Forsyth County proposes two development code changes affecting rezoning, invites public input

Commissioners in Forsyth County met at 5 p.m. on Feb. 19 in the commission meeting room at 110 E. Main St. in Cumming to consider changes to the county’s Unified Development Code as the county approaches the end of a year-long housing moratorium. The meeting packet flagged decisions that could affect how rezoning moves forward and how new developments are outfitted on the ground.

Among the items on the Feb. 19 agenda were authorizations for public hearings tied to zoning applications and proposed requirements for on-site amenities described in staff materials as art, benches, trash cans and bike racks. Commissioners also weighed whether additional discussion is warranted on code changes related to senior housing, a topic county planners have flagged as part of the broader UDC review.

The moratorium that prompted the round of reviews began in May and "ends in May," pausing the county’s ability to accept rezoning requests for residential projects so commissioners could revise land-use rules amid rapid development and population growth. The freeze has been described internally as a series of residential zoning moratoriums that "prohibit the acceptance of rezoning requests for residential projects, effectively hitting pause on development." County Manager David McKee told county officials the timeline is manageable, saying the county "could complete its work on the development code by the end of the county’s current moratorium." McKee has emphasized the pause was intended to give commissioners breathing room rather than to serve as a permanent barrier to development.

The county’s Unified Development Code page shows the UDC was most recently updated on November 20, 2025 (Version 131), and the site provides sections for Upcoming Public Hearings and Recently Passed Public Hearings. Meeting materials and video access for the Feb. 19 session were posted on the county’s Meetings page, where residents can review agendas and view recordings of public sessions.

Local institutions have pressured the process: the Forsyth County School Board sounded an alarm that helped spur the moratorium, calling for a reduction in high-density residential development and an increase in commercial growth. Residents have echoed the school board’s concerns, pointing to strain on services and infrastructure such as roadways as a primary worry during public comment in recent hearings.

With the freeze set to run through early May, the immediate next steps are procedural: commissioners may authorize formal public hearings on specific rezoning applications and return with ordinance language that codifies requirements for site elements like benches and bike racks. Those hearings and any final amendments to the UDC will determine when residential rezoning requests can again be accepted and how new projects will be required to fit into Forsyth County’s rapidly changing landscape.