DEVELOPMENT REVIEW
Office of Development Review The Development Review Division of Planning and Zoning day to day responsibilities are to coordinate the Commission's entire hearing process including Design Review.  The goal of the division is to create an environment where intense technical assistance can be provided to the applicant every step of the way. Once an agenda item is filed in the zoning office, the Development Review Division "inherits" the file and from that point on, the item is processed  analyzed and scrutinized by the  division which in turn, leads to the development of a staff report. Along the way informational meetings and work sessions are coordinated (as needed) with the applicant and interested parties. The office is also responsible for coordinating all pre/post meeting notifications, legal ads and official Commission hearing minutes. The Development Review Process Under Georgia law, zoning decisions are designated as legislative decisions. In other words, when a zoning decision is made, a law is passed by the community's legislative body. Such decisions, as a result, can only be made by the legislature. In the Commission's case, a local amendment to the Georgia State Constitution allowed the city and county to delegate this legislative power as it related to zoning; consequently, only the Commission can decide on matters that are designated by state law as a zoning decision. This power can not be given to the staff.