Planning & Zoning FAQs

Property (residential, commercial, etc.) in Johns Creek is zoned conditionally. For a general idea of your zoning please see the Johns Creek Zoning map  and the Zoning City Code. If you wish to obtain the specific conditions (including the approved site plan), please complete a Request for Public Records to the City Clerk’s office.

The setback requirement varies depending on your zoning classification, road adjacency, and in some cases, the specific zoning conditions imposed during the rezoning hearing process. To find out your generic setbacks, please see the Zoning City Code or contact the Planning & Zoning at 678-512-3200. Be sure to have your address or parcel number so we can find your property on our zoning maps.

Use our Confirm Address tool to locate your property in Johns Creek.

In order to rezone a property or obtain a special use permit the applicant must have a pre-application meeting. This meeting requires the submittal of a conceptual site plan and letter of intent as well as the Pre-Application form. The filing deadline for rezoning and special use permit request(s) is the first Tuesday of each month.

The rezoning and special use permit process is approximately three months, during which a citizen may come to City Hall to review any filed application. Applications and site plans are also available on the Planning Commission page, and the Staff Report with recommendation is posted when it is made available to the applicant, and then updated after the Planning Commission’s recommendation is made.

The Planning Commission adopts a calendar which normally meets the first Tuesday of each month beginning at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 11360 Lakefield Drive, Johns Creek, GA 30097. Please check the City Calendar to confirm specific dates.

The Board of Zoning Appeals adopts a calendar which normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month beginning at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 11360 Lakefield Drive, Johns Creek, GA 30097. Please check the City Calendar to confirm specific dates.

A variance is a request for relief to regulations found within the Zoning City Code or certain other regulations. A meeting with a planner should be scheduled to determine the type of variance required. The filing deadline for a variance is the first Tuesday of each month.

The distance from any proposed addition to the property lines is regulated by the minimum yard requirements (setback requirements) set forth in the zoning district regulations in the Zoning City Code. Each zoning district has unique minimum required yards and the answer depends on the zoning district in which your property is located, and possibly conditions associated with the zoning case.

The construction of a deck is also regulated by minimum yard requirements, but, depending on the height and features of the proposed deck, it may be permitted to extend into the minimum required yards. You will need to contact the Planning & Zoning Division at 678-512-3200 to discuss location restrictions on your property.

Copies of final location plats are on file for many, but not all, dwellings in the City. If you would like to obtain a copy of a plat for your property, please complete a Request for Public Records to the City Clerk’s Office. You must provide either the street address or the tax parcel identification (PIN) number in order to obtain a plat.

If a copy of your plat is on file, staff can either mail you a copy or you may pick it up at City Hall. Please note that, due to the distortion of plats during transmittal, faxed plats are not acceptable for submission with building permits. If a copy of your plat is not on file with the County, search your residential loan closing documents or contact the lending institution from which your mortgage was obtained.

Many of the subdivisions in the county are subject to covenants and deed restrictions which regulate the use of property beyond the limitations contained in the City’s ordinances. These deeds and covenants are private agreements between property owners and are not enforced by the City. Therefore, before you add a shed or fence to your property or initiate any other significant changes, you should also check with your homeowners’ association to determine if any restrictions apply.

Yes, a banner permit is required. Visit the Customer Self-Service (CSS) portal.

The cost for a banner is $25 and is valid for a fourteen day period; two separate fourteen day periods are allowed per lot, or business, per calendar year.

Banners cannot be more than twenty-four square feet in size and five feet in height above grade if placed on the ground.

A site plan is due at the time of permit submittal. The site plan should demonstrate that the banner is located ten feet off the public right-of-way and twenty five feet from an intersection. Banner permits are issued over the counter with a properly completed application.

Banners in residential zoning districts during the months of May and June do not require permits, however, the banners count against the two banners per year allocation.

Yes, in order to erect a new fence, or to replace an existing fence, a fence permit is required.

The City of Johns Creek enforces the Metropolitan River Protection Act which recognizes the Chattahoochee River Corridor extends 2,000 feet from the banks of the river. Both clearing and the creation of impervious surfaces are restricted within the corridor based on vulnerability categories.

New developments must obtain a Chattahoochee River Corridor Certificate through the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) prior to submittal of construction documents.

New homes and additions within the Chattahoochee River Corridor must submit site plans showing vulnerability categories and existing, proposed, and allowable clearing and impervious surfaces.

The City of Johns Creek does not issue tree removal permits. Tree removal is allowed unless the trees are located in a zoning buffer, stream buffer, Chattahoochee River Corridor, or other protected area. However, if you are applying for a building permit or land disturbance permit then the requirements in the Tree Preservation Ordinance must be satisfied.

For guidance, please call the Department of Community Development at 678-512-3200 prior to removing any trees.

If you live in an HOA, you should also check your HOA guidelines for any tree removal restrictions they might impose.