Public Hearing: YES ☒ NO ☐ Department: Planning & Sustainability
SUBJECT:
Title
COMMISSION DISTRICT(S): 3 and 6
Application of Director of Planning & Sustainability to rezone property from Tier 4a of the Bouldercrest Overlay District within the Soapstone Historic District with an underlying M (Industrial) zoning district to Tier 5 of the Bouldercrest Overlay District within the Soapstone Historic District with an underlying R-100 (Residential Medium Lot-100) zoning district, at 1734 Henrico Road.
Body
PETITION NO: N10-2026-0827 Z-26-1248111
PROPOSED USE: Tier 5 of the Bouldercrest Overlay District.
LOCATION: 1734 Henrico Road, Conley, Georgia 30288
PARCEL NO. : 15 045 02 186
INFO. CONTACT: John Reid, Sr. Planner
PHONE NUMBER: 404-371-2155
PURPOSE:
Application of Director of Planning & Sustainability to rezone property from Tier 4a of the Bouldercrest Overlay District within the Soapstone Historic District with an underlying M (Industrial) zoning district to Tier 5 of the Bouldercrest Overlay District within the Soapstone Historic District with an underlying R-100 (Residential Medium Lot-100) zoning district.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommended Action
COMMUNITY COUNCIL: (June 2026) Full-Cycle Deferral.
PLANNING COMMISSION: (July 7, 2026) Pending.
PLANNING STAFF: (July 2026) Approval.
STAFF ANALYSIS: This is a request initiated by the DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability Department to rezone 1734 Henrico from Light Industrial Tier 4a of the Bouldercrest Overlay District (BOD) with an underlying zoning of M (Light Industrial) district to Tier 5 single-family of the BOD with an underlying R-100 (Residential Medium Lot-100) zoning district to allow for future single-family detached residential development. There is also a companion land use amendment to change the property from Light Industrial (LIND) Character Area to Suburban (SUB) Character area (see companion case LP-26-1248113). The property is currently being used as a truck parking lot and a single-family home, which are prohibited uses in Tier 4a of the BOD. In addition to the proposed rezoning at 1734 Henrico, there is also a County-initiated proposed rezoning from Tier4a Light Industrial to Tier 5 single-family for the property at 1670 Henrico Road approximately 400 feet west which currently contains an illegal truck parking operation. In between the County-initiated rezone requests there is a request to rezone 1680, 1690, and 1700 Henrico Road from industrial to single-family residential that is being requested by those property owners to allow 33 single-family lots. Staff only supports approval if ALL the industrial properties, including the three proposed by the applicant at 1680, 1690, & 1700 Henrico Road and the two proposed by the Planning Director (1670 &1734 Henrico Road) are rezoned to Tier 5 single-family residential. Such rezonings would allow the opportunity for all properties north of Henrico Road, east of I-675 and west of the Georgia Power easement to be developed as single-family residential, thereby eliminating any land use impacts between industrial and single-family. The BOD was adopted by the Board of Commissioners on March 22, 2013. The two primary industrial tiers include Tier 4 and Tier 4a. Tier 4A of the BOD is the industrial area along the east side of I-675 and west of the existing Georgia Power Overhead Utility Easement located south of I-285 and north of Cedar Grove Road. Because Tier 4A is only separated from residential neighborhoods by the utility easement, uses and standards are more stringent in this tier. Tier 4a is adjacent to Tier 5 which is a single-family residential tier to the east and, at this location, is currently developed with a single-family residential subdivision (Westside Place and Bouldercrest Phase 2). The remainder of Tier 4a appears to be developed with industrial uses including truck parking. There are many competing goals emanating from the 2050 Comprehensive Plan and the Bouldercrest Overlay District that should be considered in the staff recommendation for this project. Given these goals and the subject property’s’ proximity to existing single-family neighborhoods and frontage along two interstates and a truck route, it appears that either industrial or single-family residential may be appropriate on these properties. Some additional considerations regarding the application are as follows: Goals or determinations in support of this project: The proposed single-family project is consistent with the 2050 Comprehensive Plan’s goal of encouraging “new and diverse housing types to help the county meet market demand and support continued growth” (Page 14, 2050 Comprehensive Plan Housing Opportunities). The single-family residential subdivisions built circa 2005/2006 to the east (Westside Place and Bouldercrest Phase 2) appear to be a stable neighborhood, in good condition since the adoption of the BOD in 2013. New construction of single-family homes is consistent with the purposes and intent of the BOD to “improve the visual appearance and increase property values in the BOD community” (Sec 3.39.1.A.6, Statement of Purpose and Intent, Bouldercrest Overlay District). The proposed new residential development is consistent with the purpose and intent of the BOD to “enhance the long term viability of the district by encouraging new commercia, industrial, and residential developments that increase the tax base and provide employment opportunities for the citizens of DeKalb County”. (Page Sec 3.39.1.A.7, State of Purpose and Intent, Bouldercrest Overlay District). No industrial development has occurred on the subject properties since the BOD was originally established in 2013 calling into question the viability of industrial uses at this location. Since the subject properties fall at the northern edge of Tier 4a and most of the remaining Tier 4a areas to the south are developed with industrial uses/truck parking uses, it does not appear that changing to a residential Tier 5 will adversely impact the viability of the remaining Tier 4a or the BOD. Goals or determinations in opposition to this project: Typically, properties located along a truck route (Henrico Road) with frontage along two interstates (I-675 and I-285) are more suited for commercial or industrial uses. However, the subject properties do not have direct access to these interstates. There is already a strong zoning boundary line of demarcation between Tier 4a Industrial and Tier 5 Residential that extends to the south, almost to Cedar Grove Road. LIND Character areas encourage “locating industrial centers in areas with good access to interstates and truck routes, and to direct industrial development to existing industrial districts, especially sites with limited negative environmental impacts” (Page 51, LIND Character Area Goals). 1. The encroachment of residential into industrial zoned lands could set a precedent for similar future encroachments, however it appears that most of the Tier 4a lands have already been developed so this risk may be overstated. 2. The LIND Character area calls for “conducting small area plans and freight cluster studies to better define industrial areas and address transitions and traffic impacts” (Page 51, LIND Character Area Goals, 2050 Comprehensive Plan). A Small Area Plan (SAP) is currently underway which includes the subject properties, but that SAP is not anticipated to be adopted until late 2026. 3. The properties fronting Henrico Road abutting the east and west side of one of the subject properties (1680 Henrico Road) currently contain truck parking. If approved, residents of the new single-family project will be accessing a heavy truck route and may encounter potential visual, traffic, and noise impacts from adjacent industrial uses. However, the exiting neighborhood would have similar or more intense impacts in the future if these parcels were developed as currently entitled. Notwithstanding the competing issues and goals, an over-arching goal of the 2050 Comprehensive Plan is to provide new and affordable housing in the county. However, if the subject property were to remain under Tier 4a industrial zoning, the adjacent three properties (1680, 1690, 1700 Henrico) proposed for single-family Tier 5 zoning could be adversely impacted from future industrial development on this property. In order for single-family residential to be supported in this Tier 4a area on the north side of Henrico Road, Staff recommends that the Board of Commissioners approve rezoning all the Tier 4a industrial zoned properties (which include the County-initiated rezoning for both truck parking lots at 1670 and 1734 Henrico Road as wells as the three adjacent properties (1680, 1690, and 1700 Henrico Road) proposed for rezoning to single-family by those property owners. Rezoning all industrial properties in this area would eliminate any potential land use conflicts between residential and industrial uses and would also allow the opportunity for the existing non-conforming truck lots to one day convert to single-family residential which would further minimize land use conflicts between industrial and residential uses. Therefore, based on review of Section 7.3.1 (initiations of proposals for text and map amendments), Section 7.3.5(a)(conformity with policy and intent of comprehensive plan), and Section 7.3.5(b)(suitability with adjacent and nearby properties) of the Zoning Ordinance, it is the recommendation of the Planning Director that the rezone application be “Approved“.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTE: (July 7, 2026) Pending.
COMMUNITY COUNCIL VOTE/RECOMMENDATION: (June 2026) Full-Cycle Deferral (7-0-0) to allow time for a Small Area Plan (SAP) to be adopted so that the proposal can be reviewed against the SAP goals and recommendations.