The Sandy Springs Planning Commission voted 3-2 to recommend approval of a rezoning that allows for 21 single-family homes on five residential lots at Spalding Drive and Pitts Road.
The proposed subdivision along the city’s border with Dunwoody would replace five existing houses in an RE-1 zoning district with 21 detached single-family homes.
The five residential properties are about 7.9 acres. The rezoning from residential estate to RD-9 would shift the minimum lot size from 1 acre to 9,000 square feet, with an average home size of 4,000 square feet. After the planning commission’s recommendation, the rezoning heads to the Sandy Springs City Council for a vote, expected on May 19.
Subdivision at Pitts and Spalding
In its justification for approval, the planning department cited increased demand for single-unit detached housing in Sandy Springs outpacing production. There are limited opportunities to add more homes within Sandy Springs, a built-out city.
Some residents were opposed at initial community meetings late last year, citing fatigue from nearby construction work, existing traffic delays, and concerns about the subdivision’s main entrance at Spalding Springs Court.
Dunwoody resident David Meline said after the main entrance’s alignment was moved in response to community feedback, a majority of neighbors got on board. The solution is a main entrance and a signalized intersection at Spalding Drive and Pitts Road.
“We were in great opposition to this development at the beginning of the process,” he said. “The first community meeting was pretty much a disaster.”
Meline said developers from The Providence Group met with all three neighborhoods, including the Stratford Manor and Spalding Springs. He lives just over the county line on Whitehall Pointe, directly behind the proposed subdivision.
“Walls, fences, and plantings were very important,” he said. “We feel that the plan that they submitted to us yesterday for review, and to you all, is very reasonable. Having the HOA responsible for any portion of the perimeter fencing, walls, or buffer is key, and they’ve agreed to do that.”
Neighborhood leaders also said the city needs to address traffic congestion at the nearby five-way intersection of Dunwoody Club, Spalding, and Roberts drives.
Planning Commission recommendation
City staff recommends approval of the rezoning with conditions, including a limit of no more than three homes inside the city of Dunwoody, with access to the Spalding Drive entrance. That rezoning process in Dunwoody is entirely separate.
Members of the Sandy Springs Planning Commission asked whether they could add conditions to address neighbors’ concerns. Examples include HOA-required buffer maintenance, landscaping, and a specific location to tie into the sewer.
Providence Group Vice President Michael Smith said his team is installing a traffic signal and a new turn lane at Pitts and Spalding. The water and sewer connections are also planned for the subdivision’s main entrance to avoid disrupting surrounding neighborhoods.
“Fulton County controls the sewer, and the City of Atlanta controls the water in this area,” Smith said. “We will engineer it that way, but ultimately, those jurisdictions dictate whether we can or cannot.”
Community Development Director Ginger Sottile said most new residential developments require a homeowners association, and utility tie-ins are set during permitting. Sottile said the city is sometimes at the mercy of other jurisdictions.
“I haven’t seen where an applicant has provided a viable solution, and they say ‘no, you can’t connect here, you’ve got to go way over here,'” Sottile said. “It makes sense. I’m not foreseeing that being an issue.”
Vice Chair Andy Porter and Commission Member Steve Leeds voted against the rezoning.
Smaller-scale residential rezonings
The Sandy Springs Planning Commission also approved two additional rezonings at its April 22 meeting. Both votes were unanimous, a break from the first rezoning.
The second rezoning at 5680 Whitner Drive from RE-2 to RD-27 would allow for the construction of three new homes on 2 acres, where one built in 1974 now sits.
Two nearby neighbors spoke against the rezoning, citing concerns about city communication, traffic congestion, and a precedent of smaller lot sizes.
The applicant argued that almost all surrounding parcels are zoned RD-27 south of Mount Vernon Highway. The rezoning also requires a driveway that faces Whitner Drive and does not interfere with Mount Vernon Highway.
The third rezoning from RE-1 to RD-18 at 5800 Mitchell Road reduces the minimum lot size from 1 acre to 18,000 square feet. With the additional rezoning of an adjacent parcel, a developer can construct two new homes on 1.3 acres.
The applicant, Sandy Springs native Chris Protos, described the home as dilapidated and cited overwhelming neighborhood support. Protos said he has worked closely with city staff to ensure the reconfiguration gives both new lots proper frontage.
One next-door neighbor, Loren Udwin, spoke in favor of the project, citing aesthetic improvements, increased home values, and a desire to increase housing supply for young families.
“This will just greatly increase the livability of what’s there now,” she said. “The neighborhood is very much in favor of improving what is there right now.”
