will be reviewed to reflect new uses and technologies that were not contemplated when the code was initially drafted decades ago, as well as pare down uses and zoning districts that are no longer utilized. It will also include an examination of requirements such as parking standards, landscaping standards, infrastructure standards, among others. These regulations will be updated as appropriate and incorporated into the UDC in a manner that is streamlined and user-friendly.

Just as the current County Code and Development Standards regulate the development of all unincorporated areas of Cobb County, the UDC will provide the requirements for development throughout unincorporated Cobb. It will not, however, change the use of any piece of property.

The County’s Code and Development Standards are just one piece of the planning and development equation. Another key component is the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is the long-range policy document that shapes the current and future development of the County for a twenty-year planning period. As required by the State of Georgia, the Comprehensive Plan is updated every 5 years and includes a Future Land Use Map that provides the basis for what type of development is best suited in each area of the County.

The Comprehensive Plan is the policy document that directs land use, and this document is referred to in informing zoning decisions. County Codes and Development Standards, along with the Design Guidelines, are the regulatory tools for the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan. Upon completion, the UDC will become the one-stop-shop for the County’s zoning and development regulations, and thereby become the regulatory tool for plan implementation.

The County’s Code and Development Standards have been amended several times over the years to address immediate concerns; however, after several decades it is time to take a more comprehensive look at these regulations. There is a broad range of uses and technologies today that were not contemplated previously, such as short-term rentals, food truck parks, tiny houses, co-working spaces, e-fulfillment centers, and online retailers, rideshare, and drive-thru COVID testing, just to name a few. Similarly, the way we shop and do business is changing. With more Cobb residents shopping and doing business online, it is appropriate to look at the requirements for parking and infrastructure to ensure that the requirements are adequate without requiring more pavement than necessary. It will also be critical to look at the commercial centers throughout the County, including two major regional malls, and to make sure that the right tools are in place to allow for appropriate reuse or redevelopment of those centers so that those sites can be an asset to the surrounding neighborhoods rather than underutilized and potentially blighted properties.

With so much to consider, it will be crucial to have dedicated resources with the right expertise to ensure that the resulting UDC will be adequate to shape development in Cobb for the next several decades. This cannot be done without robust public outreach and feedback from Cobb’s residents and businesses. Cobb County’s Community Development Agency, which includes Planning, Zoning, Development and Inspections, Erosion and Sediment Control, Code Enforcement, and Business License, is a lean organization with a mission of substantial significance to all residents and businesses in the County. To do this work to the degree of thoroughness that is warranted, including significant community engagement, the County would need additional seasoned, professional-level staff, which would require a long-term commitment of the County’s budgetary resources.

A consultant has been chosen and approved by the Board of Commissioners; the project will begin in Winter 2022 and is expected to take approximately 18-24 months to complete. The selected consultant will be charged with planning and executing a community engagement process that will provide numerous opportunities for residents, homeowners, and civic associations, and businesses and business organizations to be informed and to provide feedback into the process, as well as to review and comment on draft work products throughout this initiative. In addition to town hall meetings, public hearings, and focus groups, there will be opportunities for online engagement, as well as a project website, with the goal being to provide ample opportunities for all of Cobb County’s stakeholders to be involved and provide meaningful input.

Click Here to visit the Official Cobb County UDC Website and view meeting the details. 

Meetings may be attended virtually or in-person.