Cornelia's zoning ordinance rewrite yields a TND district rule change; accessory-building rule tabled twice before advancing

Cornelia's Planning Commission spent 2025 reviewing a full rewrite of the city's zoning ordinance article by article. Commissioners were given Articles 2 and 3 to review in July, the City Commission read a "draft 3" of the ordinance and submitted comments later that month, the rewrite returned as old business in August, and commissioners discussed Articles 4, 5 and 15 in September.

Work on the draft continued into 2026: the city manager's report described finishing touches on the draft for review, and in February all Planning Commissioners were sent a full digital copy of the draft ordinance to read and comment on.

In May 2026 the Planning Board recommended two specific amendments coming out of the rewrite: a change to Table 6.2 of the zoning ordinance and a text amendment to Section 42-71.

The City Commission approved the Table 6.2 amendment, which concerns the city's Traditional Neighborhood District standards, by a 4-0 vote in June and again by a 4-0 vote in July.

A separate amendment changing where accessory buildings are allowed in residential districts had a rockier path: the Commission tabled it 4-0 in June, voted 4-0 in July to post it, tabled it again in August, and finally voted 4-0 in September to post the ordinance.