Sandy Springs Planning Commission Regular Meeting – October 21, 2026

The Sandy Springs Planning Commission met on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Studio Theatre at Sandy Springs City Hall. Chair Reed Haggard presided; Commissioners Robin Conklin, Karen Trylovich, Sherwin Clemons, and Jay O'Meara were present, and Steve Leeds was absent. The commission honored outgoing Commissioner Andy Porter, approved the agenda and September 16, 2026 minutes, and considered three agenda items: the Sandy Springs Design Guidelines, Development Code text amendment TA-26-3, and a conditional use permit for St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church and School.

Call to Order, Agenda, and Minutes

• Chair Haggard offered a tribute to Andy Porter, whose seat was empty, noting more than a decade on the Planning Commission and over 23 years of volunteer service to Sandy Springs.
• The October 21, 2026 agenda was approved unanimously.
• The September 16, 2026 meeting minutes were approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comment was delivered during the meeting. For the St. Jude case, one comment card was submitted by George Jones, but the speaker was not present when called.

Design Guidelines Resolution

• Sukirti Ghosh, Principal and Urban Designer with RHI, presented the resolution to create the Sandy Springs Design Guidelines, developed over roughly two years with multiple rounds of public meetings, online surveys, stakeholder meetings, and input from city leadership and staff.
• The guidelines are intended to create a visual identity for Sandy Springs across six commercial districts: North End, City Springs, Central Perimeter, Powers Ferry, Crossroads, and Neighborhood Village. They are organized by building, private realm, and public realm elements and are described as advisory, with flexibility, incentives, and implementation through the development review process.
• Topics covered included streetscapes, street furniture, trees and planting, public art, connections and gathering spaces, building materials, massing, articulation, transparency, facade improvements, low walls, and district-specific guidance.
• A commissioner moved to approve the resolution; the motion was seconded by Commissioner Conklin and passed unanimously, recommending adoption to the Mayor and City Council.

Development Code Edits – TA-26-3

• Matthew Anspach, Senior Planner, AICP, presented text amendment 2026-0003 TA-26-3, comprising two significant edits: Section 7.5.13B for massage establishments and Section 7.5.15G for smoke shops.
• Staff stated the massage establishment edit would create a distinct use category under personal services, requiring a half-mile separation from other massage establishments and a 1,000-foot separation from schools, daycares, places of worship, and residential zoning or attached/detached housing, with hours consistent with the city code of ordinances and exemptions for certain accessory uses. Staff stated the purpose was to distinguish licensed therapeutic services from businesses that may operate without proper credentials or as fronts for unlawful activity.
• Staff stated the smoke shop edit would create specific regulations under retail, including a half-mile separation from existing smoke shops and a 1,000-foot separation from sensitive uses such as schools, daycares, public parks, places of worship, and residential districts and uses. Existing smoke shops would be legally non-conforming, and the new rules would apply to future businesses.
• The commission initially passed a single motion approving both amendments, but then voted to reconsider that approval and bifurcated the item into separate motions.
• The massage establishment amendment was approved with staff recommendations and an added request for further clarity on closing times and definitions before it goes to the Mayor and City Council.
• The smoke shop amendment was approved with the proposed language, with clarification requested on how cigar lounges will be classified and on the definition of a lounge. Commissioner Trylovich said cigar lounges are higher-end establishments that generally do not sell the products targeted by the regulations; Commissioner Clemons requested a clear definition of lounge; Commissioner O'Meara noted a possible 2% revenue or 200-square-foot accessory threshold and asked whether convenience stores could be captured.
• Staff agreed to review exemptions and definitions and provide additional options before the item proceeds to the Mayor and City Council.

St. Jude Conditional Use Permit – U-26-5

• LaQuita Williams, Planner II, presented the request for 7171 Glenridge Drive to amend conditions of U02-0010 to allow site improvements at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church and School. Staff recommended approval with conditions.
• The site is approximately 17 acres, zoned RE2 in a protected neighborhood character area, and currently houses a place of worship and a private pre-K through eighth-grade school. The applicant proposed a six-phase campus master plan, with phase one involving the already-relocated rectory and phase two including a new parish life center, church renovation, parking improvements, a columbarium garden, and stormwater work. Later phases include a preschool relocation, school administrative expansion, a two-story gymnatorium, and a new middle school after demolition of the former gymnasium. Phases one and two are planned for 2027 or 2028.
• Recommended conditions included limits of 347,684 square feet of church, school, and related uses; 700 fixed seats in the largest church assembly area; 525 students; 50 daycare children; 49% maximum lot coverage; two driveway accesses on Glenridge Drive; city engineer approval for curb cuts and turn-lane needs; a 100-foot playground setback from protected neighborhood property lines; buffering along the southern property line; and allowing certain existing nonconforming buildings to remain as permitted in the original use permit.
• Applicant Michael Boland, architect and agent representing the Archdiocese of Atlanta, answered Commissioner Conklin's questions about capacity. He said the project is not intended to increase capacity: the church has about 690 fixed seats and weekend attendance ranges from roughly 250-300 to 525; the school currently has about 460 students against a 525 cap. He described the improvements as addressing aging 1960s-era facilities and providing needed amenities such as a parish life center and a gymnatorium.
• A motion to approve the conditional use permit with staff recommendations was seconded and passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Recommended the Sandy Springs Design Guidelines resolution to the Mayor and City Council by unanimous vote.
• Approved the agenda and September 16, 2026 minutes unanimously.
• Reconsidered and bifurcated TA-26-3; approved the massage establishment and smoke shop amendments with requests for additional clarity on definitions, closing times, and cigar lounge treatment before the item goes to the Mayor and City Council.
• Approved conditional use permit U-26-5 for St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church and School with staff conditions, allowing phased site improvements.
• Announced a Next Chapter public meeting on October 29, 2026 at City Hall; noted that the July 2027 Planning Commission meeting will be canceled under the adopted 2027 calendar; and noted that Andy Porter's seat and a vice chair nomination will be addressed at a future meeting.