Variance Decisions in Cobb County

A variance is an authorized departure from the strict requirements of a zoning ordinance. Rather than changing the underlying zoning classification (which is what rezoning does), a variance allows a property owner to deviate from specific rules - like setback distances, building height limits, lot coverage ratios, or parking requirements - while keeping the same zoning designation. ZoneWire tracks variance activity across Cobb County, GA public meetings.

ZoneWire monitors Cobb County, GA planning and council meetings, transcribes them, and flags variance activity. As of the latest update we have analyzed 16 meetings and detected 282 variance mentions.

Tracking variance in Cobb County surfaces zoning and development signals early, so developers, investors, and brokers can evaluate parcels and approvals before they reach the broader market.

Zoning in unincorporated Cobb County is administered by the Community Development Agency's Zoning Division. The Planning Commission acts as an advisory body that reviews rezoning, land use permit, and variance requests and makes recommendations, while the Board of Commissioners (BOC) is the governing authority that makes the final decision. The Planning Commission's duties are set out in the Cobb County Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 134).

The Cobb County Planning Commission holds its zoning hearings on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m., with no hearing held in January. Hearings take place in the Public Meeting Room on the second floor of the David Hankerson Building, 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta, Georgia.

The Board of Commissioners holds its zoning hearings on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m., again with no hearing in January. Like the Planning Commission hearings, these are held in the Public Meeting Room on the second floor of the David Hankerson Building, 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta, Georgia. The BOC's hearing typically follows the Planning Commission's recommendation earlier in the month.

Cobb County's zoning regulations are in Chapter 134 (Zoning) of the Official Code of Cobb County, available through the Municode Library. The code establishes and enumerates the county's zoning districts, including single-family residential districts such as R-80, R-30, R-20, R-15, and RA-6, along with commercial, office, and industrial districts. Each district's regulations appear in Article IV of Chapter 134.

The Unified Development Code is a project to consolidate Cobb County's development regulations, currently spread across Chapter 134 (Zoning), Chapter 110 (Subdivision), Chapter 66 (Historic Preservation), and Chapter 58 (Floods), into a single document. Its goals are to reduce duplication, eliminate inconsistencies, and make the rules easier to understand. The county states the UDC is not intended to rezone property or change the use of any parcel; it updates outdated regulations while keeping existing zoning designations.

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