Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): 2 and 6
Application of Mohammad Alawneh to rezone property from O-I (Office-Institution) zoning district to C-1 (Local Commercial) zoning district to allow salon suites, at 3040 Briarcliff Road.
Body
PETITION NO: N3-2026-0709 Z-26-1248094
PROPOSED USE: Salon suites.
LOCATION: 3040 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30329
PARCEL NO. : 18 196 04 027
INFO. CONTACT: Lucas Carter, Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of Mohammad Alawneh to rezone property from O-I (Office-Institution) zoning district to C-1 (Local Commercial) zoning district to allow salon suites.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: (June 2026) Approval with Condition(s).
PLANNING COMMISSION: (July 7, 2026) Pending.
PLANNING STAFF: (July 2026) Approval with Conditions.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The applicant requests rezoning of the subject property from O-I (Office-Institutional) to C-1 (Local Commercial) to allow a salon suite facility within Unit C of the existing multi-tenant office building at 3040 Briarcliff Road. The applicant indicates that Units A and B are currently occupied by medical tenants and will remain in their existing use. Unit C is proposed to be converted into a personal services establishment containing eight private salon suites for licensed cosmetology professionals, including hair care, braiding, makeup, eyebrow, and related beauty services. No new construction, building expansion, or change to the building footprint is proposed. The use is described as appointment-based, with staggered customer visits and hours of operation from Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The subject property is located along the Briarcliff Road/Clairmont Road corridor within a Neighborhood Center character area. The surrounding development pattern includes a mix of office, institutional, commercial, higher-density residential, and neighborhood-serving service uses. The zoning pattern in the immediate area includes O-I, MR-2, HR- 3, R-85, and C-2 districts. Given the subject property’s frontage on Briarcliff Road, its location near an established commercial and mixed-use corridor, and the continued presence of medical office tenants within the building, the proposed personal services use appears compatible with the surrounding development pattern and consistent with the intent of the Neighborhood Center character area to support neighborhood-serving goods and services. Staff reviewed the proposed use in relation to the existing O-I zoning and the broader range of uses allowed under the requested C-1 zoning. The proposed salon suite facility appears appropriate in intensity using the County’s parking standards as a measurement of intensity. All uses associated with the site require one parking space per 500 square feet for professional office, doctor/dentist office, and retail/personal service uses. Therefore, the proposed use would not substantially increase the minimum parking demand compared with the existing office/medical baseline. The applicant has also indicated that the site contains approximately 18 surface parking spaces, with additional rear parking available for employees and suite renters. Based on the proposed appointment-based operational model, the existing parking appears sufficient to accommodate the requested personal services use. C-1 zoning permits a broader range of commercial uses than the proposed salon suite operation. Because this is a shared site with existing office/medical tenants and a limited site area, unrestricted C-1 zoning could allow future uses with higher parking demand, greater traffic turnover, outdoor activity, or other impacts that may not be appropriate for the site. For this reason, Staff recommends conditions limiting the C-1 approval to the proposed personal services use and uses that are less intense to maintain compatibility with O-I office/institutional operations. Briarcliff Road is classified as a Minor Arterial, and any future land development permit may require compliance with applicable right-of-way, sidewalk, landscape strip, bicycle facility or multi-use path, pedestrian lighting, and sight distance requirements. Public Health general comments apply, including review requirements for any proposal involving food service, wastewater flow changes, or other regulated uses. Public Works comments indicate no floodplain or wetland impacts were identified, a stormwater system is present near the property, and no impact to existing roads and drainage infrastructure is expected if the rezoning is approved, subject to applicable stormwater management requirements if future development activity triggers review. MARTA coordination may also be required during design due to the property’s location along MARTA bus route 46. Based on review of Section 7.3.5 rezoning criteria, the Neighborhood Center character area, the surrounding zoning and development pattern, and the limited intensity of the proposed appointment-based personal services use, Staff recommends “Approval with the attached conditions”.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: (July 7, 2026) Pending.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: (June 2026) Approval (9-0-0) with the condition that Staff draft conditions that limit intensity and density, with an eye towards returning to the more restrictive zoning district if the current tenant is not successful.