Overlay Districts

 

 

 

 

 

 

Submittal Requirements: For submittal requirements, please refer to the general regulations for overlay districts in Section 27-3.1 [link to Section 27-3.1] of the DeKalb County Code. Land disturbance permits, building permits, or sign permits will not be issued until the overlay district review is completed.

 

What are the steps in an overlay district review?

1.    Pre-application conference with Staff
2.    Submittal of application, site plan, building elevations
3.    Commissioner notification (by Staff)
4.    (If applicable) Request for citizen review team comments (by Staff) 
5.    Plan review meeting and revisions if necessary
6.    Staff approval of plans and elevations

FAQs

What is the purpose of an Overlay District?

Overlay district regulations and design guidelines are intended to preserve special characteristics of the area or guide development in a desired direction.  Overlay district regulations may establish architectural and design controls or prohibit uses that are considered to be detrimental to the character of a particular area.

Residential infill overlay districts establish a maximum height for new homes or additions to homes.

How is an Overlay District Established?

A District or Super District Commissioner initiates an overlay district, after or in conjunction with the formulation of a plan for the area. If you think an Overlay District would be beneficial for your neighborhood and/or the surrounding area, please contact your Commissioner. 

How do I know when to follow the overlay district regulations or to follow the regulations of the underlying zoning district?  

When there is a conflict between the standards of the overlay district regulations and the standards of the underlying district, the overlay district regulations control.  If there are no overlay district regulations for a particular development characteristic, but there are standards in the underlying zoning district regulations for the same development characteristic, the standards of the underlying zoning district must be met.