Show All Answers

1. Are there fees and what do they do they cover?

The City of Hapeville has a fee schedule that establishes the cost for providing development services, including labor, materials, and advertising costs. The fee structure for Planning & Zoning was updated in September 2006.

P&Z Fees are as follows:
- Plan Review Fees $350.00 plus $25.00 per acre, $25.00 per lot, or $25.00 per unit (MF, T-House) whichever is greater.
- Variance Fees $350.00, add $50.00 for each additional Variance in the application.
- Rezoning Fees $750.00
- Special Use or Conditional Use Permit $350.00
- Subdivision - Preliminary Plat-$300.00, plus $10.00 per lot; Final Plat-$250.00, plus $5.00 per lot.
- Design Review - fee included in the Plan Review Fee
- Zoning Verification Letters - $25.00-$50.00 per parcel
- Zoning Appeals - $350.00

2. How do I appeal a decision by the Zoning Administrator?

Any person or persons, jointly or severally, aggrieved by any decision of the Zoning Administrator with regard to his/her interpretation of the Zoning Ordinance may file an administrative appeal of the decision to the Hapeville Board of Appeals.

3. How do I appeal a decision by the Planning Commission?

Any person or persons, jointly or severally, aggrieved by any decision of the Hapeville Planning Commission under the terms of the Zoning Ordinance may appeal the decision to the Fulton County Superior Court.

4. How long is a rezoning, variance, or conditional use permit valid?

Final action taken on a rezoning, concurrent variance, or conditional use permit "runs with the land" and is valid indefinitely. The validity of these actions is only affected by the filing of a new application and subsequent action by the Mayor and City Council.

5. What do I need to do to file an administrative variance?

An applicant seeking an administrative variance should submit an application and all supporting material, including a survey of the property showing the improvements for which the variance request is being submitted. A $50.00 processing fee is required to cover reporting and posting costs.

6. What do I need to do to file an application for a rezoning, variance, or conditional use permit?

Applications are available at the Economic Development Department office and are available from our website. Each application describes the requirements that must be met for each application process. Please ensure that each application is complete and accurate before submitting it to us for processing. Applications can be submitted to the City of Hapeville’s Economic Development Department at 606 King Arnold Street, Hapeville, GA 30354. Applications may be hand-delivered or sent by mail to this address. Please be sure to include the appropriate fee as indicated in the fee structure table. Check should be made payable to the City of Hapeville.

7. How do I request a Zoning Verification Letter?

Requests for a Zoning Verification Letter need to be submitted in writing, and include a check payable to the City of Hapeville. Tier 1 zoning verification letters are $75.00 and Tier 2 zoning verification letters are $250.00. Contact Adrienne Senter, Planning and Development Coordinator, at (404) 669-8269 for additional information.

8. Is my property large enough to be subdivided?

The answer depends on multiple factors. First, you will need to check the zoning for the property to determine the required lot widths, minimum lot area, and setbacks for your property. Subdivision applications are subject to the approval of the Planning Commission, who may consider other factors, including potential development impact and historic development pattern in the area. For more information, call 404-669-8269.

9. What is a Preliminary Plat?

A Preliminary Plat is a complex property survey that is used in determining the suitability of a lot for subdivision. Consideration of a Preliminary Plat will also include zoning compliance, historic development pattern compatibility, and potential environmental impact on neighboring properties. A Preliminary Plat must include the following: - The proposed subdivision name and location, the name and address of the owner or owners, and the name of the designer of the plat who shall be a state-registered engineer or surveyor. - Date, approximate north point and graphic scale. - The location of existing and platted property lines, streets, buildings, watercourses, railroads, sewers, bridges, culverts, drain pipes, water mains and any public utility easements, the present zoning classification, if any, both on the land to be subdivided and on the adjoining land; and the names of adjoining property owners or subdivisions. - Plans of proposed underground utility layouts (including sewers, water and electricity) showing feasible connections to the existing or any proposed utility systems. - The names, locations, widths and other dimensions of proposed streets, alleys, easements, parks and other open spaces, reservations, lot lines and utilities. - Contours at vertical intervals of not more than five feet when specifically not required by the planning commission. - The acreage of the land to be subdivided. - Location sketch map or city map showing relationship of subdivision site to area.

10. What is a Final Plat?

A Final Plat is a legally binding document, once approved by the Hapeville Planning Commission, and recorded with Fulton County Superior Court, legally establishes a new lot or subdivision of an existing lot. For consideration, the Final Plat shall include the following information:
- The lines of all streets and roads, alley lines, lot lines, building setback lines, lots numbered in numerical order, house numbers, reservations, easements and any areas to be dedicated to public use or sites for other than residential use with notes stating their purpose and any limitations.

- Sufficient data to determine readily and reproduce on the ground the location, bearing and length of every street line, lot line, boundary line, block line and building line, whether curved or straight, and including true north point. This shall include the radius, central angle and tangent distance for the centerline of curved streets and curved property lines that are not the boundary of curved streets.

- All dimensions to the nearest 100th of a foot and angles to the nearest minutes.

- Location and description of monuments.

- The names and locations of adjoining subdivisions and streets and the location and ownership of adjoining unsubdivided property.

- Date, title, name and location of subdivision, graphic scale and true north point.

11. Can I apply for Preliminary and Final Plat at the same time?

If the subdivision application is for properties whereby no public improvements or public dedications of roads, utilities, easements, or right-of-ways are included, then the applicant may file for Preliminary and Final Plat simultaneously. The applicant will be required to submit all necessary information on a consolidated preliminary and Final Plat as indicated on the submittal checklist for each application. Although the consolidation of the Preliminary and Final Plat may save the applicant an extra application cycle, both Preliminary and Final Plat fees still apply.

12. What is a Conditional Use Permit?

A conditional use permit is required when a use is not "allowed by right" in a particular zoning district. A conditional use permit is subjected to a public hearing process, and must be approved by the Mayor and City Council.