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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Johns Creek Planning Commission Meeting – April 14, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, April 14, 2026

BodyJohns Creek, Georgia

SessionCity Council

DateTuesday, April 14, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:17:34

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

All right, good evening.

0:01

I would like to call the April 14th, 2026 meeting of the City of Johns Creek Planning Commission to order.

0:09

At this time, I'd like to ask everyone to please silence or turn off your cell phones.

0:14

The Planning Commission is a recommending body to the mayor and to the City Council, and we follow guidelines in conjunction with the public hearing to assist in formulating a recommendation.

0:26

Copies of the Planning Commission procedures and staff reports are available at the entrance to this chamber.

0:32

The presiding officer, me will carry or call cases on the agenda for public hearing.

0:38

First, the presiding officer shall recognize the planning staff to make a presentation of the case with their recommendations, and then we will open for a public hearing.

0:48

The applicant shall receive a time period of 10 minutes to present their case.

0:53

If there is any concurrent variance, each shall be granted the applicant an additional 10 minutes.

0:59

The time is kept by the planning staff.

1:02

The applicant may choose to use their entire allotment or reserve a portion of their time for any rebuttal.

1:08

Any member of the hearing body, upon recognition by the presiding officer, may ask questions of the applicant or agent of the application.

1:17

The period of questions from the planning commission is not deducted from the applicant's time frame.

1:22

The opposition, if there is any, is granted an equal time period per application to present their data, evidence, and opinions.

1:30

If a large number of people wish to speak in opposition, it is advisable to designate a spokesperson to make that presentation.

1:37

The city is not obligated to provide the full time period to opponents if they elect not to use their time, and the opposition does not granted a rebuttal period.

1:46

Any member of the hearing body upon recognition by the presiding officer may ask questions of any person giving public comment.

1:54

After completing this process, the presiding officer will indicate that the public hearing is closed.

1:59

Upon closing the public hearing, the planning commission can no longer be addressed by the applicant or by the opposition.

2:07

The planning commission may ask questions of city staff at that time, and once all questions have been asked and addressed, the presiding officer will call for a motion and are properly seconded, will call for a vote on the matter.

2:20

The presiding officer will then state the vote and recommendation for the record.

2:24

I would ask that all present act courteously and refrain from any outbursts or comments, etc.

2:30

At this time, I would like to first of all I'd like to welcome Cal Couch.

2:34

Welcome as the new member of the Planning Commission as of February 2026.

2:40

To my right is Vicky Commissioner Vicky Horton.

2:44

To my left, Commissioner Anand, Commissioner Ross, and Commissioner.

2:51

Cat cat Catson.

2:53

Sorry.

2:53

I'm looking at my list here.

2:54

Sorry about that.

2:55

I had to reorder my list.

2:57

So all right.

2:58

So at this time, I'd like to have us look.

3:01

I assume everybody was able to.

3:03

Sorry about that, Michael.

3:04

Um day.

3:06

First, I'd like to ask if anybody had had a time to review the March 3rd meeting minutes.

3:12

Um I think they were pretty straightforward.

3:15

Yeah, I think any questions?

3:16

Oh, go ahead.

3:17

Sorry.

3:18

I was going to make a motion.

3:19

Yeah, go ahead, please.

3:20

I'd like to make a motion that we accept the minutes from the last meeting as as stated.

3:25

Okay.

3:26

Any second due to seconds?

3:28

Any discussion?

3:30

Okay.

3:32

And probably Cal, Commissioner Couch, for you, you probably would just abstain since you weren't obviously here.

3:37

So can I we have a vote and it's been properly seconded.

3:40

All those in favor say aye.

3:42

One abstention.

3:43

So the vote is 5-1 if my math is correct here, right?

3:48

Okay.

3:49

All right.

3:50

The first order of business is new business.

3:52

It's a zoning ordinance text amendment A-26-002.

4:00

And welcome.

4:01

Good evening, Planning Commissioners.

4:03

My name is Rucci Agarval, and I'll be presenting you tonight's uh text amendments.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning Regulations█████████████████████████████████████████████58%

Procedural████████████16%

Home Occupation Licensing█████████11%

Public Engagement███4%

Parking Regulations██3%

Technology and Innovation██3%

Noise Ordinance██2%

Economic Development██2%

Transportation Safety█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Johns Creek Planning Commission Meeting – April 14, 2026

The Johns Creek Planning Commission met on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting included approval of previous meeting minutes, two zoning ordinance text amendments (home occupations and secondhand dealerships), election of officers, and departmental updates. No public comments were received for either text amendment.

Consent Calendar

Approval of March 3, 2026 Meeting Minutes: Approved with a vote of 5 in favor, 0 opposed, and 1 abstention (Commissioner Couch, who was not present at the prior meeting).

Public Comments & Testimony

No members of the public spoke for or against either text amendment during the public hearing portions.

Discussion Items

A-26-002 – Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment (Home Occupations): Staff presented a comprehensive update to Section 4.12 to modernize home occupation regulations, address contemporary business trends (remote work, gig economy, e-commerce), and clarify prohibited uses. Key statistics: In 2024, 157 of 398 business licenses (39%) were home‑based; in 2025, 147 of 366 (40%); and from January to March 2026, 67 of 116 (58%) were home‑based. The amendment adds explicit prohibitions (e.g., firearm dealers with exceptions, mobile food trucks, animal care, massage therapy, short‑term rentals) and clarifies space limits (25% or 750 sq ft, with storage not exceeding 150 sq ft). Commissioners discussed concerns about enforceability, the definition of “detectable” sound, and the two‑client limit. The motion to approve included two amendments: (1) add “business” at the end of Section C (accessory buildings) to clarify they cannot be used for a home occupation, and (2) add “short‑term rentals” to the list of prohibited uses in Section E, bullet 6. The motion passed unanimously (6‑0).
A-26-003 – Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment (Secondhand Dealerships): Staff proposed adding definitions for “pawnbroker,” “pawn transaction,” “secondhand dealer,” and “secondhand dealership” to Article III, and permitting secondhand dealerships in the C‑2 (Community Business) district. Currently five of six such businesses are in C‑1, which is intended for neighborhood‑serving uses; the amendment aligns zoning with the city’s licensing code and reflects the more intensive, regional nature of these businesses. Existing C‑1 operators will be grandfathered as legal nonconforming. The amendment was approved as written by a vote of 6‑0.
Election of Chair and Vice Chair: Chairman Arthur was re‑elected as Chair (motion by Commissioner Nunn, seconded). Commissioner Vicky Horton was re‑elected as Vice Chair (motion by Chairman Arthur, seconded). Both votes were unanimous (6‑0).
Departmental Updates: Staff reported no rezoning applications received for May, so the May 5 meeting is canceled. The next meeting is scheduled for June 2, 2026, where a text amendment on vertiports (landing and takeoff sites for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft) will be considered. A work session may be scheduled later in the summer.

Key Outcomes

Approved minutes from March 3, 2026 (5–0–1).
Approved A‑26‑002 (home occupation amendment) with two additions: “business” in Section C and “short‑term rentals” in Section E, bullet 6. Unanimous.
Approved A‑26‑003 (secondhand dealership amendment) as written. Unanimous.
Re‑elected Arthur as Chair and Vicky Horton as Vice Chair. Unanimous.
Canceled the May 5, 2026 meeting; next meeting June 2, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

All right, good evening. I would like to call the April 14th, 2026 meeting of the City of Johns Creek Planning Commission to order. At this time, I'd like to ask everyone to please silence or turn off your cell phones. The Planning Commission is a recommending body to the mayor and to the City Council, and we follow guidelines in conjunction with the public hearing to assist in formulating a recommendation. Copies of the Planning Commission procedures and staff reports are available at the entrance to this chamber. The presiding officer, me will carry or call cases on the agenda for public hearing. First, the presiding officer shall recognize the planning staff to make a presentation of the case with their recommendations, and then we will open for a public hearing. The applicant shall receive a time period of 10 minutes to present their case. If there is any concurrent variance, each shall be granted the applicant an additional 10 minutes. The time is kept by the planning staff. The applicant may choose to use their entire allotment or reserve a portion of their time for any rebuttal. Any member of the hearing body, upon recognition by the presiding officer, may ask questions of the applicant or agent of the application. The period of questions from the planning commission is not deducted from the applicant's time frame. The opposition, if there is any, is granted an equal time period per application to present their data, evidence, and opinions. If a large number of people wish to speak in opposition, it is advisable to designate a spokesperson to make that presentation. The city is not obligated to provide the full time period to opponents if they elect not to use their time, and the opposition does not granted a rebuttal period. Any member of the hearing body upon recognition by the presiding officer may ask questions of any person giving public comment. After completing this process, the presiding officer will indicate that the public hearing is closed. Upon closing the public hearing, the planning commission can no longer be addressed by the applicant or by the opposition. The planning commission may ask questions of city staff at that time, and once all questions have been asked and addressed, the presiding officer will call for a motion and are properly seconded, will call for a vote on the matter. The presiding officer will then state the vote and recommendation for the record. I would ask that all present act courteously and refrain from any outbursts or comments, etc. At this time, I would like to first of all I'd like to welcome Cal Couch. Welcome as the new member of the Planning Commission as of February 2026. To my right is Vicky Commissioner Vicky Horton. To my left, Commissioner Anand, Commissioner Ross, and Commissioner. Cat cat Catson. Sorry. I'm looking at my list here. Sorry about that. I had to reorder my list. So all right. So at this time, I'd like to have us look. I assume everybody was able to. Sorry about that, Michael. Um day. First, I'd like to ask if anybody had had a time to review the March 3rd meeting minutes. Um I think they were pretty straightforward. Yeah, I think any questions? Oh, go ahead. Sorry. I was going to make a motion. Yeah, go ahead, please. I'd like to make a motion that we accept the minutes from the last meeting as as stated. Okay. Any second due to seconds? Any discussion? Okay. And probably Cal, Commissioner Couch, for you, you probably would just abstain since you weren't obviously here. So can I we have a vote and it's been properly seconded.

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