Johns Creek City Council Work Session - June 1, 2026

The Johns Creek City Council held a work session on June 1, 2026, at 5:03 PM. The meeting covered e-bikes in parks, landscaping policies, a multimodal transportation policy, home occupation regulations, and a naming issue for a city asset. Key decisions included direction to prohibit e-bikes in parks (except to designated parking), continued discussion on landscaping and multimodal policies, and significant revisions to a home occupation ordinance.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the Jail Intergovernmental Agreement with Forsyth County and bonding requirements ordinance update.
• Awarded the annual resurfacing and patching contract to Allied (per purchasing recommendation).

Discussion Items

E-Bikes and Electric Scooters in Parks

• Assistant City Manager Haggard presented three options: full prohibition, limited use (e.g., parking lots only), or broader allowance. Staff noted increased use causing conflicts and damage.
• Councilmembers expressed positions: Chris Coughlin supported prohibition (option one) but wanted bike racks at entrances. Larry agreed with option one but suggested designated parking areas within parks to avoid abandonment at boundaries. Brian Coughlin supported the approach but stressed enforcement concerns. Bob expressed concern about restricting access in large parks like Cauley Creek and requested future police data. John advocated for option three (broader use) but noted reckless behavior is a minority problem.
• Consensus: Council directed staff to draft an ordinance prohibiting e-bikes and electric scooters from general park use, but allowing them to be ridden directly to designated bike racks at park entrances (or parking area) and then walked. No formal vote was taken.

Landscaping / Tree Replanting Policy Options

• Director O’Connor presented three options: (1) work within existing right-of-way and install landscaping after road construction; (2) acquire additional right-of-way and install after construction; (3) acquire additional right-of-way and install during construction. Staff recommended option one, citing cost and reduced homeowner impact.
• Councilmembers expressed views: Mayor favored case-by-case flexibility with landscape design on the front end but separate construction bid. Brian Coughlin supported option one but with allowance for staff to propose expanded right-of-way when beneficial. Stacy agreed and emphasized design should be completed before construction. John urged consistency in requiring builders to submit landscape plans concurrently. Bob wanted all projects to include full cost and rendering upfront.
• Council direction: Staff to refine policy to allow case-by-case decisions, with landscape design completed during engineering phase, and separate bids for landscape work from road construction. No vote taken.

Multi-Modal Policy

• Director O’Connor presented a draft multimodal policy and scoring matrix, with a prioritized list of top ten projects (mostly sidewalk widenings). Cost estimates ranged from $165,000 to $1.2 million (e.g., Project 1: 1,599 ft, $165,000).
• Mayor proposed combining the multimodal list with the existing sidewalk prioritization list into a single matrix, weighting lack of sidewalks heavily. John agreed, noting many multimodal projects involve widening existing sidewalks. Stacy and Brian discussed concrete width (8 vs. 10 feet) and design details. Chris praised the policy as a resident demand. Bob suggested defining corridors (e.g., Medlock Bridge, State Bridge, 141) for 10-foot widths and others for 8-foot.
• Council direction: Staff to explore merging sidewalk and multimodal scoring criteria, add columns showing sidewalk completion status, and bring a revised policy back for further discussion. No vote taken.

Review of Home Occupation Regulations and Prohibited Uses

• Director Song presented a revised draft ordinance, with changes shown in blue reflecting previous council feedback. The ordinance aims to allow small-scale home businesses while preserving residential character.
• Councilmember Elwood expressed concerns that the ordinance was too broad and could be weaponized. He questioned specific restrictions on square footage (25% or 250 sq. ft.), accessory buildings, animal care, massage therapy, retail sales, and noise/dust standards.
• Council conducted straw polls on contested sections (with informal tallying):
  • Section A (square footage limit): 3 councilmembers wanted to keep the limit; no change.
  • Section B (access through principal entrance): kept as written.
  • Section C (accessory buildings): 4 voted to strike; removed.
  • Section E4 (automotive detailing): 4 voted to strike; removed from prohibited list.
  • Animal care/grooming (E): 3 supported striking; remained prohibited (failed to reach 4).
  • Massage therapy (E12): 3 supported striking; remained prohibited.
  • Section L (transporting of goods): Clarified to "commercial truck" to target large vehicles, not standard deliveries (e.g., FedEx, Amazon).
  • Section I (nuisance clause): kept.
• Staff to incorporate these changes and present a revised ordinance at the public hearing on July 13, 2026.

Decision on Status of Asset Name

• Mayor proposed referring the naming of the Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater to the ACE (Arts, Culture, and Events) committee for evaluation, possibly considering monetization or alternative naming. The mayor noted the name had never been officially adopted by council and that Burkhalter supported exploring options.
• Councilmember Larry expressed reluctance to change an established name but agreed to refer. Stacy questioned why change now. Bob preferred to keep the name. Chris suggested future naming rights sales for revenue.
• Council agreed to refer the matter to ACE for feedback and recommendation. No vote taken.

Key Outcomes

• E-bikes in parks: Staff to draft ordinance prohibiting use except for direct access to designated parking areas.
• Landscaping policy: Staff to develop a case-by-case approach with front-end design and separate construction.
• Multimodal policy: Staff to combine scoring criteria with sidewalk list; revise matrix and return for further discussion.
• Home occupation regulations: Specific changes approved (strike C and E4, clarify L); remaining prohibitions upheld; revised ordinance to be presented July 13.
• Asset naming: Referred to ACE committee for evaluation.
• Consent items: Jail IGA and resurfacing contract approved.
• Meeting adjourned at 7:02 PM.