Intuitive Surgical would like to redevelop 3795 Data Drive in Peachtree Corners, which currently contains a one-story industrial building. The proposed redevelopment includes a new three-story, high-tech manufacturing, and engineering building. The applicant requests to change the conditions of past zoning case SUP1987-021, a special use permit approved by Gwinnett County, which stated that the building on this site is limited to one story with an 80-foot rear (western) buffer.
The Peachtree Corners City Council will review the development proposal and hold the second public reading at their February 22, 2022, meeting. The Planning Commission reviewed the request on January 18, 2022, and recommended denial.
According to City documents, the property is subject to SUP1987-021, which contains several conditions, most of which will continue to be adhered to by the applicant. However, the applicant is requesting a change to two of the conditions, including allowing the building on this parcel to increase in height from one to three stories and allowing the rear access driveway to the building to be constructed 60 feet from the rear property line, allowing for a 50-foot undisturbed rear (western) buffer and a 10- foot landscape strip adjacent to residential properties. The property is adjacent to other Intuitive Surgical properties to the north, south, and east. To the west are R-100 single-family properties in Peachtree Station+.
The rationale for the change in conditions submitted by the applicant indicates that existing conditions imposed on the property from 1987 were not previously known and have a negative impact on the proposed Intuitive development, which was designed based on current City of Peachtree Corners Code. The development intends to comply with the current M-1 zoning code once the existing conditions to be removed as part of the change of conditions are vacated.
City Planners analyzed that proposal for a high-tech manufacturing and office building use on the property is consistent with the zoning designation. Given that Intuitive has operated for numerous years on this site without issue, it is unlikely to be a detriment to surrounding properties. In addition, the building to be built on the site complies with the height limitation on M-1 zoned property, and the 80 ft. buffer requirement included in GC zoning case SUP1987-021 has been met on the applicant’s plans except in one location where there is a driveway encroachment.
