City of Austell passes Downtown Overlay District – Cobb Courier

Austell Ward 1 City Councilman Derek Caffe posted the following announcement to the Create Austell Facebook group, and we’ve republished it below with his permission: Exciting news for Downtown Austell! Yesterday, Council passed the Infill Overlay District, also known as the Downtown Overlay District (DOD), aligning our downtown zoning with the 2021 Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) Study and the 2022 Comprehensive Plan. This creates greater clarity for residents, local businesses, property owners, and developers regarding the future vision for downtown Austell. Here are some highlights of the new ordinance: • In the Central Downtown area, mixed-use buildings (retail, restaurants, and offices on the ground floor with residential units above) may now be developed up to five stories in height. • In the Downtown Transition area, buildings may be developed up to three stories. • New housing options, including ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units), cottage courts, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, live/work units and condominiums, now have a clear path forward in downtown. • Setbacks have been significantly reduced, allowing buildings to be located closer together, creating a more walkable environment and helping bring Austell back to its historic, pedestrian-friendly roots. This ordinance provides greater certainty for those who have already invested in downtown Austell, whether as residents
Read More