HISTORY OF LAND USE IN CHATT HILLS
Comprehensive Plan: A new city defines its vision
A review of the Chattahoochee Hills Comprehensive Plan 2007-2023 (Laurie Searle 08/21/23)
A review of the Chattahoochee Hills Comprehensive Plan 2007-2023 (Laurie Searle 08/21/23)
A city's Comprehensive Plan is akin to the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. The Comp Plan begins with a Vision, which like the Constitution's Preamble, is the explanation of why the document was written. Also like the Preamble, the Comp Plan is written by "We the People" which makes it clear that our government receives its authority to manage our land from the people that are governed.
Upon its incorporation in 2007, the City of Chattahoochee Hills adopted Fulton County’s Comprehensive Plan and development regulations. A portion of the Fulton County Comp Plan, Focus Fulton 2025, specifically
addressed the special needs of the area of Chattahoochee Hills, creating an overlay zoning district that called for preservation of a minimum of 60% percent of the area in a relatively undisturbed state, with development concentrated in villages and hamlets located in specific
areas.
While that original Comp Plan was a good baseline and had elements of preservation, it was not created for the people in this unincorporated area -- not by the residents of the new city. The opportunity came to change that in 2009 when the mayor and city council began recruiting citizens to create the city's first Comp Plan created by "We the People."
Upon its incorporation in 2007, the City of Chattahoochee Hills adopted Fulton County’s Comprehensive Plan and development regulations. A portion of the Fulton County Comp Plan, Focus Fulton 2025, specifically
addressed the special needs of the area of Chattahoochee Hills, creating an overlay zoning district that called for preservation of a minimum of 60% percent of the area in a relatively undisturbed state, with development concentrated in villages and hamlets located in specific
areas.
While that original Comp Plan was a good baseline and had elements of preservation, it was not created for the people in this unincorporated area -- not by the residents of the new city. The opportunity came to change that in 2009 when the mayor and city council began recruiting citizens to create the city's first Comp Plan created by "We the People."
Chatt Hills Comp Plan - Adopted 2011
WE THE PEOPLE
The number of people involved in creating the Comp Plan adopted in 2011 was impressive. The steering committee included 45 residents, business owners, and professional organizations. The Public Participation Committee provided an online survey and a mailed survey to all 985 households in Chatt Hills, which yield 432 responses, representing almost 50% of all households in the community. A series of 5 public outreach meetings were held around the city over a period of two months, with 66 attendees in each meeting.
VISION
The citizens made a deliberate and bold choice for the future of Chattahoochee Hills that is "deliberately rural." That vision encapsulates both a desired development/non-development pattern and an economic development strategy.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The Comp Plan identified a handful of development patterns that are desirable to both preserve large amounts of land and allow for the economic development that is critical for the city's future. The rural character of the city will be embodied most distinctly in its agricultural and forest land, and will be supported by the development that takes place in well-defined nodes. Each of these areas will have a distinct character that was laid out by the task force.
The following map and character descriptions are from the 2011 Comp Plan. They can be used as a reference to note the changes made in the two updates that followed in 2016 and 2021.
WE THE PEOPLE
The number of people involved in creating the Comp Plan adopted in 2011 was impressive. The steering committee included 45 residents, business owners, and professional organizations. The Public Participation Committee provided an online survey and a mailed survey to all 985 households in Chatt Hills, which yield 432 responses, representing almost 50% of all households in the community. A series of 5 public outreach meetings were held around the city over a period of two months, with 66 attendees in each meeting.
VISION
The citizens made a deliberate and bold choice for the future of Chattahoochee Hills that is "deliberately rural." That vision encapsulates both a desired development/non-development pattern and an economic development strategy.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The Comp Plan identified a handful of development patterns that are desirable to both preserve large amounts of land and allow for the economic development that is critical for the city's future. The rural character of the city will be embodied most distinctly in its agricultural and forest land, and will be supported by the development that takes place in well-defined nodes. Each of these areas will have a distinct character that was laid out by the task force.
The following map and character descriptions are from the 2011 Comp Plan. They can be used as a reference to note the changes made in the two updates that followed in 2016 and 2021.
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Chatt Hills Comp Plan Update - Adopted 2016
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Chatt Hills Comp Plan Update - Adopted 2021
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For more information see [Resources]