Applications and Additional Information:
City of Dunwoody Code of Ordinances
Adopted Zoning Map
Land Use Application Schedule
Zoning Board of Appeals Application Schedule
Fee Schedule
Welcome to the Planning and Zoning page. This page is meant to provide information for all the functions of our Planning and Zoning division, as well as outline the processes for completing applications relevant to the division. Please use the links below to navigate this site and access all of our applications. If you have any questions, please contact the Planning Coordinator, Rebecca Keefer, at 678-382-6811 or the City Planner, Howard Koontz, at 678-382-6810.
The Planning and Zoning division of the Community Development Department is responsible for working with many aspects of the City, including the development community, citizens, boards, commissions and elected officials. Our division manages existing planning and zoning, long-range planning, land and building development, and permitting.
The division staffs three different boards that are integral to the planning and zoning process: the Zoning board of Appeals, the Community Council, and Planning Commission, each comprised of seven members. The Zoning Board of Appeals is responsible for hearing applications for Administrative Appeals, Special Exceptions, and all Variances. The Community Council and Planning Commission each hear applications for Rezoning, Special Land Use Permits, text amendments for the City Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 27, and the City Sign Ordinance, Chapter 20, and any other document that requires a process for Public Hearings. These cases will be heard sequentially, and they will have a third and final Public Hearing at the Mayor and Council Meeting, where a final decision is voted and made.
You may visit the Community Development Department to submit your Planning and Zoning Applications in person, via email (rebecca.keefer@dunwoodyga.gov), or mail to the address below. Please note that some applications do require a fee.
Community Development Department
41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 250
Dunwoody, GA 30346
Administrative Appeal
The City of Dunwoody Community Development Department accepts requests for Appeals of Administrative Decisions. These actions are heard at a Public Hearing by the City's Zoning Board of Appeals. The Zoning Board of Appeals meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. in the Dunwoody City Hall, located at 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346.
The duty of the Zoning Board of Appeals is to hear and decide appeals where it is alleged by the appellant that there is error in any decision made by the City of Dunwoody in the enforcement of the zoning ordinance.
A person is considered aggrieved for purposes of this subsection only if:
- Said person or said person's property was the subject of the action appealed from; or
- Said person has a substantial interest in the action appealed from that is in danger of suffering special damage or injury not common to all property owners similarly situated
The Administrative Appeals Application Requires:
Permanent Sign
Any person desiring to erect a sign in the City of Dunwoody must first obtain a sign permit, along with any other permits required for the desired structure pursuant to the zoning ordinance. If you are in the Dunwoody Village Overlay District, you may have additional restrictions. All applications will be processed and made available to the applicant within fifteen (15) business days from the date of submission in accordance with the sign ordinance; however, reviews are usually done every Friday in an effort to respond more quickly. Applications for signage in the Dunwoody Village will take longer, as they must first be reviewed by the Design Review Advisory Committee.
The Permanent Sign Application Requires:
- Completed Application
- Plat map of the property showing the proposed sign location
- Contact and occupational tax certificate number of the sign contractor responsible for installation and/or maintenance of the sign
- Permission of property owner
- Full-color, scaled rendering of the proposed signage
- Payment in full of the applicable application fees
Cash, check, MasterCard, or Visa
Additionally: - Application for ground signs shall include a separate site plan drawn to scale, including a closed boundary survey of the property, gross acreage, the proposed location of subject sign, location of all ground signs on the property, entrance driveways from public streets, street rights-of-way, public or private easements, building locations, gross area of buildings and floor area occupied by subject owner or tenants.
- Applications for signs requiring the installation of new electrical conductors and/or conduits shall secure the requisite electrical permits as required by the City Building Official.
- Applications for new ground signs shall secure the requisite building permits for footer installation and inspection as required by the City Building Official.
Residential Tree Removal
Any homeowner desiring to remove a tree from their property must apply for a Residential Tree Removal Permit. Any deciduous tree with a diameter greater than 24 inches and any coniferous tree greater than 30 inches require a letter from a Certified Arborist for approval. There is no fee for this application.
The Residential Tree Removal Application Requires:
- Completed Application
- Photo of tree
- Sketch of property showing house, tree to be removed, and position of remaining trees
- Letter from Certified Arborist (if applicable)
Rezoning
Rezoning is a Public Hearing process whereby the zoning classification of a subject property is changed from one category or condition to a different category or condition, so that an applicant may develop the property to meet certain desired uses or dimensional standards.
The Rezoning process for the City of Dunwoody involves two public hearings and two public meetings. The first occurs by the applicant's authority, and the second is the public meeting, held before a Community Council on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. at the Dunwoody City Hall, located at 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346. There, interested persons can come forward to familiarize themselves with a project and learn about the nature of a proposal.
Following the Community Council meeting, there are two Public Hearings: one before the Planning Commission and the second is before the Mayor and City Council. The Planning Commission meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Dunwoody City Hall. At that hearing, the Planning Commissioners review the applicant's submittal materials and a report generated by city staff related to the proposal. During the Public Hearing portion of the meeting, the applicant presents the proposal to the Planning Commission and answers questions posed by the Commissioners, and the public at-large is entitled to speak in support or opposition to the application.
The commissioners' deliberations are transmitted to the Mayor and City Council in the form of a non-binding recommendation to approve the application, approve it with conditions, or deny the application. Following the Planning Commission Public Hearing, the application will be heard in front of the Mayor and City Council on the fourth Monday of the same month for a final decision based on the applicant's submittal information, the report generated by city staff, and the non-binding recommendation from the Planning Commission.
Rezoning Application Requirements:
- Completed Application
- Letter of Intent with responses to Zoning Impact Analysis questions
- Survey Plat
- Signed & notarized affidavits of all owners (on application or in separate letter)
- Written legal description of the property
- Payment of the $135.00 sign advertising fee (charged per street frontage)
- Payment in full of the applicable application fees
Cash, check, MasterCard, or Visa
Special Exception
In specific instances, an applicant may be entitled to present a request for a Special Exception before the Dunwoody Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). You will need to complete and submit your Special Exception Application by the 1st Thursday of the month in order for the request to be heard at the scheduled meeting two months from the deadline. The Zoning Board of Appeals meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. in the Dunwoody City Hall, located at 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346.
You must present your request to the Board in the form of a hardship that you will experience if the strict application of the zoning regulation is enforced.
Special Exception Application Requirements:
- Completed Application
- Letter of Intent
- Survey Plat of the subject property in accordance with the attached site plan checklist.
- Signed & notarized affidavits of all owners (on application or in separate letter)
- Written legal description of the property
- Payment of the $135.00 sign advertising fee (charged per street frontage)
- Payment in full of all applicable application fees
Cash, check, MasterCard, or Visa
Special Land Use Permit
A special land use permit is a means for the City Council to give special consideration, pursuant to a clear set of standards and criteria, to types of uses which may or may not be compatible with uses and structures authorized within a particular zoning district. Special land use permits are required for uses that have operational characteristics and/or impacts that are significantly different from the zoning district's principal authorized uses and therefore require individual review pursuant to the standards and criteria set forth in the City's Zoning Ordinance.
The Special land Use Permit process for the City of Dunwoody involves two public hearings and two public meetings. The first occurs by the applicant's authority, and the second is the public meeting, held before a Community Council on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. at the Dunwoody City Hall, located at 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346. There, interested persons can come forward to familiarize themselves with a project and learn about the nature of a proposal.
Following the Community Council meeting, there are two Public Hearings: one before the Planning Commission and the second is before the Mayor and City Council. The Planning Commission meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Dunwoody City Hall. At that hearing, the Planning Commissioners review the applicant's submittal materials and a report generated by city staff related to the proposal. During the Public Hearing portion of the meeting, the applicant presents the proposal to the Planning Commission and answers questions posed by the Commissioners, and the public at-large is entitled to speak in support or opposition to the application.
The commissioners' deliberations are transmitted to the Mayor and City Council in the form of a non-binding recommendation to approve the application, approve it with conditions, or deny the application. Following the Planning Commission Public Hearing, the application will be heard in front of the Mayor and City Council on the fourth Monday of the same month for a final decision based on the applicant's submittal information, the report generated by city staff, and the non-binding recommendation from the Planning Commission.
Special Land Use Application Requirements:
- Completed Application
- Letter of Intent
- Survey Plat of the subject property prepared and sealed w/in the last 10 years by a professional engineer, landscape architect or surveyor.
- Signed & notarized affidavits of all owners (on application or in separate letter)
- Written legal description of the property.
- A written, documented analysis of the impact of the proposed special land use permit with respect to each of the criteria contained in Section 5B-13 and, where applicable to the use proposed, also the criteria contained in Section 5B-14.
- Complete and detailed site plan of the proposed use prepared, signed and sealed by an architect, landscape architect or engineer licensed in the State of Georgia, showing the following, as relevant
- Payment of the $135.00 sign advertising fee (charged per street frontage)
- Payment in full of all applicable application fees
Cash, check, MasterCard, or Visa
Temporary Sign
Except for those signs which may be erected without obtaining a permit, every person desiring to erect a temporary sign in the City of Dunwoody shall first obtain a sign permit and all other permits required for the desired structure in accordance with City ordinances. Pursuant to the City of Dunwoody Sign ordinance, a temporary sign permit is valid for two weeks and can include up to two (2) signs at no more than twenty-four (24) square feet each. Each lot is allowed to obtain six (6) temporary Sign Permits in a calendar year. No temporary sign permit will be issued within the Dunwoody Village Overlay District. There is no fee for this application.
Temporary Sign Permit Application Requirements:
- Completed Application
- Signatures of applicant and property owner
Zoning Certification Letter
Each parcel of land in the City of Dunwoody is zoned in accordance with the Dunwoody Zoning Ordinance for a specific use. Additional restrictions apply to each of these zones that are also outlined in the Ordinance. The City of Dunwoody Community Development Department will certify the zoning on a parcel of property located within the incorporated limits of Dunwoody.
Our office will provide a letter certifying zoning, conditions of zoning, if any, and the section from the Zoning Ordinance that outlines the permitted uses in the zoning district. Be advised that conditions of zoning supersede the Zoning Ordinance. Please allow up to 20 business days for processing, not including delivery time. Please be advised that the Planning & Zoning Section does not certify conformance with the standards contained in the Zoning Ordinance and/or the Development Regulations, or confirm conformance with building codes, fire codes, sewer or water ordinances.
Zoning Certification Letter Requirements:
- A letter requesting zoning certification. Please include document delivery instructions.
- Survey Plat of the subject property prepared and sealed w/in the last 10 years by a professional engineer, landscape architect or surveyor.
- All property boundaries
- All existing buildings and structures
- Total acreage/square footage of the property.
- A typed legal description of the property.
- Letter specifying requests for letter content
- Payment in full of the $30 application fee
Cash, check, MasterCard, or Visa
Zoning Variance
If for any reason you cannot meet all the standards and regulations of the Zoning Ordinance, you may be entitled to present a request for a Variance before the Dunwoody Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). A Variance is a relaxation of the strict terms of the Zoning Ordinance (such as building setbacks, number of parking spaces or other regulations) for a specific property, to permit construction or use in a manner that would otherwise be prohibited because of the particular physical surroundings, shape or topographical conditions.
You will need to complete and submit your Variance Application by the 1st Thursday of the month in order for the Variance request to be heard at the scheduled meeting two months from the deadline. The Zoning Board of Appeals meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. in the Dunwoody City Hall, located at 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346.
Zoning Variance Application Requirements:
- Completed Application
- Survey Plat of the subject property in accordance with the site plan checklist
- Signed and notarized affidavits for all owners (on application or in separate letter)
- Written legal description of the property
- Letter of Intent
- Payment of the $135.00 sign advertising fee (charged per street frontage)
- Payment in full of all applicable application fees
Cash, Check, MasterCard, or Visa Links: - Variance Application
Stream Buffer Variance
If for any reason you cannot meet all the standards and regulations of the Zoning Ordinance, you may be entitled to present a request for a Stream Buffer Variance before the Dunwoody Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). A Stream Buffer Variance is a relaxation of the strict terms of the Zoning Ordinance to prevent land disturbance in a City of Dunwoody Stream Buffer, within seventy-five (75) feet of any stream, to permit construction or use in a manner that would otherwise be prohibited because of the particular physical surroundings, shape or topographical conditions.
The Stream Buffer Variance Application requires additional information to include in the Letter of Intent from other variance cases that is outlined in Chapter 14 of the Land Development and Environmental Protection. It is advised that applicants retain the services of an environmental specialist to address and expand upon the criteria found in Chapter 14 Article 2 Section 8(c)(3), as well as elaborate on plans to implement best management practices.
You will need to complete and submit your Steam Buffer Variance Application by the 1st Thursday of the month in order for the Variance request to be heard at the scheduled meeting two months from the deadline. The Zoning Board of Appeals meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 PM. in the Dunwoody City Hall, located at 41 Perimeter Center East, Dunwoody, GA 30346.
Stream Buffer Variance Application Requirements:
- Completed Application
- Survey Plat of the subject property in accordance with the site plan checklist
- Signed and notarized affidavits for all owners (on application or in separate letter)
- Written legal description of the property
- Letter of Intent
- Payment of the $135.00 sign advertising fee (charged per street frontage)
- Payment in full of all applicable application fees
Cash, Check, MasterCard, or Visa