Land use, zoning, and rezoning attorneys for Sandy Springs owners, developers, and neighbors
In Sandy Springs, if the zoning you want is not allowed in your parcel's Character Area, you need two petitions, not one: a Comprehensive Plan map amendment first, then the rezoning. Miles Hansford sequences both, and handles the conditional use permits, variances, and appeals that the Development Code adds along the way.
Sandy Springs adopted its Development Code in August 2017 and overhauled it in December 2023, keeping roughly three-quarters of the city as protected neighborhoods and parks while steering growth to Roswell Road, Powers Ferry, and the Perimeter Center MARTA station areas. Petitions are filed through the city's OpenGov portal and heard at City Springs. Restaurants also need a license; see our Sandy Springs alcohol licensing page.
What we do in Sandy Springs
- Zoning Map Amendments (rezonings and condition modifications)
- Comprehensive Plan Character Area Map Amendments
- Conditional Use Permits and concurrent variances
- General, hardship, stream-buffer, and administrative variances before the Board of Appeals
- Representation of neighbors and HOAs opposing a petition
- Petitions for review and declaratory actions in Fulton County Superior Court
Two Petitions When the Plan Says No
A rezoning that conflicts with the Character Area Map requires a Comprehensive Plan amendment first. We sequence and file both so the hearings line up.
The 2023 Code Update
The update kept the half-mile gas-station spacing rule and added community-meeting and hours conditions for neighborhood eateries in office districts. We know where the new rules bite.
Board of Appeals Variances
General and stream-buffer variances and administrative appeals are quasi-judicial. We build the record for the hearing and for any court review.
A Development Code, a Character Area Map, and an online petition portal
The Planning & Zoning Division of Community Development administers the Development Code, which applies to applications received on or after September 15, 2017. The Allowed Use Table sits in Division 7.2 and Article 11 governs procedures. Petition types include Zoning Map Amendments for rezonings and condition modifications, Conditional Use Permits, Comprehensive Plan Character Area Map Amendments, variances (general or hardship, stream buffer, administrative up to 10 percent, and noise), and administrative appeals. All are filed through the city's OpenGov portal.
The seven-member Planning Commission holds advisory hearings on rezonings, use permits, concurrent variances, and text and map amendments and recommends to the Mayor and Council, which makes the final decision. The quasi-judicial Board of Appeals decides general and stream-buffer variances and administrative appeals. Meeting days, fees, sign-posting rules, and mailed-notice periods are published through the city's CivicClerk portal and change; confirm current details with the firm.
- Rezonings and condition modifications
- Character Area Map amendments
- Conditional Use Permits
- Variances and administrative appeals
- Opposition strategy for neighbors and HOAs
Sandy Springs land use and zoning services
Every petition type in Article 11, and the appeal if it comes to that.
We check the parcel's Character Area before anything else, because it decides whether you file one petition or two.
Zoning Map Amendments and, where needed, the Comprehensive Plan Character Area Map Amendment that must come first. See our rezoning practice.
Use permits under the Allowed Use Table, including the community-meeting and hours conditions for eateries in office districts.
General, hardship, stream-buffer, and noise variances, administrative variances up to 10 percent, and administrative appeals.
Small subdivision rezonings of the kind the Planning Commission and Council approved in April and May 2026.
Neighbors and HOAs at every hearing, and petitions for review or declaratory actions within 30 days.
Sandy Springs zoning at a glance
From the City of Sandy Springs land use petition, Development Code, and comprehensive plan pages; fees and meeting dates should be confirmed with the firm.
- Zoning authority
- Community Development, Planning & Zoning Division; pz@sandyspringsga.gov; 770-730-5600; petitions filed through the OpenGov portal.
- Recommending body
- Planning Commission, seven members, advisory; meeting day published on the city's CivicClerk portal.
- Deciding body
- Mayor and City Council, for rezonings and Character Area Map amendments.
- Code
- Sandy Springs Development Code, adopted August 15, 2017; major update adopted December 5, 2023. Allowed Use Table in Division 7.2; Article 11, Administration.
- Comprehensive plan
- The Next Ten (adopted February 2017; five-year update October 18, 2022). The Next Chapter update began June 23, 2026, with a draft expected early 2027.
- Public notice & signs
- O.C.G.A. § 36-66-4: newspaper notice 15 to 45 days before the hearing and a sign posted at least 15 days before. City posting details: confirm with the firm.
- Neighborhood meeting
- Mandatory community meetings for neighborhood eateries in office districts under the 2023 update; other requirements confirmed with the firm.
- Typical timeline
- Not published by the city; a Character Area Map amendment adds a second petition.
- Variances & appeals body
- Board of Appeals (quasi-judicial): general, hardship, and stream-buffer variances and administrative appeals.
- Appeal deadline
- 30 days from the written decision, Fulton County Superior Court, O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1.
Sources: City of Sandy Springs Filing Land Use Petitions, Development Code, Planning Commission, and Comprehensive Plan pages; Appen Media (Dec. 2023); Rough Draft Atlanta (Apr.–June 2026); O.C.G.A. § 36-66-4 and § 36-66-5.1.
Rezoning in Sandy Springs: petitions, the plan, and the 2023 code
What to expect from filing to decision.
The petition process step by step
A Sandy Springs land use petition is filed through the OpenGov portal under Article 11 of the Development Code. Staff review it against the Allowed Use Table and the Character Area Map. The Planning Commission holds an advisory public hearing and recommends, and the Mayor and Council hold the final hearing and vote, often with conditions. O.C.G.A. § 36-66-4 sets the notice floor: a newspaper ad 15 to 45 days out and a posted sign at least 15 days ahead. Variances and administrative appeals go instead to the quasi-judicial Board of Appeals.
Character Areas: when one petition becomes two
The comprehensive plan, The Next Ten, adopted in February 2017 and updated October 18, 2022, divides the city into Character Areas with small-area plans for Roswell Road, Perimeter Center, the MARTA station areas, Powers Ferry Landing, and Crossroads. The city's petition guidance is explicit: if the proposed zoning is not allowed in the parcel's Character Area, a Character Area Map Amendment is required first, which means two petitions and a longer calendar. A new plan, The Next Chapter, kicked off June 23, 2026 with a draft expected in early 2027; resident concerns center on traffic, tree canopy loss, affordability, and high-rises.
The 2023 code update and what it changed
The December 5, 2023 update followed a 13-month review. It kept the half-mile spacing rule for gas stations, added conditions for neighborhood eateries in office districts, including mandatory community meetings and limited hours, and added tree-protection inspections. Roughly 75 percent of the city remains protected residential neighborhoods and parks, with growth steered to Roswell Road, Powers Ferry, and the Perimeter Center station areas. Residential rezonings still move: a 21-home rezoning cleared the Planning Commission in April 2026 and the Council approved 26 homes across three subdivisions in May 2026.
Opposing a petition and appealing a decision
Neighbors can speak at the Planning Commission and Council hearings and, for eateries in office districts, at the mandatory community meeting. Effective opposition is specific: Character Area conflicts, traffic data, tree canopy impacts, and notice defects under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-4. To sue, a neighbor must show special damage beyond that of similarly situated owners.
Under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1 any challenge must be filed within 30 days of the written decision in Fulton County Superior Court. Constitutional challenges to a legislative rezoning are heard de novo under a clear-and-convincing standard; conditional use permits, variances, and administrative appeals are reviewed on the record by petition for review under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1.
Land use counsel a short drive up GA-400
Miles Hansford is based at 1725 Windward Concourse in Alpharetta, a short drive up GA-400 from City Springs. Partner David Davidson leads the firm's Land Use & Zoning practice, and the firm's land use and zoning practice covers rezonings, use permits, variances, and appeals across North Fulton and the surrounding counties.
Sandy Springs says no to most change and yes to change in the right place. We help clients find the right place, or make the case for it, before filing.
How a Sandy Springs zoning matter proceeds
Four stages.
Feasibility
Character Area, Allowed Use Table, and whether a plan amendment is needed, before you contract.
Petition filing
One or two petitions through the OpenGov portal, with exhibits and outreach plan.
Hearings
Community meeting where required, Planning Commission, and Mayor and Council, or the Board of Appeals for variances.
Conditions or appeal
Negotiated conditions, or a petition or declaratory action within 30 days.
Sandy Springs zoning and rezoning questions
Who decides rezonings in Sandy Springs?
The Mayor and City Council make the final decision on Zoning Map Amendments and Character Area Map amendments after a public hearing. The seven-member Planning Commission holds an advisory hearing first and recommends. Variances and administrative appeals go to the quasi-judicial Board of Appeals instead.
What is a Character Area Map amendment and when do I need one?
Sandy Springs' comprehensive plan divides the city into Character Areas. If the zoning you are requesting is not allowed in your parcel's Character Area, the city requires a Comprehensive Plan Character Area Map Amendment before the rezoning, which means two petitions and two sets of hearings.
What changed in the 2023 Development Code update?
Adopted December 5, 2023 after a 13-month review, the update kept the half-mile gas-station spacing rule, added conditions for neighborhood eateries in office districts including mandatory community meetings and limited hours, and added tree-protection inspections. It applies alongside the original code adopted August 15, 2017.
How do I file a land use petition in Sandy Springs?
Petitions are filed online through the city's OpenGov portal with the Planning & Zoning Division. Types include Zoning Map Amendments, Conditional Use Permits, Character Area Map Amendments, variances, and administrative appeals. Fees and application guides are published by the city and change, so we confirm them before filing.
Where do variances go in Sandy Springs?
General or hardship variances, stream-buffer variances, and administrative appeals go to the Board of Appeals, a quasi-judicial body. Administrative variances of up to 10 percent and noise variances follow their own tracks. Concurrent variances filed with a rezoning travel with it to the Planning Commission and Council.
Is Sandy Springs approving new residential development?
Yes, in the right places. The Planning Commission approved a 21-home rezoning in April 2026 and the Council approved 26 new homes across three subdivisions in May 2026. About 75 percent of the city is protected residential or parkland, so proposals are judged closely against the Character Area Map.
What is The Next Chapter?
The city's new comprehensive plan update, launched June 23, 2026 under a $1.14 million contract approved in March 2026. A draft is expected in early 2027 with state submission in June 2027. Until adoption, The Next Ten and its 2022 update govern.
How do I appeal a Sandy Springs zoning decision?
File in Fulton County Superior Court within 30 days of the written decision under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1. Constitutional challenges to rezonings are heard de novo under a clear-and-convincing standard; conditional use permits, variances, and administrative appeals are reviewed on the record by petition for review under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-1.
Land use and zoning in nearby North Metro jurisdictions
Sandy Springs borders Roswell, Cobb County, and Atlanta.
Planning a project or facing one in Sandy Springs?
Call 770-781-4100 or contact Miles Hansford in Alpharetta. We will check the Character Area and tell you whether you need one petition or two.
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.