Perry proposes change to zoning fees

PERRY, Ga. — Following a Monday evening discussion among Perry city officials regarding a potential change to zoning fees and how those changes compare to similar cities around the state, city council will vote on the topic Tuesday evening.

Holly Wharton, community planner, addressed these proposed adjustments for zoning application fees, explaining that these changes, if applied, would be a result of updates to state laws surrounding property annexations. This also requires the city to submit to the state a geographic information system shapefile of annexed properties and Perry’s boundaries.

Her department performed research on “comparable communities” — Duluth, Peachtree City, Newnan, Dunwoody and Peachtree Corners — their development standards and their respective fees surrounding zoning applications: annexation, rezoning, special exception and variance.

The current applications costs are as follows: Residential Annexation, $145 base fee plus $17 per acre; Non-Residential Annexation, $252 base fee plus $23 per acre; Residential Rezoning, $145 base fee plus $17 per acre; Non-Residential Rezoning, $252 base fee plus $23 per acre; Special Exception, $95; Owner-Occupied Single-Family Variance, $95; All Other Variance, $95; and All Other (Post-Construction) Variance, $95.

The proposed adjusted fees would cost as follows: Residential Annexation, $300 base fee plus $25 per acre; Non-Residential Annexation, $500 base fee plus $40 per acre; Residential Rezoning, $200 base fee plus $25 per acre; Non-Residential Rezoning, $400 base fee plus $40 per acre; Special Exception, $300; Owner-Occupied Single-Family Variance, $150; All Other Variance, $300; and All Other (Post-Construction) Variance, $600.

For example, a five-acre rezoning application for commercial use in the City of Perry would currently cost $367. With the proposed fee changes, that same application would cost $600.

According to the council meeting agenda package, that same application would cost $1,325 in Duluth, $750 in Peachtree City, $500 in Newnan, $750 in Dunwoody and $850 in Peachtree Corners.

The proposed change in fees will be voted on at Tuesday’s council meeting.

Ansley Fitzner, public works superintendent, spoke on some potential sidewalk repairs on Main and Carroll streets. On Main Street from Macon Road to Washington Street, this would include addressing 12-14 areas deemed “tripping hazards,” along with some concern regarding uneven slopes.

Public Works did not find any “tripping hazard” areas on Washington Street. On Carroll Street from Macon Road to Washington Street, there were 8-10 areas of concern along with some broken curbline.

According to the city council meeting agenda package, repairing the concrete on these sidewalks would require a section to be cut and removed, with new concrete to be poured after that.

Fitzner said there was some concern over a potential “patchwork pattern” that could result from replacing several spread-out sections of the sidewalks.

On top of that, she said it would be another four or five weeks before staff could schedule the project: one that would possibly take a four or five-person crew several days to complete, with the scheduling of other respective services to be affected in the process.

“I think it’s more of an aesthetic thing,” Fitzner said. “We don’t mind doing the repairs, it just may not look as refined as it would if it was an entire section replaced or if we did the brick.”

Mayor Randall Walker concurred with the possibility of continuing the brick sidewalk theme throughout Downtown Perry to connect to the other walkways in question.

“I think we would be better off just going back and replacing it with our brick to give it the same look and feel through that district,” the mayor said. “We’re expanding the brick all the way up to Evergreen [Street] now, so I would like to see a comparison of the cost [versus concrete].”

City Manager Lee Gilmour agreed on the idea of putting together a comparison of cost, but his initial thoughts were that a project like previously mentioned would be too expensive.

Gilmour recommended potentially laying brick for the portion of sidewalk in question on Main Street. He said, for now, he wanted to place priority on the safety concerns involved in the affected areas and less on the potential issue of aesthetics.

Council has already approved a bid for sidewalk improvements on the other side of Macon Road, including the installation of some pedestrian lights, and applying more brick than that could be a possibility for a later time, Gilmour advised.

“If the opportunity is there to enhance the downtown area, we’ll take a look at it, and if it’s not feasible, then we’ll make another decision,” Mayor Walker said.

Based on a mid-fiscal year review of the city financial status, administration recommended council to approve the installation of a historic information plaque at Creekwood Park in the amount of $9,000.

Since all-inclusive playground equipment is a planned feature at Pine Needle Park, city administration recommended council to approve a $7,053 change order to provide wheelchair-accessible swings. Council concurred with the change order.

The public is invited to attend city council work sessions, pre-council and council meetings. Mayor and council meet the first and third Monday and Tuesday of each month at the Perry Events Center, 1121 Macon Road.

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