Description
This is the first of three items associated with the adoption of NewZO, the City of Savannah’s new zoning ordinance.
The Mayor and Aldermen must adopt policies and procedures for calling and conducting public hearings on zoning decisions as provided in O.C.G.A. §36-66-1 et seq. The following procedures are proposed:
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All persons in attendance who wish to speak on the proposed zoning decision are requested to fill out a speaker card prior to the start of the City Council meeting;
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Any party interested with respect to any petition may submit written, illustrated or other material in support of their position to the Clerk of Council during or before the public hearing;
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The Mayor and Aldermen call to order the zoning hearing and allow proponents and opponents who submitted speaker cards to speak on the petition during the zoning hearing;
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The proponents and opponents are allowed ten minutes per side to present data, evidence and opinion. Each side’s time period may be divided among multiple speakers in whatever manner desired;
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In the event a public hearing is conducted and final zoning decision is deferred by the Mayor and Aldermen, a second public hearing (conducted under the same rules as set forth above) shall be allowed when the petition is again considered by the Mayor and Aldermen following the deferral. No petition shall be the subject of more than two public hearings before the Mayor and Aldermen, regardless of the number of times the final zoning decision is deferred by the Mayor and Aldermen, unless four or more members of the Mayor and Aldermen vote to conduct such additional public hearing(s); and
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A copy of the adopted policies and procedures for calling and conducting public hearings on zoning decisions shall be made available to the public on request.
If approved, these policies and procedures will be effective and enforceable beginning on June 20, 2019. A resolution adopting the policies and procedures which govern the calling and conducting of public hearings for zoning decisions must be adopted following the public hearing, as provide in Item 44.
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