FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution extending its moratorium on sketch plats and land disturbance permits to May 4, 2027, approved a moratorium on grocer applications in the Commercial Business District through December 4, 2026, and elected Mendy Moore as its 2027 chair at its November 5 meeting.
What happened
1. Sketch plat and land disturbance permit moratorium extended to May 4, 2027
The board held a public hearing on extending, for an additional 180 days, the moratorium that prohibits the county from accepting applications for sketch plats or land disturbance permits for residentially zoned properties rezoned before April 13, 2017, and adopted the resolution as presented. The Summary says the extension runs until May 4, 2027. (Summary, item IX(1).) The Preview noted that the packet did not include the new resolution; the Summary does not reproduce its text or give the board's reasons.
The county attorney said the resolution had been placed at the commissioners' stations, and that the moratorium goes hand in hand with the county's residential rezoning moratorium. (Video, 18:58.)
A planning staff member said that since early October, staff reports on residential rezoning applications show whether the schools a proposed neighborhood would feed are under, near or over capacity. (Video, 21:44.)
The chair announced that the motion carried five to nothing. (Video, 23:17.)
2. Moratorium on grocer applications in the Commercial Business District through December 4
The board approved a moratorium until December 4, 2026 on the receipt of applications for land disturbance permits, building permits, sketch plats and business licenses for retail grocers on CBD-zoned parcels. It does not apply to entities whose permits have already been accepted and are pending before the county, or where rights have vested, and the board gave staff authorization to bring the item back as a public hearing. The Summary attributes the item to John / Moore. (Summary, item XII(4).) The Preview said the agenda did not say which areas or uses a moratorium would cover; the Summary shows it was limited to retail grocers on CBD-zoned parcels.
The chair said the item was about strip centers zoned CBD, where a use that becomes popular can crowd the parking lot and overflow into the streets, and spoke specifically about grocers. (Video, 1:17:48.)
The county attorney said the December 4 date would allow time to advertise another public hearing. (Video, 1:39:39.)
The chair announced that the motion carried four to one. The captions do not show which commissioner voted no. (Video, 1:42:28.)
3. Clinic and drug treatment facility zoning change goes forward
The consent agenda, adopted as presented, included starting the Unified Development Code modification process to remove all references to "drug treatment facilities" and to require clinics to obtain conditional use permits rather than being permitted as of right. (Summary, item VIII(2).) The Summary does not give a reason for the change. The vote starts the modification process; it does not change the code.
The video shows the consent agenda adopted on a single motion that carried five to nothing, without separate discussion of this item. (Video, 18:49.)
4. Stream buffer request on Parcel 111-316 withdrawn
The request by trinityfortune llc to amend the zoning conditions on ZA2975 (Norma R Vaughan), Parcel 111-316 in District 5 (AZ250046), with variances to reduce the stream buffer from 50 ft. to 0 ft., the impervious setback from 75 ft. to 0 ft. and the required off-street loading spaces from 5 to 0, was withdrawn. The Summary shows it had been on the February 5, March 5, May 7, July 9 and October 1, 2026 agendas before this meeting. (Summary, item IX(11).) There was no hearing or vote on the request itself.
At the start of the meeting, a commissioner moved to withdraw the request without prejudice at the applicant's request. (Video, 4:04.) The chair announced that the motion carried five to nothing. (Video, 4:09.)
5. Three land-use items carried over from the Oct. 20 work session
As part of the consent agenda, the board ratified the postponement of the Board-generated rezoning for ZA4163, Tipton Development LLC, in District 5, to the November 24, 2026 Work Session. (Summary, item VIII(1)(T).) It ratified authorization for staff to begin the public hearing process on a Planning Commission recommendation to amend the Unified Development Code on zoning buffers between non-residential uses and Specialty and PUD districts, an item the Summary attributes to Semanson / Moore. (Summary, item VIII(1)(U).) It ratified authorization to bring code revisions on mass grading back to a future Work Session. (Summary, item VIII(1)(V).) The Summary does not give a reason for the ZA4163 postponement or a date for the mass grading revisions.
During the moratorium hearing, a planning staff member said staff is carrying out the board's Oct. 20 direction to prohibit mass grading in residential neighborhoods. (Video, 20:46.) The staff member said the revisions would return to a work session in December, with public hearings that could end in adoption in early February. (Video, 21:00.)
Other agenda outcomes
Added at the meeting: three new business items were added to the agenda when it was adopted, so the Preview could not have covered them.
The board authorized staff to proceed with the public hearing process on a county-initiated condition amendment on ZA2641, Parcel 082-221 in District 3, with a variance to reduce the buffer from 15 ft. to 0 ft. (Summary, item XII(5).) Commissioner Levent, who added the item, said the neighboring community had learned that a 2003 change reduced a 50-foot buffer to 15 feet, and that the developer was willing to create the 50-foot buffer again. (Video, 1:44:06.) The chair announced that the motion carried five to nothing. (Video, 1:45:56.)
The board authorized staff to proceed with the public hearing process on a county-initiated conditional use permit to expand an existing place of worship on property zoned A1, R1 and O&I, Parcels 191-158 and 191-303 in District 4. (Summary, item XII(6).) It did the same for a county-initiated zoning condition amendment on ZA3938 (Forsyth County Board of Commissioners), Parcel 191-303. (Summary, item XII(7).) Commissioner Moore said the church would rather use a parcel it owns facing Highway 9 for parking than build parking over a stream behind the facility. (Video, 1:47:14.) Commissioner Moore said both items would be heard with the church's alternate design application at the December 3 meeting. (Video, 1:47:47.)
The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m. with all board members present. (Summary, item I.)
The invocation and Pledge of Allegiance were provided by Grace Williams. (Summary, item II.)
The agenda was adopted as amended. (Summary, item III.) The video shows the amendments were motions at the start of the meeting to withdraw or postpone items and to add three new business items. (Video, 1:41.) The amended agenda was adopted five to nothing. (Video, 5:05.)
The board elected Mendy Moore as its 2027 chair. (Summary, item IV.) Chairman Alfred John nominated Commissioner Moore and told the board of a long-held wish to step away from the role of chair. (Video, 6:43.) The chair announced that the motion carried five to nothing. (Video, 7:05.)
Announcements: Commissioner John spoke of term limits for commissioners passed on November 3, 2026, and David McKee spoke of the Administration Building lighting for Veterans Day. (Summary, item V.) McKee said Freedom Park would be lit green through Veterans Day as part of Operation Green Light. (Video, 9:48.)
The board adopted the minutes of the October 15, 2026 regular meeting/public hearings and the October 20, 2026 work session and executive session. (Summary, items VII(1)–(2).)
The board adopted the consent agenda as presented, including ratification of items discussed and voted on at the October 20 work session. (Summary, item VIII.)
Contracts and purchases ratified: a no-charge trial subscription with Ford Motor Company for on-board vehicle dashcams. (Summary, item VIII(1)(A).) The FY27 professional services contract with University of Georgia Extension. (Summary, item VIII(1)(B).) Quote 27-06-3150 to North Cherokee Electrical, LLC for as-needed traffic signal maintenance and repairs. (Summary, item VIII(1)(C).) Updated Standard Specifications for Water Distribution and Sanitary Sewer Systems. (Summary, item VIII(1)(E).) IDQ-084 with Lanier Contracting Co. for $110,277.15 for the Antioch WTP High Service Pump Station Freeze Protection project. (Summary, item VIII(1)(F).) An emergency purchase from Ovivo USA, LLC for $208,080.00 for two fine screen drums for the Fowler Water Reclamation Facility. (Summary, item VIII(1)(G).) Change Order #5 with Vertical Earth for $15,526.70 for additional rock for the Barker Overlook Project. (Summary, item VIII(1)(H).) Quote 27-16-1620 to Bureau Veritas National Elevator Inspection Services, Inc. for $6,921.00 for state-mandated annual elevator inspections. (Summary, item VIII(1)(I).)
Grants and staffing ratified: acceptance of the Governor's Office of Highway Safety HEAT grant of $109,101.01 for the Sheriff's Office, with a $72,734.01 required match. (Summary, item VIII(1)(D).) The addition of six full-time positions in 2026, budgeted for FY2027, so that the Department of Public Facilities can assume custodial responsibilities on January 1, 2027; the Summary says no additional FY2026 funding is required. (Summary, item VIII(1)(J).)
Transportation and capital projects ratified: Task Order No. 05 with Volkert, Inc., not to exceed $1,924,722.00, for Old Atlanta Road Phases 4 & 5. (Summary, item VIII(1)(K).) Change Order #005 with G.P.'s Enterprises, Inc. for $90,385.16 for James Burgess Road dual left turn lanes. (Summary, item VIII(1)(L).) Change Order #006 with G.P.'s Enterprises, Inc. for $373,035.53 for a 20-inch water reuse by-pass. (Summary, item VIII(1)(M).) Task Order No. 06 with Volkert, Inc., not to exceed $141,365.00, for the Holtzclaw Road at Chattahoochee Road (PE148) roundabout. (Summary, item VIII(1)(N).) Change Order #001 with E.R. Snell Contractor, Inc. for $92,743.52 for the Holtzclaw Rd./Rowe Lane Extension. (Summary, item VIII(1)(O).) Task Order #12 with Jericho Design Group, LLC for $451,500.00 for County Way Campus master planning and program design. (Summary, item VIII(1)(P).) Change Order #ARS 006 with Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung for $11,760.00 for the Water & Sewer Maintenance Warehouse project. (Summary, item VIII(1)(Q).) GDOT Supplemental Agreement No. 2 for the Punch Hammond Road Intersection Improvements (PE144), adding $283,232.00 in federal funds and $70,808.00 in local match. (Summary, item VIII(1)(R).) A resolution designating representatives for the Local Government Investment Pool. (Summary, item VIII(1)(S).)
Also on the consent agenda: nuisance abatement action for a property on Parcel 197 266 in District 2. (Summary, item VIII(3).) A resolution authorizing the affidavit concerning the October 20, 2026 executive session. (Summary, item VIII(4).) A Revolutionary America Pomeroy Proclamation to be presented on November 7, 2026, attributed to Hill / Semanson. (Summary, item VIII(5).)
Postponed to December 3: two requests to amend zoning conditions in District 1, on ZA4027 (Warehouse One - Cumming, L.L.C.) by Aidan Borden, Parcel 099-014 (AZ260027), and on ZA3842 (14905 Hopewell Group, LLC) by Sicilian Spot Road LLC, Parcels 099-026 and 099-254 (AZ260028). (Summary, items IX(2)–(3).) Commissioner Hill moved both postponements at the start of the meeting. (Video, 3:26.)
Postponed to November 19: Christopher Flaugh's request (CP260023) to operate a vehicle sales dealership on 10.31 acres zoned M1. (Summary, item XII(1).) Commissioner Levent said the applicant had asked by email for a postponement. (Video, 2:02.) Also postponed to November 19: the request by Underwood & Beard, LLC for a public hearing on an appeal of the Zoning Board of Appeals' October 6 denial of VA260046 (AV260003). (Summary, item XII(2).) Commissioner Moore moved that postponement at the applicant's request. (Video, 4:16.)
Withdrawn: alternate designs for Patricia Andre-Fadiran, Parcel 105-1077 (AD260017), which had been on the September 3 agenda, and for Atlantic Resorts, LLC, Parcel 042-672 (AD260021), both in District 3. (Summary, items IX(5)–(6).) Commissioner Levent moved to withdraw both without prejudice. (Video, 1:41.)
Approved: the amendment of zoning conditions on ZA3687 (Lennar Georgia, LLC) requested by Outdoor Management Services, LLC, Parcel 101-287 in District 1 (AZ260029). (Summary, item IX(4).) Commissioner Hill said the neighbors directly behind the property and the HOA had sent letters of support. (Video, 24:17.)
Approved: a lot-size variance of 0.10 acres so that an A1 lot on Parcel 269-394 in District 4 can be 0.90 acres rather than 1 acre (VA260047), requested by Andrew Martin with Martin Associates Home Builders Inc. (Summary, item IX(7).) Commissioner Moore said one of the two lots would be smaller to accommodate an existing septic drain field. (Video, 31:23.)
Approved: a sketch plat for Vinayaka Ventures LLC on Parcel 295-041 in District 4 (SP260004), with a variance reducing the exterior buffer from 30 ft. to 0 ft. as shown on the site plan. (Summary, item IX(8).) The applicant's representative said the plan is for 28 lots on a little over 44 acres. (Video, 33:13.) During discussion, an added condition was proposed that the mandatory HOA covenant prohibit clearing outside the exterior fence, and the applicant's representative said that would be acceptable. (Video, 48:43.)
Approved: an alternate design for Noslen Ravelo on Parcel 260-116 in District 4 (AD260020), with a variance reducing the side setback from 10 ft. to 9 ft. (Summary, item IX(9).) Commissioner Moore said the request is about a garage structure built in front of the home, which is to get a painted brick veneer and landscaping. (Video, 54:10.) The chair announced that the motion carried four to nothing. (Video, 56:30.)
Approved: an alternate design for HCI DP Land Acquisition LLC on Parcel 234-025 in District 4 (AD260022). (Summary, item IX(10).) The applicant's representative said the building design approved with the property's rezoning earlier this year did not comply with the Georgia 400 overlay district, and that the requests would reaffirm it. (Video, 57:30.) The motion tied the approval to the exhibits showing where the design departs from the code. (Video, 1:09:40.)
Approved: a Final Consent Order and Judgment of $31,864.00 to resolve the condemnation case of Forsyth County v. 10,412.4 feet of claimed access rights, Bourne, Sawnee Valley, L.P. et al., concerning the Molly View Point Water Tower site. (Summary, item XII(3).) The county attorney said the case had been pending since 2019. (Video, 1:16:01.)
There was no old business. (Summary, item XI.) The Summary lists the recess of the regular meeting and an executive session "if needed" without recording an outcome for either, and records adjournment at 6:48 p.m. (Summary, items XIII–XV.) The county attorney told the chair there was no need for an executive session. (Video, 1:48:55.)
Public comment
The Summary records four speakers in the first public-comment period and two in the second. (Summary, items VI and X.) In the first period, a speaker for a neighboring property owners association asked the board to put the Bethelview Office Park development on a future agenda once the planned changes are confirmed in writing. (Video, 15:12.) The captions show the other three speakers in the first period and both speakers in the second addressed topics not on this meeting's agenda, and this Report does not describe their comments.
At the sketch plat and land disturbance permit moratorium hearing, one speaker spoke in favor without giving reasons. (Video, 22:57.)
At the Vinayaka Ventures sketch plat hearing, a speaker for a neighboring subdivision's homeowners association said it had no real objection to the development. (Video, 37:31.) The speaker asked that the 30-foot exterior buffer be placed in a conservation easement or its equivalent. (Video, 37:40.) The speaker also asked for attention to drainage and for an engineering study to make sure the new septic systems pose no threat to the neighbors' wells. (Video, 40:10.)
At the Ravelo alternate design hearing, one of the property's owners spoke in favor and asked for time to finish the work. (Video, 53:36.) At the HCI DP Land Acquisition hearing, one speaker spoke in opposition without giving reasons. (Video, 1:01:02.)
What this Report does not claim
The county's Meeting Summary records outcomes, not the board's reasoning or all unrecorded discussion, and this Report does not reconstruct either. What was said comes from the video's automatic captions, which are machine-made and can mishear words; the linked video is the record. This Report does not cover everything said at the meeting.
The boundary: The linked video is the record for what was said; the captions are automatic and machine-made.
Sources
County Meeting Summary: Summary PDF ↗, fetched November 9, 2026 at 21:15:08 UTC.
Meeting video: Board of Commissioners | Regular Meeting | November 5, 2026 ↗, Forsyth County Government, automatic English captions fetched November 10, 2026 at 18:33:18 UTC.
Written by the site's AI reporting agent from the county's Meeting Summary and the meeting video's automatic captions, and read and approved by the editor before publication. Outcomes are as the Summary records them; what was said comes from the captions, linked to its moment in the video.