Sandy Springs Board of Appeals Meeting: June 3, 2026

The Sandy Springs Board of Appeals met on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Studio Theatre at City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Chair Sherri Allen. Present were Vice Chair Justin Sparano, Board Members Jason Bodwell, Jeffrey Howe, Kimberly Gay, and Susan Maziar. Board Member Nathan Kongthum was absent and noted as having a conflict of interest on the main variance case. The board addressed a single variance request for a property at 6565 Williamson Drive after a separate item was postponed.

Consent Calendar

• The Board unanimously approved the June 3, 2026 meeting agenda.
• The Board unanimously approved the April 8, 2026 meeting minutes, with a correction to the spelling of "manager" in the text.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Applicant's Presentation: Janice McConnell of Georgia ADU presented on behalf of property owners Sonia and Dwayne Tolson. The request sought a variance to build a 490-square-foot, two-story accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to house their daughter, grandson, and eventually an aging parent. Ms. McConnell argued that the property's unique physical characteristics—a stream corridor, 75-foot impervious surface setback, and slopes approaching 39%—created an extreme hardship, making the proposed location the only buildable area on the site. She emphasized that the city's staff recommended approval, finding that "there is effectively no location on the property that is buildable without a variance."
• Opposition Testimony: Five neighbors spoke in opposition.
  • Neil Cohen (705 Glengate Place) stated absolute opposition, arguing the hardship was based on personal convenience, not legal hardship, and that the 24-foot tall structure would introduce light and noise pollution.
  • Susan Kiyak (6497 Cherry Tree Lane) expressed concern that the staff report lacked evidence such as a study of alternatives, stormwater analysis, or hydrology report. She argued the application misapplied code section 7.8.24, which covers less intensive structures like pool houses, not habitable ADUs.
  • Laura Spence (6497 Cherry Tree Lane) argued the stream is a common feature in the Mount Vernon Woods neighborhood, not a unique hardship. Many homes have coexisted with these natural features for decades.
  • Paul Pleasick (650 Carriage Drive) cited a lack of information on septic system evaluations, environmental impact, and mitigation measures. He asked the board to deny the request due to insufficient proof of environmental protection.
  • Sam Brit (6585 Williamson Drive, appearing virtually), the direct next-door neighbor, raised safety concerns about trees falling near the stream (one caused a power line fire in 2024). He argued that the ADU would face his garage, eliminating privacy and creating a line of sight into his living room and backyard. He reiterated that the existence of a primary dwelling on the property meant no extreme hardship existed.

Discussion Items

• Staff Presentation: LaQuita Williams, Planner II, presented staff's recommendation for approval with conditions. She detailed the required variances: encroachment into the 20-foot side street setback, 35-foot rear setback, 75-foot impervious surface setback, and exceeding the 15-foot height limit.
• Board Deliberation: The Board discussed the application, noting neighbor concerns and the lack of certain engineering studies. Chair Allen noted that the Chief Environmental Compliance Officer had not provided a comment on the stream buffer impacts. Board members asked the applicant about alternative locations, height reduction, septic and sewer connectivity challenges. The applicant stated they were amenable to reducing the height from 24 to 20 feet and adding a vegetative buffer to address neighbor privacy concerns.

Key Outcomes

• Vote on Case V-26-19 (6565 Williamson Drive): A motion was made by Vice Chair Justin Sparano to approve the variance with three conditions:
  1. The structure does not exceed 20 feet in height.
  2. The construction is substantially similar to the provided site plan.
  3. A vegetative buffer is added along the property boundary.
• The motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. Chair Sherri Allen voted in opposition. The variance is therefore approved with the specified conditions.
• Next Meeting: The Board noted there is no meeting in July 2026 due to the Independence Day holiday. The next regular meeting is scheduled for August 2026.