DeKalb County Zoning Code Update

Introduction
This memo summarizes the proposed structure of the new zoning code. It also includes data regarding existing zoning districts providing the justification of the new structure. The updated DeKalb Zoning Ordinance will implement the policies of the DeKalb County 2025 Comprehensive Plan with fewer zoning districts, balanced with greater design standards.

Technical Memo: Proposed Districts and Conversions

DeKalb Zoning Code Table of Contents
Article 1: General Regulations Article 2: Zoning Districts Article 3: Overlay Districts Article 4: Use Table and Regulations Article 5: Site and Building Form Standards Article 6: Parking Article 7: Administration and Enforcement Article 8: Non-conforming Situations Article 9: Definitions

Residential Zoning Districts

The zoning ordinance retains the residential districts that comprise the majority of the County. DeKalb County currently has 21 residential districts in the Zoning Ordinance. In the new zoning ordinance, these districts have been consolidated to 8 zoning districts to achieve a more user-friendly code. The three primary residential districts (R-75, R-85, and R-100) will remain the same. The Residential Neighborhood Conservation District (R-NCD) and Mobile Home Park District also are unchanged. The R-200 and R-150 districts: converted into one district, Residential Estate. R-30 and R-20: converted into one district called Residential Large Lot. Averaging requirements and compatibility criteria defined (Article 5) Parking standards have their own chapter (Article 6).

Medium and High Density Residential

The proposed zoning code creates new districts aligned with Character areas designated by the Comprehensive Plan including Neighborhood Centers, Town Centers, Regional Centers, and Commercial Redevelopment Corridors. Medium and High Residential Districts provide for planned residential communities with a mix of residential product types. These districts are primarily residential, yet allow non-residential as an accessory use to serve the needs of the new development. New site design and building form standards in Article 5 ensure quality design. New multi-family districts correspond to character areas in that they allow densities based on scale and intensity based on amenities and infrastructure. The new medium and higher density districts provide for a base density and only allow increased density through a bonus system, related to the project location and proposed improvements. RM districts will be converted to a corresponding MR or HR district, with design requirements for redevelopment and new development clearly established in the new code. A new Small Lot Residential district (R-SM) allows for small lots, cottage homes, and attached single-family. R-SM does not allow multi-family or non-residential uses, except as grandfathered by site plans conditioned to the former TND districts. To ensure higher quality design in DeKalb County, lot controls and setbacks for each building type are in Article 2 with specific site design and building type regulations in Article 5. Plan review process systematically includes Article 5.

Medium and High Density Residential developments will be reviewed with new site and building form standards in Article 5.

Cottage homes are typically less than 1,200 sq. ft. in size and front on a common open space.

DeKalb County Zoning Code Update

Non-Residential Districts
Non-Residential districts for commercial (C-1 and C-2), office (O-I and O-I-T) and industrial (M and M2) are retained. However, they are enhanced with additional design criteria and proposed criteria for adaptive re-use in an updated non-conforming chapter (Article 9). Highlights of changes include: C-1 permits use of Live/Work units. To recruit commercial to the NC-, TC- and CRC- character areas (centers), setbacks for C-1, O-I and O-I-T are relaxed at a graduated scale according to center intensity. Supplemental Use Regulations in Article 4 specify requirements. Commercial components carry less open space requirements than residential components in both the Medium and High Density Residential and the Mixed Use districts.

Technical Memo - Proposed Districts and Conversions

Mixed Use Districts

A set of five new Mixed Use districts (MU-1, MU-2, MU-3, MU-4, and MU-5) allow for mixed-use development by character area. The districts provide options for either a smaller site with a single, vertically integrated mixed-use building or a larger site with several uses mixed in a development. Dimensional requirements for lots and setbacks are shown for different building types in a consolidated table format in Article 2. The maximum density of each district is established by Character Area policy through the use of bonuses. Tables within each MU zoning district indicate a base density for mixed use districts and the maximum density allowed if bonus criteria are met.

Standards for office development include provisions for building siting, parking, and open space.

Site Design and Building Form Standards

Site design and building form standards can be found in the new Article 5. In the past, requirements about specific building types were spread throughout different articles. Article 5 includes higher, baseline design standards to promote quality development. Ideally, rezonings will need fewer conditions, and standardized requirements will help enforcement by all users. Standards are provided for platting of lots, landscaping requirements, open space standards, and other supplemental site improvements. Building form standards are provided to increase the quality of singlefamily homes (detached and attached), multi-family, non-residential, livework, and large-scale retail developments.
The functional layout and design of mixed-use, master planned developments are provided with new standard.