DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Zoning Meeting - August 13, 2026
DeKalb County Board of Commissioners Zoning Meeting - August 13, 2026
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners held a zoning meeting on Thursday, August 13, 2026, beginning at 5:30 PM at 178 Sams Street, Decatur, GA. Presiding Officer Commissioner Chakira Johnson (District 4) led the meeting, which addressed 18 items including deferred cases, new cases, and text amendments. The meeting featured public testimony on controversial proposals for a data center, a package store, and residential rezoning, with multiple votes and deferrals.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Package Store (N1 - 5395 Covington Hwy): Applicant Manny Singh presented 7,000+ online signatures and argued for adaptive reuse of a former Walgreens. Opponents including Phyllis Frierson (Greater Hidden Hills CDC), Charles Pigler, Pastor of Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church, Rod Friars (Hidden Hill Civic Association), and Joel Edwards cited 22 liquor stores within five miles, negative impacts on property values, and proximity to a daycare and church. Resident Samson Barrell noted 118 liquor stores in Districts 3, 4, and 5 vs. 42 in Districts 1 and 2.
- Data Center (D1 - Loveless Place/Pineview Trail): Residents Pat Cole (Cedar Grove Neighborhood Association), Gina Mangum, and others opposed the 1-million-square-foot data center, citing incompatibility with residential character, property value impacts (10-20% reduction), and environmental concerns. Speakers requested denial and an outright ban on data centers.
- Greater Hidden Hills Overlay (N11): Phyllis Frierson and Rod Friars spoke in favor, thanking staff for collaborative work and supporting updated mixed-use standards.
- Henrico Road Rezonings (D4/D5, N7-N10): Larry Kaiser (Metro South CID) opposed residential rezoning, arguing loss of industrial land and illegal truck parking issues. Margaret Mohammed (owner of 1734 Henrico Rd.) requested retention of M-1 zoning under Article 8 grandfather protections, stating 30 years of residence and reliance on county licenses.
- Salon Suites (N3 - 3040 Briarcliff Rd.): Kim Fason (Riviera Terrace) requested deferral to formalize parking agreements, citing past issues with overflow parking from neighboring businesses.
- Personal Care Home (N5 - 4293 Hambrick Way): Wanda Maningo voiced a parking obstruction concern.
- Daycare (N6 - 6706 Princeton Park Trl): Applicant Chiquita Stokes argued the 1,000-foot buffer rule was measured as the crow flies but actual driving distance exceeded 1,000 feet, with no traffic impact.
Discussion Items
- Package Store (N1): Staff recommended denial due to proximity (600 feet) to Amazing Kingdom Christian Academy (educational facility) and Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church, plus SLUP-6 use clustering. Applicant emphasized survey showing distances over 200 yards and offered security enhancements. Commissioner Davis Johnson motioned to deny, highlighting applicant's refusal to withdraw. Vote: 7-0 in favor of denial.
- Data Center (D1 - PCC-DeKalb): Staff recommended denial for the 1-million-square-foot data center in Tier 5 of Bouldercrest Overlay, citing incompatibility with suburban character and comprehensive plan. Applicant requested a 60-day deferral to evaluate evolving data center ordinances. Strong public opposition led to motion to deny (Commissioner Terry, seconded) on grounds of failing SLUP criteria. Vote: unanimous denial.
- Greater Hidden Hills Overlay Update (N11): Staff (Trisha Prevost) presented amendments raising density to 40 DU/acre at key nodes, lowering mixed-use requirement to 20% commercial, adding cottage homes, and adjusting floor area ratios with bonuses for desired uses (restaurants, grocery, medical office). Community support led to approval. Commissioners commended community proactivity.
- Urbanvue Apartments (D2 - 3003 Chamblee-Tucker Rd.): Staff recommended denial, arguing site plan lacked connectivity to future Peachtree Creek Greenway and mixed-use vision. Applicant (Michelle Battle) defended 41 townhomes with 30-foot buffer and 20% rental cap, citing site constraints and community council support. Deferred 30 days to September 24, 2026 (decision only) after Commissioner Patrick raised parking, trash, and trail connection questions.
- Tikay Investments (D3 - Gresham Rd.): Deferred to September 24, 2026 public hearing per staff request for minor site plan changes.
- Eisenhower Services (D4/D5 - Henrico Rd.): Staff recommended approval with condition of 33 single-family lots, citing 12-year absence of industrial use and housing goals. Commissioner Terry moved to defer two cycles to November 19, 2026 for small area plan coordination with CID and neighboring parcels. Motion carried after debate; companion D5 deferred similarly.
- County-Initiated Rezonings (N7-N10 - Henrico Rd. 1670 & 1734): Staff recommended withdrawal or approval. A motion to approve initially failed for lack of second, but later passed on motion by Commissioner Massiah (seconded by Bolton) after debate about community desire for clear residential-industrial delineation. Approved.
- Jamila Brown (N2 - McAfee Rd.): Rezoning to C-1 for office/storage approved with conditions, supported by community council and planning commission.
- Mohammad Alawneh (N3 - Briarcliff Rd.): Staff recommended approval with conditions restricting 76 C-1 uses to keep intensity low. Neighbor requested deferral to finalize parking agreement. Deferred 30 days to September 15, 2026 business meeting (decision only).
- Claudette Pile (N5 - Hambrick Way): Personal care home renewal approved with conditions. Applicant addressed parking concern by promising better visitor coordination.
- Rooted in Christ Academy (N6 - Princeton Park Trl): Staff recommended denial due to <1,000-foot separation from another daycare (state-licensed, not county-registered). Deferred two weeks to August 25, 2026 (decision only) to explore alternatives.
- Text Amendments (D6/D7): Residential entertainment and chronic nuisance ordinances deferred two cycles for definition and mapping refinement.
Key Outcomes
- Denial: Package store (N1) at 5395 Covington Hwy (7-0 vote).
- Denial: Data center SLUP (D1) for PCC-DeKalb (unanimous).
- Approval: Greater Hidden Hills Overlay text amendment (N11) – unanimous.
- Approval with conditions: Jamila Brown rezoning (N2) – unanimous.
- Approval with conditions: Claudette Pile personal care home renewal (N5) – unanimous.
- Approval: County-initiated Henrico Road rezonings (N7-N10) – approved after initial failure.
- Deferred to September 24, 2026: Urbanvue Apartments (D2) – decision only.
- Deferred to September 24, 2026: Tikay Investments (D3) – public hearing.
- Deferred to November 19, 2026: Eisenhower Services (D4/D5) – two full cycles, public hearing.
- Deferred to September 15, 2026: Mohammad Alawneh salon suites (N3) – decision only.
- Deferred to August 25, 2026: Rooted in Christ Academy daycare (N6) – decision only.
- Deferred two cycles: Text amendments D6/D7 – to November 19, 2026.
- Withdrawal without prejudice: Love Bugs Learning Home daycare (N4).
- Motion to reconsider D4/D5 failed – no commissioner on the prevailing side moved.
Meeting Transcript
We can protect. Thank you. All right. Thank you. We also mentioned, as CEO mentioned, part of our remote um work policy also does have sustainability components to us as well. I'm here in DeCab County. We do have a new chief of sustainability, and I'd love to welcome her if she'd like to give a few um statements before we go into QA. Good morning. My name is Lisa Milagro. I'm the first chief sustainability officer for DeCab County. Thank you, Madam CEO, for recognizing that resiliency and sustainability for county is of critical importance. As we work to develop our 2040 master plan, our goal is to reduce the food desert community within the county so that food access is more available to the constituency. Additionally, we will be expanding our EV fleet transition. We will be reducing our impact on not only uh global warming, but on the great state of Georgia as we continue to look at addressing abrupt stressors and acute um acute issues that impact our community as a whole. At the end of the day, sustainability and resiliency is really just a matter of operational efficiency. It's a matter of operating in a way that reduces our costs and improves our environment for the community. So that said, we are anxious to roll out our 2040 master plan, and we look forward to not only creating a resilient DeCab, but in creating an environment for us to work together for a healthier DeCab as well. Have a good day. All right, thank you all. Um and now we will open up for questions. Um if you have a question, I would ask that you state your name and media outlet. Um also if you're directing your question to a specific person, um, please let us know who that question is for. We also have a mic being passed because we are live broadcasting. So uh once we acknowledge you, uh Mike will come over to you as well. Do we have any questions? Always a great sign that we were super thorough. Love it. Uh one more opportunity, any questions? You want to close out? I would just like to say that I am encouraging uh other corporate entities, governmental entities, and employers across the state of Georgia who have the ability to allow individuals to work remotely uh during this time to seriously consider remote work and diminishing our carbon footprint and emissions. Uh what we're seeing here, and uh I know that um director Avery, Dr. Avery did not speak to it specifically, but from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. we are generally experiencing 80 degree or higher heat. We may not understand the huge impact that emissions has on global warming, but during this time, it is really important that we begin to lean in to reduce that carbon footprint and keep people off the roads. Uh it is, you know, for for many individuals. Uh we're very concerned, and this is a very serious matter. So I want to thank you all for coming out today to have the conversation, and uh hopefully it will um encourage others at this point to lean in and create a secondary plan uh as we continue to experience throughout this summer, there are predictions of unprecedented and record-setting heat waves. So thank you all so much. Uh to be here today with the Queen family as we celebrate the naming of this street, the one that I pass through every day. The day is very significant. Number one, it's my beloved late husband's heavenly birthday. And the gift that he's getting today is so befitting because we are renaming this street that our business on after that wonderful moment. Faithful to his work, devoted to his family, and committed to this community. Well, it's all about legacy, right? There was a saying that says it's not what you take when you what when you leave, but it's what you leave behind. And that's Arthur Queen. He left a legacy. It's what you can do after. Y'all have it.
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