Loganville Releases Draft Zoning Overhaul, Invites Residents to Weigh In

Loganville, GA Proposed ordinance introduces “character districts” to guide future development, with a public review period ahead of a possible City Council vote before year’s end.

Loganville residents have an opportunity to help shape how their city grows as officials review a proposed zoning ordinance designed to provide clearer, more detailed guidance for future development.

The 337-page draft and an accompanying zoning map were presented during an Oct. 27 public meeting at Loganville City Hall.

Both documents are available at BuildBetterLoganville.com,

where residents can review the proposal during a 30-day public comment period.

The City Council is looking toward a vote on a final version before the end of the year. The proposal remains a draft, giving residents an opportunity to offer feedback before the council considers adoption.

The rewrite is being prepared by Town Planning & Urban Design Collaborative, or TPUDC, a Franklin, Tennessee-based firm that has also worked in Monroe. Loganville selected the firm from three respondents to the city’s request for proposals and approved a $272,511.75 contract for the project.

The effort began nearly a year ago and has included public input.

Councilwoman Lisa Newberry, chair of the council’s Planning & Development Committee, helped lead the push for an updated ordinance. Among her concerns was a development review process in which applicants frequently revised proposals during council and planning commission meetings to address questions raised by officials and residents.

The proposed ordinance would establish more detailed expectations for development, giving the city and applicants a clearer framework for evaluating projects.

A central feature is the introduction of “character districts,” which address the physical form and feel of development alongside its permitted uses.

The districts range from sparsely settled residential areas to higher-density centers with a mix of homes, businesses and offices. Illustrations throughout the draft show how development within those districts could look.

Examples include CD-2 Rural, intended for low-intensity single-family residential areas; CD-4 Neighborhood Center, which accommodates residential, commercial and office uses in varied building types; and CD-5 City Center, intended for higher-density mixed-use development. A separate civic designation addresses significant public buildings, such as libraries and museums.

During the Oct. 27 presentation, TPUDC founding principal Brian White explained that zoning can help distinguish a community by responding more closely to its individual character.

He also encouraged Loganville to consider developments that bring several types of places together within one project.

To illustrate that approach, White presented a conceptual design prepared by TPUDC for a Loganville property. The exercise combined apartments, townhomes and single-family homes with places to work, shop and enjoy recreation.

White described how that variety could allow residents to remain in the same community through different stages of life. A young adult might begin in an apartment, move into a townhome and later a single-family home, then return to a smaller residence after children have grown.

The example offered a picture of how housing choices and everyday destinations could fit together within a single development.

Much of the draft addresses the details that would shape those places, including building materials, heights, fencing and the placement of certain property features.

For example, proposed standards for the CD-2 Rural district prohibit flat roofs and vinyl fencing, limit front-yard fences to four feet and restrict where play equipment may be placed.

Those details make the public review period an important opportunity for residents to examine both the proposed map and the rules associated with individual districts.

Mayor Branden Whitfield expressed support for the direction of the proposal following the presentation, while acknowledging that its influence on Loganville’s appearance would unfold over time.

With much of the city already developed, changes would come as properties are redeveloped and new projects move forward under an updated ordinance. Whitfield described that as a gradual process through which the city could improve year after year.

White encouraged residents and officials to take a measured approach when considering revisions to the draft.

For Loganville residents, the immediate next step is to review the proposal and share their feedback. The ordinance and proposed zoning map are available at BuildBetterLoganville.com.