South Fulton City Council Regular Meeting: Rezonings, Data Center Moratorium, and Procurement Approvals (December 9, 2025)

The South Fulton City Council held its regular meeting on December 9, 2025, at City Hall starting at 7:08 PM and adjourning at 10:52 PM. The council took action on several rezoning cases, approved a six‑month moratorium on data center applications, authorized major procurements, and handled numerous administrative items including property acquisitions, board appointments, and food insecurity funding.

Consent Calendar

Approved as amended (7‑0). Amendments removed most District 5 events except January 2026 events. Items included:

• Proclamations for Bobbie Powell, James R. Robinson (American Legion Post 291), National Family Caregivers Month, Joyce Armster, Richard Anthony Holmes, South Fulton Lodge No. 598/South Fulton Chapter No. 591 Day, James David Hartwell, and Eleanor Cornelius Willis.
• Board appointments: Nkosi Leary to the South Fulton Development Authority (Position 1) and Kiersten Mathews to the South Fulton Ethics Panel.
• Resolution authorizing eminent domain for the Butner Road at Camp Creek Parkway bridge replacement (Parcel 8, fair market value $4,100).
• Donations: 50 cots from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; $100 from Eugene Bell for a health fair; mini‑pitch installation donation valued at $100,000 from United States Soccer Foundation for Sandtown Park; BOOST 2.0 grant award of $58,000 from Georgia Recreation and Park Association.
• Professional services agreement with Bambo Sonaike CPA, LLC.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mike Johnson (District 4 resident) called for transparency, accountability, and greater voter engagement, noting that only about 10% of registered voters participated.
• Marvin Plowden (Chairman, South Fulton Police Athletic and Activities League board) detailed ongoing governance issues with the League, including the unexplained administrative leave of the former executive director, the hiring of a new director without board input, and a subsequent dissolution letter from the city attorney. He requested council assistance in resolving the matter.
• One online commenter (Marcia Clemendor) was noted but no further details provided.

Rezonings and Land Use Decisions

• Case Z25‑028/CDP25‑010 (Community produce farm at 1880/1860 Dove Dr, 4943 & 0 Zone Ave, District 1): Approved 7‑0 with a condition that the parcel facing Campbellton Road maintain its current zoning. The council overruled staff’s recommendation of denial and followed the Planning Commission’s approval (7‑0).
• Case Z25‑011/CDP25‑006 (107 townhomes at 7210 Old National Highway, District 7): Approved 7‑0 with a condition that the applicant invest $1.2 million in upgrading and replacing the sewer system. The council overruled both staff and Planning Commission recommendations of denial.
• Case Z25‑001/U25‑002 (Self‑storage facility with retail/restaurant at 0 Riverside Drive, District 1): A motion to deny failed 3‑4 (Rowell, Sebastian, Bell in favor; Gumbs, Willis, Williams‑Brown, Pritchett against). Subsequent motion to approve with conditions passed 6‑1 (Rowell opposed). Conditions require: subdivision substantially per the May 29, 2025 site plan; GDOT‑approved curb cut from Fulton Industrial Blvd; and that the retail and restaurant uses be constructed prior to or contemporaneously with the self‑storage facility (building permits and certificates of occupancy for retail/restaurant must precede those for self‑storage).
• Case Z25‑029/U25‑010 (QuikTrip convenience store with gas pumps and car wash at 0 Jonesboro & Kenwood Rd, District 7): Deferred to the January 13, 2026 regular meeting (7‑0).
• Case U25‑012 (Expansion of existing gas station/convenience store at 4285 Roosevelt Hwy, District 5): Approved 7‑0, following staff and Planning Commission recommendations.
• Plat confirmations: Final plat for Emblem at Sandtown Combination (33.713 acres, District 1) held until January 13, 2026 meeting (7‑0). Final plat for 4960 Welcome All Road (6.636 acres, District 3) confirmed.

Data Center Moratorium

The council approved a resolution establishing a six‑month moratorium on accepting applications for new development or establishment of any data center or other large‑scale data storage facility. An amendment removed the phrase “or distribution facility” from the original language to avoid unintended impacts on other developments. Passed 7‑0.

Procurement and Contracts

• Fire training facility (Item A.1): Approved by unanimous consent (with A.2 and A.4). The $2,695,878 modular steel burn building will be procured from Fire Facilities Inc. via HGACBuy Cooperative Contract and will allow NFPA‑compliant live‑fire, rescue, and ventilation training.
• Road resurfacing contract (Item A.2): Approved. ITB 25‑13 awarded to Triple R Paving, the lowest responsive bidder, for citywide mill and overlay, deep base repair, subdivision resurfacing, and asphalt patching on a task‑order basis.
• Emergency call boxes (Item A.4): Approved with a not‑to‑exceed budget of $250,000. A3 Communications will install units at nine high‑traffic parks using a State of Georgia cooperative contract.
• Police radios (Item B.1): Approved 6‑0 (Councilmember Bell not present). Purchase of 20 APX70 Portable Radio Model 4.5 units from Motorola Solutions at a cost not to exceed $178,030.60 through Sourcewell contract 042021‑MOT.
• Purchasing Card Policy Update (Item A.3): Motion to hold the resolution and bring it back in February 2026 passed 6‑0 (Bell not present). Several council members expressed the need for more thorough review and input on the revised policy before adoption.
• Southwest Arts Center Campus Use Policy (Item C.1): Tabled indefinitely (7‑0). Council members noted the policy had been circulated only six days prior and lacked elected‑official input, raising concerns about restricting council access to the facility.

Other Business

• First‑read ordinances (administrative): An ordinance to add Chapter 6 (Delivery‑Based Commercial Kitchens) to Title 12; an ordinance to waive distance requirements for a gas station at 0 Jonesboro & Kenwood Rds and codify gas‑station exemptions; first read of rezoning cases Z25‑031/CV25‑004 (Grundy, District 1) and Z25‑033/U25‑014/CDP25‑012 (MK Energy, District 4).
• Walk‑on items: Approved 7‑0, including:
  • Resolutions acquiring multiple parcels of real property (0 Cascade Rd (five parcels), 0 Rivertown Rd, 0 Union Rd & 0 Wallace Rd, 0 Vandiver Rd, 1210 Elva Dr, 3025 Merk Rd, 3034 Enon Rd, 4760 Fulton Industrial Blvd).
  • Board appointments: Dana Tucker Davis (re‑appointment) and James Reese Jr. to Development Authority; Naeema Gilyard to Environmental Committee; Charles Storm Mitchell (re‑appointment) to Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission; Barbara Mostella (re‑appointment) to Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; Trone Jefferson (re‑appointment) to Planning Commission; Brian O’Donnell (re‑appointment) to Zoning Board of Appeals; Jeffery Williams (re‑appointment) to Veterans Advisory Board.
  • Council approval of events for December 2025 and January 2026.
  • Donations for the Christmas Extravaganza: $50,000 (Dove), $100,000 (Integrity Dental Services/Robert Drinker), and beverages from Coca‑Cola.
  • Food insecurity funding: Per motion by Councilmember Willis, $200,000 will be held and used to issue a Request for Proposals; the remaining $39,000 will be divided equally among the eight council members, with $1,787 deducted from District 4’s allocation.

Key Outcomes

• Rezonings: Cases A, B, and E approved with conditions/tallies as noted. Case C approved 6‑1, case D deferred, case G partially deferred.
• Moratorium: Approved 7‑0 for 6 months on data centers/large‑scale data storage.
• Procurement: Burn facility, resurfacing contract, call boxes, and police radios approved. P‑card policy and Southwest Arts policy held or tabled.
• Administrative: Property acquisitions, board appointments, events, donations, and food insecurity allocation approved.
• All votes recorded with tallies as indicated in the minutes.