In addition to our normal news coverage, What Now Atlanta is tracking ways Atlanta’s businesses are adapting to the novel coronavirus and the challenges it brings to brick-and-mortars.
While nearly all of Atlanta’s existing brick-and-mortar businesses were ordered to temporarily shutter in response to the COVID-19 pandemic including City Hall, yet-to-be-built and in-progress businesses will soon be able to forge forward.
The Department of City Planning on Monday, April 6, is launching a new process for permit and zoning applications that do not require City Hall’s physical building to be open.
This includes permitting for planned restaurants, retail stores, hotels, apartment complexes, mixed-use developments, and many other commercial projects.
Residential permitting is also part of the new format.
“We’ve worked over the last two weeks to shift these processes to online, electronic submittals,” City Planning Friday tweeted alongside an overview of its new permitting process.
“The entitlement and permitting process will continue as before.”
For projects that require the involvement of Atlanta’s Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs), public hearings, or additional external reviewers, City planners “will accept applications and conduct review where possible but cannot guarantee the timeline of approvals due to the cancellation, postponement, or rescheduling of external meetings.”
As construction is considered an “essential” business function under Georgia’s statewide shelter-in-place order, once permitting is approved, projects can go vertical.
[Editor’s note: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly evolving as is its effect on Atlanta, and the City’s businesses and its residents. Click here for What Now Atlanta’s ongoing coverage of the crisis. For guidance and updates on the pandemic, please visit the C.D.C. website.]
