Land use, zoning, and rezoning attorneys for Alpharetta property owners, developers, and neighbors
Alpharetta rezonings run through a mandatory pre-submittal meeting, a written Public Participation Plan, a Planning Commission hearing, and a City Council vote under the Unified Development Code. Miles Hansford is headquartered minutes from City Hall and represents applicants and opponents.
Alpharetta is in the middle of a growth debate. Horizon 2045 is replacing Horizon 2040 as the Comprehensive Plan, the North Point Mall rezoning passed 4 to 3 in August 2026, and Council members openly disagree about how much density fits the city. For the licensing side of a restaurant or venue, see Alpharetta alcohol licensing.
How we help in Alpharetta
- Attend the mandatory pre-submittal meeting with you
- Draft the Public Participation Plan and Part B report
- Present at Planning Commission, Design Review Board, and City Council
- File or defend the 30-day superior court challenge
Rezonings & Plan Amendments
Rezoning, master plan, and Comprehensive Land Use Plan amendments through the two-hearing sequence, with conditions negotiated in advance.
Conditional Use, Variances & Design Review
Conditional use permits, hardship variances at the Board of Zoning Appeals, and Design Review Board approvals downtown and on the corridors.
Neighbors & HOAs
Opposition strategy: standing, the hearing record, negotiated conditions, and the 30-day challenge.
A Unified Development Code, four boards, and a fixed monthly calendar
Alpharetta regulates land use through its Unified Development Code, administered by the Planning and Zoning Division of the Department of Community Development. The Planning Commission holds the public hearing and recommends on all rezonings, Comprehensive Land Use Plan amendments, and UDC amendments on the first Thursday at 6:30 p.m. City Council then holds its own hearing and decides. The Board of Zoning Appeals grants hardship variances and exceptions and hears appeals of Director determinations on the third Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
The Design Review Board hears any non-single-family building or site in the Downtown Overlay, the Corridors of Influence, and the Interchange Districts. The informal Community Zoning Information Meeting, second Wednesday at 6:00 p.m., is where neighbors first see a project.
- Rezoning and Conditional Use Permit applications
- Variances and exceptions before the Board of Zoning Appeals
- Design Review Board approvals for downtown and corridor sites
- Opposition and appeals for neighbors
Land use and zoning services in Alpharetta
From the pre-submittal meeting to the courthouse.
The mandatory staff meeting, then the letter of intent, site plan, owner authorization, disclosure form, and trip generation report, filed on the deadline date.
A written plan identifying every property within 500 feet, adjoining owners, and HOAs, plus the Part B report.
Applicant attendance is required at every hearing. We present the case and respond to staff conditions.
CUPs on the rezoning track, and hardship variances, exceptions, and Director appeals before the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Downtown Overlay, Corridors of Influence, and Interchange District projects, sequenced so design review does not stall a permit.
Standing analysis, hearing-record evidence, and superior court challenges within 30 days for neighbors and denied applicants.
Alpharetta zoning at a glance
From the city's February 2026 application guide; confirm the current schedule with the firm.
- Zoning authority
- Department of Community Development, Planning & Zoning Division, 2 Park Plaza
- Recommending body
- Planning Commission, first Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
- Deciding body
- City Council, 6:30 p.m., following the Planning Commission recommendation
- Code
- Unified Development Code; Chapter 36 of the Code of Ordinances
- Comprehensive plan
- Horizon 2045, transmitted to the Atlanta Regional Commission May 2026, adoption scheduled June 30, 2026
- Public notice & signs
- Signs 20 days before the Planning Commission hearing; mailed notice to owners within 500 feet 14 days before
- Neighborhood meeting
- Written Public Participation Plan covering everyone within 500 feet; Part B report 20 business days before the hearing; CZIM second Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.
- Typical timeline
- Pre-submittal meeting, then filing on the first Friday of the month preceding the hearing month; two deferrals maximum
- Variances & appeals
- Board of Zoning Appeals, third Thursday, 5:30 p.m.
- Appeal deadline
- 30 days from the written decision, O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1, Fulton County Superior Court
- Fees
- Rezoning $750 plus $10 per acre for multifamily, commercial, mixed use, and CUP; $400 plus $10 per acre single-family; advertising $325 to $800 or more
Sources: City of Alpharetta Public Hearing Application Guide (Feb. 26, 2026); City of Alpharetta Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Design Review Board pages; Alpharetta 2045 Comprehensive Plan Update; O.C.G.A. § 36-66-4 and § 36-66-5.1
The Alpharetta rezoning process and what is shaping it in 2026
From the 2026 application guide and recent Council actions.
The rezoning process, step by step
A rezoning begins with a mandatory pre-submittal meeting at least one week before filing. Applications are filed on the first Friday of the month preceding the hearing month with site plans, notarized owner authorization, a disclosure form, letter of intent, Public Participation Plan, proof that taxes are paid and no code violations exist, and a trip generation report, with a traffic impact study at 750 or more daily trips or 100 or more peak-hour trips. Signs go up 20 days before the Planning Commission hearing; mailed notice reaches owners within 500 feet 14 days before; the Part B participation report is due 20 business days before. The Planning Commission recommends and City Council decides.
Conditional use, variances, and design review
Conditional Use Permits follow the rezoning track at the same $750 plus $10 per acre base fee. Hardship variances and exceptions go to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which also hears appeals of the Director's determinations. Any non-single-family project in the Downtown Overlay, the Corridors of Influence, or an Interchange District also needs the Design Review Board, so a downtown mixed-use building is often running two approvals at once.
Horizon 2045 and the North Point decision
Council voted unanimously on May 18, 2026 to transmit the draft Horizon 2045 Comprehensive Plan to the Atlanta Regional Commission, with adoption scheduled for June 30, 2026. The plan folds in the North Point Development Framework, the Windward and Highway 9 Strategic Master Plan, the South Main Street LCI Study, and the Brookside Small Area Plan. The city's appetite for density was tested on August 25, 2026, when Council approved 4 to 3 the rezoning of roughly 100 acres at North Point Mall for a mixed-use village anchored by a 20,000-seat arena. One vote decided it.
Opposing a project and the 30-day appeal
Neighbors are heard at the CZIM, the applicant's participation meetings, and both public hearings, but speaking is not the same as building a record. Under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1, a challenge to a legislative rezoning goes to superior court de novo, where the owner must prove by clear and convincing evidence that the classification is a significant detriment and insubstantially related to the public welfare. Variances, conditional use permits, and administrative appeals are quasi-judicial and reviewed on the record. Either way the deadline is 30 days from the written decision, and defective notice under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-4 can void an approval. See our rezoning page for the statewide framework.
Alpharetta's hometown land use practice
Miles Hansford is based at 1725 Windward Concourse, minutes from 2 Park Plaza and the North Point, Windward, and downtown districts the city is planning around.
The Land Use and Zoning practice, led by partner David Davidson, sits inside a full-service firm. Our land use and zoning team handles the contract, the entity, and the appeal alongside the rezoning.
How an Alpharetta zoning matter moves
The city calendar sets the pace.
Feasibility
Current zoning, the Horizon 2045 designation, overlay status, and the realistic path.
Pre-submittal and filing
The staff meeting, the application package, and the Public Participation Plan, filed on the first-Friday deadline.
Outreach and hearings
CZIM, neighbor meetings, signs and notice, then Planning Commission and City Council.
Conditions and follow-through
Negotiated conditions, Design Review Board approval, and, if needed, the 30-day challenge.
Alpharetta zoning and rezoning FAQs
How long does a rezoning take in Alpharetta?
Applications are filed on the first Friday of the month preceding the hearing month, after a pre-submittal meeting at least one week earlier. The Planning Commission hears the case on the first Thursday and City Council decides at a later meeting. Signs, mailed notice, and the Part B report have deadlines 14 to 20 days or more before the hearing.
What does it cost to file a rezoning in Alpharetta?
Per the city's 2026 guide, a rezoning for townhomes, multifamily, commercial, office, or mixed use is $750 plus $10 per acre; single-family detached is $400 plus $10 per acre. Legal advertising adds $325 to $800 or more, re-advertising after a deferral is $325, and a 3% card fee applies.
Is a neighborhood meeting required before an Alpharetta rezoning?
Alpharetta requires a written Public Participation Plan identifying every property within 500 feet, adjoining owners, and HOAs and describing the outreach. A Part B report is due 20 business days before the hearing. The city also holds an informal Community Zoning Information Meeting on the second Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
When do rezoning signs go up in Alpharetta?
Signs must be posted no later than 20 days before the Planning Commission hearing, and mailed notice goes to owners within 500 feet 14 days before. State law, O.C.G.A. § 36-66-4, separately requires newspaper notice 15 to 45 days before the hearing and a posted sign at least 15 days out.
Which projects go to the Alpharetta Design Review Board?
Any non-single-family building or site in the Downtown Overlay, the Corridors of Influence, or the Interchange Districts, plus anything the Director of Community Development refers. A downtown restaurant or a mixed-use building near GA-400 will typically need Design Review Board approval in addition to any rezoning.
How do I get a variance in Alpharetta?
Hardship variances and exceptions from the Unified Development Code are heard by the Board of Zoning Appeals on the third Thursday at 5:30 p.m. The BZA also hears appeals of the Director's determinations. Variance decisions are quasi-judicial, so the hearing record is what a court reviews.
What is Horizon 2045 and why does it matter for my property?
Horizon 2045 is Alpharetta's Comprehensive Plan update replacing Horizon 2040. Council voted May 18, 2026 to transmit the draft to the Atlanta Regional Commission, with adoption scheduled June 30, 2026. A rezoning inconsistent with the plan may first need a Comprehensive Land Use Plan amendment.
How do I appeal an Alpharetta zoning decision?
Under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1, every challenge must be filed within 30 days of the written decision. A legislative rezoning is challenged in Fulton County Superior Court de novo, with the owner required to prove significant detriment by clear and convincing evidence. Variances and conditional use permits are reviewed on the record by petition for review.
Land use and zoning in nearby North Metro jurisdictions
Each neighboring city has its own code and boards.
Talk with an Alpharetta zoning attorney before the pre-submittal meeting
Filing, opposing, or appealing, Miles Hansford can tell you quickly what the Unified Development Code and the city calendar require.
Miles Hansford Law Firm
Phone: 770-781-4100
Address:
1725 Windward Concourse, Suite 150
Alpharetta, GA 30005
Consultations: Contact the firm online to get started.
This page is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Fees, deadlines, and ordinance provisions change; confirm current requirements with the relevant jurisdiction or with the firm. No attorney-client relationship is created by viewing this content or sending a message through the website.