Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): Commission District 05 Super District 07
Application of 3 Ladies & A Heart c/o Charika Mckenzie for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow a Personal Care Home (PCH) for up to six (6) adults in the R-100 (Residential Medium Lot-100) zoning district, at 1179 Old Coach Road.
Body
PETITION NO: N7-2026-0451 SLUP-26-1248019
PROPOSED USE: Personal care home (PCH), for up to six (6) adults.
LOCATION: 1179 Old Coach Road, Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083
PARCEL NO. : 15 222 11 109
INFO. CONTACT: Lucas Carter, Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of 3 Ladies & A Heart c/o Charika Mckenzie for a Special Land Use Permit (SLUP) to allow a Personal Care Home (PCH) for up to six (6) adults in the R-100 (Residential Medium Lot-100) zoning district.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: (April 2026) Denial.
PLANNING COMMISSION: (May 5, 2026) Pending.
PLANNING STAFF: (May 2026) Approval with Conditions.
STAFF ANALYSIS: The applicant requests approval of a Special Land Use Permit to operate a small Personal Care Home for four (4) adult residents within an existing single-family residence at 1179 Old Coach Road. No new construction is proposed and the use would operate within the existing home as a residential-style care setting. The submitted floor plan shows three existing bedrooms within the residence. The applicant states the home will operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week, with rotating staff shifts and continuous supervision. According to the revised letter of intent, residents would be primarily seniors or other adults appropriate for a non-medical residential setting. The facility would provide assistance with daily living activities such as meals, hygiene support, medication reminders, supervision, and companionship. No intensive medical or institutional care may be provided on site. It appears that the proposed use is compatible with the surrounding single-family neighborhood due to its limited scale and residential character. The request is for only four residents within an existing detached house, with no exterior expansion, no commercial signage, and no change in the residential appearance of the structure. The required off-street parking may be accommodated within the existing driveway, and the submitted site photographs show substantial paved parking and maneuvering area on site. Public Works Traffic Engineering comments state that the location was checked and that no traffic concerns were found at this time. The supplemental distance requirement appears to be satisfied. Based on GIS estimates, the nearest Personal Care Home at 1198 Sharonton Drive is approximately 1,300 feet away, which exceeds the required 1,000-foot separation. In addition, the proposal is for four residents only, which is below the six-resident threshold discussed in Public Health’s comments regarding on-site sewage limitations for larger facilities. The departmental review comments also indicate that sewer and water is adjacent to the property, stormwater changes are not currently needed, no flood hazard or wetlands were identified, and operation of the home is not expected to affect existing county roads or drainage infrastructure. The applicant’s materials also address operational compatibility. The revised letter of intent states that the operators collectively bring more than 60 years of caregiving-related experience and are completing all Georgia Department of Community Health requirements. The applicant further states that the home will include exterior security cameras, 24-hour on-site staff, emergency response procedures, monitored entry and exit, and ongoing property maintenance intended to preserve neighborhood standards. If properly licensed and monitored, it is not expected to generate adverse impacts beyond those normally associated with residential use. Staff is aware of concerns raised during the community council hearing regarding other potentially unlicensed personal care homes in the area and reports of wandering residents or similar disturbances. Those concerns are relevant background and reflect the importance of proper oversight. However, staff does not find that allegations regarding unrelated or potentially unlicensed operations elsewhere in the community should serve as a basis to deny this application, which proposes to proceed through the County’s SLUP process and to operate in compliance with state licensing and operational requirements. Denial on that basis would effectively penalize an applicant attempting to establish the use through the correct regulatory process. Community-based residential care homes, when appropriately scaled, can provide an important housing and care option while allowing residents to remain integrated within established neighborhoods. Here, the request is modest in scope, proposes no physical intensification of the site, and is supported by adequate public utilities and transportation conditions. The use therefore appears consistent with the Suburban Character Area (DeKalb County 2050 Unified Plan, Page 41) so long as it is limited in intensity and operated in a manner that preserves the residential character of the area. In summary, the applicant requests a Special Land Use Permit to operate a Personal Care Home for four adult residents within an existing single-family home in the R-100 zoning district. Based on the small scale of the request, the apparent satisfaction of the required separation distance, the adequacy of utilities and access, and the applicant’s stated commitment to licensing, supervision, and residential compatibility, Staff finds the proposed use can be accommodated at this location. Based on review of Section 7.4.6 (SLUP Criteria) and Section 4.2.41 (Personal Care Home Supplemental Regulations) staff recommends “Approval, with the attached conditions”.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: (May 5, 2026) Pending.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: (April 2026) Denial 6-4-0.