Article 4 — Establishment of Districts

If, in accordance with the provisions of this Ordinance, changes are made in district boundaries or other matter portrayed on the Official Zoning Map, such changes shall be entered on the Official Zoning Map promptly after the amendment has been approved by the Mayor and Council, with an entry in the minutes of such council meeting as follows: "On ______________ (month) ____ (day), _________ (year) by official action of the Mayor and City Council, the following change (changes) was (were) made to the Official Zoning Map: (brief description of nature of change or changes)", which entry shall be signed by the Mayor and attested by the City Administrator. No amendment to this ordinance is official until such change and entry is made on said map.

No changes of any nature shall be made in the Official Zoning Map or matter shown thereon except in conformity with the procedures set forth in this ordinance.

Regardless of the existence of copies of the Official Zoning Map which may from time to time be made or published, the Official Zoning Map which shall be located in the office of the City Administrator shall be the final authority as to the current zoning status of the City.

In the event that the Official Zoning Map becomes damaged, destroyed, lost, difficult to interpret because of the nature or number of changes and additions or the Mayor and Council deem an updated Official Zoning Map to be necessary, the Mayor and City Council may by resolution adopt a new Official Zoning Map which shall supersede the prior Official Zoning Map. The new Official Zoning Map may correct drafting or other errors or omissions in the prior Official Zoning Map. The new Official Zoning Map shall be identified by the signature of the Mayor attested by the City Administrator and bearing the seal of the City under the following words:

"This is to certify that is the Official Zoning Map of the City of Grayson and this map supersedes and replaces any previously adopted Zoning Map."

Unless the previous Official Zoning Map has been lost, or has been totally destroyed, the prior map or any significant remaining parts thereof, shall be preserved, together with all available records pertaining to its adoption or amendment.

Because of the scale of the Official Zoning Map, there may be uncertainty with respect to the location of the boundaries of any Zoning District in Grayson, Georgia. In the event uncertainty exists, the following rules shall apply:

For the purposes of this Ordinance the incorporated area of Grayson, Georgia is divided into Zoning Districts designated as follows:

R-100 Single-Family Residence District This zoning district is intended primarily for one-family residences and related uses. This district is designed to stabilize and protect the residential characteristics of the district and to encourage a suitable family life on large size lots.

R-100 Modified Single-Family Residence District The purpose of the Modified single family development is to permit a procedure for development that will result in an improved living environment; that will promote more economic subdivision layout; that will encourage ingenuity and originality in subdivision and site design; and that can preserve open space to serve recreational, scenic, and public service purposes, and other purposes related thereto.

CS Conservation Subdivision Single-Family Residence District The purpose of this single-family residential district is to encourage development designed to preserve and protect environmental resources, scenic vistas, and natural and cultivated landscapes; to enhance land, water, air, and tree/vegetation resources by minimizing the area of land disturbance, reducing impervious surface, optimizing stream buffers, preserving vegetation cover and encouraging the provision of open space; to reduce infrastructure maintenance costs as a result of efficient community design; to provide open space and pedestrian linkages and wildlife corridors among residential communities; to encourage recreation opportunities; to preserve significant historical and archeological features; and to preserve and protect contiguous undeveloped areas within the development.

RM Multifamily Residence District This district is intended primarily for two-family and multifamily dwellings. Because these areas are served by public utilities and facilities, a moderate density of development can be supported.

OI Office-Institutional District The Office-Institutional district is intended to encourage the location of suitable business and professional enterprises, medical and dental facilities and limited related retail and service activities in buildings of high character and in attractive surroundings. The Office-Institutional district may have direct access to State Highways or major arterial thoroughfares.

C-1 Neighborhood Business District This district provides a location for convenient goods and services to satisfy the common and frequent needs of the residents of nearby residential neighborhoods provided all activities and display of goods are carried on within an enclosed building except as specified herein.

C-2 General Business District This district provides for a wide range of retail and service establishments requiring a location accessible to large sectors of the community population provided all activities and display of goods are carried on within an enclosed building except as specified herein.

C-3 Central Business District This district is designed to provide for the effective use of land situated in relationship to major highways and highway interchanges so efficient grouping of activities can develop to serve the traveling public. Front yard requirements are designed to provide for the safety of the traveling public by provision for adequate off-highway maneuvering and parking space.

PUD Mixed Use Planned Unit Development This district is designed to encourage and allow more creative and imaginative design of development projects than is possible under certain zoning district regulations. Planned Unit Developments are intended to allow substantial flexibility in planning and designing a proposal.

This flexibility often accrues in the form of relief from compliance with certain site and design requirements contained within this Ordinance. PUDs allow higher density and non-traditional site requirements and as such, require features not normally required of traditional developments.

Unlike “traditional developments,” PUDs require in-depth scrutiny and are often highly conditioned. Hence, more information is demanded about the proposal than would be required if development were being pursued under conventional zoning requirements. PUDs ensure the development will be in harmony with the character of the neighborhood in which the development is located. The PUD is not intended to circumvent the parameters of existing zoning, but rather to encourage ingenuity and resourcefulness in land planning. Planned Unit Development zoning is not intended to be used for speculative purposes to enhance the value of property. As such, approval of a PUD will be as a conditional use, based upon a detailed Master Development Plan submitted as part of the application. The Mayor and City Council may approve different percentages of land use mixtures, different density units, and different open space requirements based on the ingenuity and resourcefulness on the presented plan.

R4 PUD Single Family Residential Planned Unit Development

This district is comprised of lands that are located on or have ready access to a major street or State Highway and are well adapted to industrial development, but whose proximity to residential or commercial districts makes it desirable to limit industrial operations and processes to those that are not objectionable by reason of the emission of noise, vibration, smoke, dust, gas, fumes, odors, or radiation, and that do not create fire or explosion hazards or other objectionable conditions.

MH Manufactured Housing District This district is intended exclusively for the placement of manufactured housing in an environment that will provide pleasant and otherwise satisfactory living conditions and additionally will not produce adverse effects upon neighboring properties.

Overlay Districts Overlay Zoning Districts are supplemental to the base zoning district classifications established in this Ordinance. All development and building permits for a lot located in any Overlay Zoning District shall meet all of the requirements of the base zoning district in which it is located, and in addition, shall meet all of the requirements of the overlay district applicable to said lot. Where there is a conflict between the standards and requirements of the Overlay District and the base district, the standards and requirements of the Overlay District shall govern.

UC Uptown Center Overlay District The purpose of this District is to promote compact, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use areas corresponding with the City’s historic and revitalizing center of town along Grayson Parkway, S.R. 20, and Rosebud Road. The design and land use of this area should be generally consistent with preserving and reestablishing the center of town as a community focal point for social interaction and a commerce destination. New developments, whether they are redevelopments or new construction, should be designed to reflect these characteristics.

GH 20 Grayson/Highway 20 Overlay District This district is intended to complement the Gwinnett County’s Grayson/Highway 20 Corridor Overlay District. This District will promote a mixture of uses and densities that will include these characteristics - quality site design, lighting, architectural treatments, require interparcel access; to develop a sense of place that is aesthetically pleasing and to establish consistent and harmonious design standards for public improvements and private property development so as to unify the distinctive visual quality of the corridor.

Any land subsequently annexed to the City shall be annexed in accordance with the procedures adopted by Mayor and Council that are based upon State law and are part of the Grayson City Code. It shall, immediately upon annexation, be classified into a zoning category compatible with adjacent zoning and land uses.