HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 6971 AMENDMENT ZONING 36-66
ORDINANCE
6971
An Ordinance to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance adopted by
the Augusta-Richmond County Commission effective September 16, 1997
by amending Section 35 (Amendments to the Ordinance) of the
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. The purpose of the Amendment is to
bring the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance into conformity with the
Georgia Zoning Procedures Law (O.C.G.A. 36-66) and other Laws
THE AUGUSTA COMMISSION HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION I. That the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance is amended by deleting the
current language in Section 35 (Amendments to the Ordinance) in its entirety:
35-1 Review of proposed Amendments: This Ordinance, including the map or maps, may be
amended from time to time, but no amendment shall become effective unless it shall have
been proposed by, or first submitted to the Planning Commission for review and
recommendation.
35-2 Procedure for Public Hearing:
(a) The Planning Commission shall conduct, on behalf of the Augusta Commission,
all public hearings on proposed amendments to this Ordinance and maps.
(b) At least 15 but not more than 45 days prior to the date of the hearing, the Planning
Commission shall cause to be published within a newspaper of general circulation
within the territorial boundaries of the local government a notice of the hearing.
The notice shall state the time, place, and purpose of the hearing. If a zoning
decision of a local government is for the rezoning of property and the rezoning is
initiated by a party other than the local government then:
(1) The notice shall include the location of the property, the present zoning
classification of the property, and the proposed zoning classification of the
property; and
(2) A sign indicating the present zoning classification and the proposed
zoning classification shall be placed in a conspicuous location on the
property not less than 15 days prior to the date of the hearing.
( c) The recommendations of the Planning Commission shall be submitted to the
Augusta Commission within thirty (30) days. Ifthe Planning Commission fails to
submit a report within the thirty-day period, it shall have deemed to approve the
proposed amendment.
35-3 Application for Amendment: Each application to amend this Ordinance, including the
map or maps, shall be filed with the Planning Commission and shall be in compliance
with the following:
(a) A conference with the Staff of the Planning Commission shall be held prior to
submission ofthe application.
(b) A statement from the owner of the property submitting the petition, or a statement
from the owner of the property designating his representative in the petition, shall
be furnished with the petition on a form supplied by the Planning Commission.
(c) A properly prepared plat of the property showing distances and bearings of the
boundaries and a tie to a known point shall be included with the petition. At the
discretion ofthe staff, a tax map may be substituted for the plat.
(d) A letter from the owner or his authorized representative requesting the
amendment, including a statement regarding the proposed use, address and
telephone number for correspondence, and any other information required
elsewhere in this Ordinance, shall be included with the petition.
( e) A fee which has been calculated by the Planning Commission as representative of
the cost of processing and advertisement of the proposed amendment shall be paid
at the time of application.
35-4 Staff Evaluation:. The Staff, upon receipt of an application for an amendment to this
Ordinance shall:
(a) Consult with other departments of the Augusta Commission to fully evaluate the
impact of any zoning change upon public facilities and services including, but not
limited to, schools, drainage, traffic, and related facilities;
(b) Conduct a site review of the property and the surrounding area;
(c) Study each application with reference to its appropriateness and effect on existing
land use and its compliance with the provisions of this Ordinance.
(d) Report its findings and recommendation to the Planning Commission, which
report shall be a matter of public record;
(e) The Planning Commission Staffs report may recommend conditions to the
applicant's request which would reduce the land area for which the application is
made and/or recommend conditions of rezoning which may be deemed advisable
so that the purpose of this Ordinance will be served.
35-5 Planning Commission Action: The Planning Commission shall review and make a
recommendation of approval, denial, deferral, withdrawal without prejudice, or no
recommendation, on each application for which a public hearing is held in accordance
with the Official Code of Georgia and the Ordinance of the Augusta Commission,
enacted. Staff recommendations on applications shall be submitted to the Planning
Commission prior to the public hearing. A report of the Planning Commission's
decision shall be submitted to the Governing Body. The action of the Planning
Commission may recommend a reduction of the land area for which the request is made
and/or recommend conditions of rezoning which may be deemed advisable so that the
purpose of this Ordinance will be served.
Zoning proposals (including map changes by rezoning or special exception) involving
land located within 3,000 feet of the Fort Gordon Military Installation boundary shall be
evaluated Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 36-66.6. The Planning Commission, in conducting this
evaluation shall request from the Fort Gordon Commander a written recommendation and
supporting facts, and if provided, such information shall be considered and made part of
35-6 Governing Body Action: The Augusta Commission shall, at a regular meeting, approve,
deny, or defer action on an application for rezoning or another action provided for in the
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance. The action of the Augusta Commission may
recommend a reduction of the land area of which the application is made and/or
recommend conditions of rezoning which may be deemed advisable, so that the purpose
of this Ordinance will be served. Conditional zoning may require that a zoning
classification once granted shall revert to the former zoning classification under certain
specific circumstances, such as the cessation ofthe proposed use. When staff determines
that reversion is warranted a certified letter shall be sent to the owner of record notifying
of the pending reversion and affording a 30 day period to register an objection. If no
objection is registered then no further action by the Governing Body shall be required,
the reversion shall occur automatically, and the zoning map shall be changed accordingly.
If an objection is raised then the matter shall be placed on the next regular meeting
agenda for the Augusta Commission and the owner shall show cause as to why the
reversion should not take place. The Governing Body may then act to implement the
reversion, terminate the reversion, or return the matter to the staff for further evaluation.
When conditions are added to approval of an application, the Augusta Commission shall
require that a Zoning Restriction Agreement be recorded with the Clerk of the Superior
Court of Richmond County, Georgia. The cost of recording such agreement shall be
borne by the applicant.
35-7 Reversionary Clause: The Planning Commission Staff may submit information to the
Augusta Commission having jurisdiction relative to property which has been rezoned for
a period of eighteen (18) months from the date of approval, and for which no site plan or
subdivision development plan approval or building permit has been obtained. The
Augusta Commission may then review such information and, if considered appropriate,
initiate reversionary zoning procedures. Such reversionary actions shall proceed in
accordance with the amendment provisions ofthis Ordinance.
35-8 If the zoning decision of a local government is for the rezoning of property and the
amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to accomplish the rezoning is defeated by the local
government, then the same property may not again be considered for rezoning until the
expiration of at least six months immediately following the defeat of the rezoning by the
local government.
A zoning application for the rezoning of the same property to the same classification as
the defeated amendment, may not again be considered until the expiration of at least one
(1) year immediately following the defeat ofthe original application by the Commission.
35-9 Land Adjacent to Fort Gordon
(1) The notice shall include the location of the property, the present
zoning classification of the property, and the proposed zoned
classification ofthe property; and
the public record. The Planning Commission shall investigate and make a
recommendation regarding the following:
(1) Whether the zoning proposal will permit a use that is suitable in view ofthe use
of adjacent or nearby property within 3,000 feet of a military base, military base,
military installation, or military airport;
(2) Whether the zoning proposal will adversely affect the existing use or usability of
nearby property within 3,000 feet of a military base, military installation, or
military airport;
(3) Whether the property to be affected by the zoning proposal has a reasonable
economic use as currently zoned;
(4) Whether the zoning proposal will result in a use which will or could cause a
safety concern with respect to excessive or burdensome use of existing streets,
transportation facilities, utilities, or schools due to the use of nearby property as a
military base, military installation, or military airport;
(5) Ifthe local government has an adopted land use plan, whether the zoning proposal
is in conformity with the policy and intent ofthe land use plan; and
(6) Whether there are other existing or changing conditions affecting the use of the
nearby property as a military base, military installation, or military airport which
give supporting grounds for either approval or disapproval ofthe zoning proposal.
SECTION II. That the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance is amended by adding a new
Section 35 (Amendments to the Ordinance):
35-1 Review of Proposed Amendments: This Ordinance, including the map or maps,
may be amended from time to time, but no amendment shall become effective
unless it shall have been proposed by, or first submitted to the Planning
Commission for review and recommendation.
35-2 Procedures for Public Hearing:
(a) The Planning Commission shall conduct, on behalf of the Augusta-
Commission, all public hearings on proposed amendments to this
Ordinance and maps.
(b) At least 15 but not more than 45 days prior to the date of the hearing, the
Planning Commission shall cause to be published within a newspaper of
general circulation within the territorial boundaries of the local
government a notice of the hearing. The notice shall state the time, place,
and purpose of the hearing. If a zoning decision of a local government is
for the rezoning of property and the rezoning is initiated by a party other
than the local government then:
(2) A sign indicating the present zoning classification and the
proposed zoning classification shall be placed in a conspicuous
location on the property not less than 15 days prior to the date of
the hearing.
( c) The Recommendations of the Planning Commission shall be submitted to
the governing body having jurisdiction within thirty (30) days. If the
Planning Commission fails to submit a report within the thirty-day period,
it shall have deemed to approve the proposed amendment.
35-3 Application for Amendment: Each application to amend this Ordinance,
including the map or maps, shall be filed with the Planning Commission and shall
be in compliance with the following:
(a) A conference with the Staff of the Planning Commission shall be held
prior to submission of the application.
(b) A statement from the owner of the property submitting the petition, or a
statement from the owner of the property designating his representative in
the petition, shall be furnished with the petition on a form supplied by the
Planning Commission.
(c) A properly prepared plat of the property showing distances and bearings
of the boundaries and a tie to a known point shall be included with the
petition. This can be waived by the Staff when the proposed rezoning
involves complete parcel(s) under the Tax Assessors PIN scheme.
(d) A letter from the owner or his authorized representative requesting the
amendment, including a statement regarding the proposed use, address and
telephone number for correspondence, and any other information required
elsewhere in this Ordinance, shall be included with the petition.
( e) A fee which has been calculated by the Planning Commission as
representative of the cost of processing an advertisement of the proposed
amendment shall be paid at the time of application.
35-4 Staff Evaluation: The Staff, upon receipt of an application for an amendment to
this Ordinance shall:
(a) Consult with other departments of the Augusta-Richmond County to fully
evaluate the impact of any zoning change upon public facilities and
services including, but not limited to, drainage, traffic and related
facilities:
(b) Conduct a site review of the property and the surrounding area.
( c) Study each application with reference to the balancing test established in
Guhl v Holcomb Bridge Road Corporation and its compliance with the
Comprehensive Plan.
(d) Report its findings and recommendation to the Planning Commission,
which report shall be a matter of public record.
(e) The Planning Commission Staffs report may recommend the applicant's
request be reduced in land area and lor recommend conditions of rezoning
which may be deemed advisable so that the purpose of this Ordinance will
be served.
.'
35-5 Planning Commission Action: The Planning Commission shall review and make
a recommendation of approval, denial, deferral, withdrawal without prejudice, or
no recommendation on each application for which a public hearing is held in
accordance with an Ordinance of the City Council of Augusta, Georgia and the
Board of Commissioners of Richmond County, enacted April 1, 1983 and
codified after consolidation of the governments as Article 8, Chapter 5 of the
Augusta Code. The staff recommendations on applications shall be submitted to
the Planning Commission prior to the public hearing. A report of the Planning
Commission's decision shall be submitted to the Augusta Commission. The
action of the Planning Commission may recommend a reduction of the land area
for which the request is made and/or recommend conditions of rezoning which
may be deemed advisable so that the purpose ofthis Ordinance will be served.
35-6 Governing Body Action: The Augusta Commission shall, at a regular meeting,
approve, deny or defer action on such application. The action of the Augusta
Commission may recommend a reduction of the land area for which the
application is made and/or recommend conditions of rezoning which may be
deemed advisable so that the purpose of this Ordinance will be served. When
such conditions are added to approval of an application, the Augusta Commission
shall require that a Zoning Restriction Agreement be recorded with the Clerk of
the Superior Court of Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia. The cost of recording
such agreement shall be borne by the applicant.
35-7 Reversionary Clause: The Planning Commission may submit information to the
Augusta Commission having jurisdiction relative to property which has been
rezoned for a period of eighteen (18) months from the date of approval, and for
which no site plan or subdivision development plan approval or building permit
has been obtained. The Augusta Commission may then review such information
and, if considered appropriate, initiate reversionary zoning procedures. Such
reversionary actions shall proceed in accordance with the amendment provisions
of this Ordinance.
35-8 If the zoning decision of a local government is for the rezoning of property and
the amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to accomplish the rezoning is defeated
by the local government, then the same property may not again be considered for
rezoning until the expiration of at least six (6) months immediately following the
defeat of the rezoning by the local government. A zoning application for the
rezoning of the same property to the same classification as the defeated
amendment, may not again be considered until the expiration of at least one (1)
year immediately following the defeat of the original application by the local
government.
(a) Posting notice on the affected premises in the manner prescribed by
subsection (b) of this Code section; and
(b) Publishing in a newspaper of general circulation within the territorial
boundaries of the local government a notice of the hearing at least 15 days
and not more than 45 days prior to the date ofthe hearing.
.'
35-9 Land Adjacent to Fort Gordon Military Installation: Zoning proposals (including
changes of zoning and special exceptions) involving land locating with 3,000 feet
of the Fort Gordon Military Installation boundary shall be evaluated Pursuant to
O.c.G.A. 36-66.6. The Planning Commission, in conducting this evaluation shall
request from the Fort Gordon Commander a written recommendation and
supporting facts, and if provided, such information shall be considered and made
part of the public record. The Planning Commission shall investigate and make a
recommendation regarding the following:
(a) Whether the zoning proposal will permit a use that is suitable in view of the
use of adjacent or nearby property within 3,000 feet of a military base,
military installation, or military airport;
(b) Whether the zoning proposal will adversely affect the existing use or usability
of nearby property within 3,000 feet of a military base, military installation,
or military airport;
(c) Whether the property to be affected by the zoning proposal has a reasonable
economic use as currently zoned;
(d) Whether the zoning proposal will result in a use which will or could cause a
safety concern with respect to excessive or burdensome use of existing street,
transportation facilities, utilities, or schools due to the use of nearby property
as a military base, military installation, or military airport;
( e) Whether the zoning proposal is in conformity with the policy and intent of the
land use plan; and
(f) Whether there are other existing or changing conditions affecting the use of
the nearby property as a military base, military installation, or military airport
which give supporting grounds for either approval or disapproval of the
zoning proposal.
35-10 Halfway Houses and Drug Rehabilitation Centers: When a proposed zoning
decision relates to or will allow the location or relocation of a halfway house,
drug rehabilitation center, or other facility for treatment of drug dependency, a
public hearing shall be held on the proposed action. Such public hearing shall be
held at least six (6) months and not more than nine (9) months prior to the date of
final action on the zoning decision. The hearing required by this subsection shall
be in addition to any hearing required under subsection (a) of this Code section.
The local government shall give notice of such hearing by:
Both the posted notice and the published notice shall include a prominent
statement that the proposed zoning decision relates to or will allow the location or
. .
"
relocation of a halfway house, drug rehabilitation center, or other facility for the
treatment of drug dependency. The published notice shall be at least six (6)
column inches in size and shall not be located in the classified advertising section
of the newspaper.
35-11 Land adjacent to the Cities ofHephzibah and Blythe: When a rezoning or special
exception is initiated by a property owner or by Augusta-Richmond County
affecting property located within 1,000 feet of either Hephzibah or Blythe, notice
must be given to those local municipalities. Such notice shall be in the form of a
certified letter sent within five (5) business days of the acceptance of an
application to the appropriate municipality. The notice shall contain all relevant
data and request a determination as to whether the proposed action would
constitute an incompatible land use. If within ten (10) business days after receipt
of this notice the appropriate municipality notifies Augusta-Richmond County by
certified mail that the proposal could constitute an incompatible land use then
Augusta-Richmond County and the municipality must begin a negotiation process
described in an agreement between Augusta-Richmond County, Hephzibah, and
Blythe dated June 30, 1998 known as the "Agreement to Resolve Land Use
Classification Disputes".
35-12 Land adjacent to the Augusta Canal: The Augusta Canal is a Regionally
Important Resource (RIR) as identified by the Georgia Department of Community
Affairs pursuant to the Georgia Planning Act of 1989. As such any request for a
rezoning or special exception affecting property located within the Augusta Canal
National Heritage Area is subject to a review process initiated through the Central
Savannah River Area. (RDC).
SECTION III. All Ordinances or parts of Ordinances in conflict with this Ordinance are
hereby repealed.
Done in Open Meeting under the Common Seal thereof this J Slday of
~ ~ ,2007
APPROVED THIS I ifdaYOf~~ ,2007.
1st reading April 17. 2007 ~ ~~ _______
MAY~USTA COMMISSION
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
~
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Publish in the Augusta Chronicle May 10 ~ ':2007