Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): Commission District 04 Super District 06
Application of Rohail Hada for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow an alcohol outlet (beer and wine sales) in the C-1 (Local Commercial) zoning district, at 4144 Memorial Drive and 341 Covington Highway.
Body
PETITION NO: N4-2025-1224 SLUP-25-1247733
PROPOSED USE: Alcohol outlet (beer and wine sales).
LOCATION: 4144 Memorial Drive, Decatur, Georgia 30032
PARCEL NO.: 15 231 05 002; 15 231 05 003
INFO. CONTACT: John Reid, Sr. Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of Rohail Hada for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow an alcohol outlet (beer and wine sales) in the C-1 (Local Commercial) zoning district.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: (Oct. 2025) Approval.
PLANNING COMMISSION: (Nov. 6, 2025) Pending.
PLANNING STAFF: Approval with Conditions.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The subject site contains an existing gas station and convenience store with accessory alcohol sales. Since the applicant desires to increase the size of the convenience store with accessory alcohol sales, a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) is required. There is also a companion SLUP case (See SLUP-25-1247732) to allow the relocation of fuel pumps associated with the proposed expanded convenience store. There will be no changes to the existing access, with one driveway off of Memorial Drive and one drive off Covington Highway. The DeKalb County Transportation Department has indicated provision for right-of-way dedication and installation of sidewalks, landscaping improvements, and streetlights (see attached inter-governmental comments). The Supplemental Regulations require that no new convenience store shall be permitted within 3,960 feet (i.e., three-fourths of a mile) of any currently existing small box retail discount store. The site is located in a Regional Center (RC) character area designated by the DeKalb 2050 Unified Plan which calls for promoting the concentration of regional serving activities that allows for a variety of uses, reduces dependency on automobile travel, and promotes walkability and increased transit usage (DeKalb 2050 Unified Plan, Regional Center Description, page 37 of 2050 Comprehensive Plan). While RC Character Areas typically discourage auto-oriented uses, this property is located at the edge of the RC Character Area with frontage/access along two major arterial roads (Memorial Drive and Covington Highway) and appears to have been operated as a convenience store/gas station for the past 30 years, which may warrant consideration for auto-oriented uses if ample pedestrian-oriented features are provided. Since the proposed plan would require a transitional buffer variance from the northeast property line (50-foot-wide buffer required, 20-foot-wide buffer provided), approval cannot be based on the site plan. However, with Staff’s recommended pedestrian-oriented conditions, it appears that the proposed project is appropriate at this RC-edge location and appears to be compatible with surrounding properties at this major intersection. Based on the submitted information, it appears there is compliance with the alcohol sales supplemental regulations. Therefore, upon review of Section 7.4.6 (SLUP criteria) .and Section 4.2.8 (Alcohol Sales Supplemental Regulations) of the Zoning Ordinance, it is the recommendation of the Planning and Sustainability Department that the SLUP request for alcohol sales accessory to a convenience store be “Approved with Staff’s recommended conditions”.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: (November 6, 2025) Pending.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: (October 2025) Approval 8-0-0.