Augusta's first full zoning rewrite since 1963: new districts, backyard cottages and short-term rental limits. The survey closes Nov. 1; the Augusta Commission votes last.

The Augusta Planning Commission held a special called meeting and public hearing on the city’s new zoning ordinance on Wednesday, Oct. 21. It is the first full rewrite of Augusta’s zoning rules since 1963.

Updated Oct. 22: The city posted a revised Oct. 14 Planning Commission draft before the hearing. As of Thursday afternoon it had not published the commission’s recommendation or a date for the Augusta Commission’s vote. The draft would allow short-term rentals only downtown, on agricultural land and in two mixed-use districts: read what that means.

The draft has been out for public review since Sept. 22. It runs to 358 pages. Both the date and the meeting are listed on the city’s Zoning Ordinance Rewrite page.

Residents can also have their say in a short city survey. It closes Sunday, Nov. 1.

Why it matters

Zoning decides what can be built on every lot in Augusta and Richmond County. It sets what a property can be used for, how big a building can be and how close it can sit to the street.

The city said the current rules were last fully rewritten in 1963, in its announcement of the survey. They have been amended many times since. The current ordinance on the city’s site is the November 2019 version.

The rewrite is led by the consultants White Smith Cousino with Augusta Planning and Development and the Augusta Regional Transportation Study. It is meant to line the rules up with the city’s comprehensive plan, Envision Augusta.

What the draft would change

These points come from the Sept. 22 public review draft.

New district names. Land in a current district that is revised or removed would move into a new district automatically on the day the ordinance takes effect. A conversion table at the back of the draft shows where each current district would land. The proposed residential districts are:

  • Agricultural (AG)
  • Estate Residential (ER)
  • Large Suburban Residential (LSR)
  • Standard Suburban Residential (SSR)
  • Manufactured Home Residential (MHR)
  • Middle Neighborhood (MN)
  • Neighborhood Residential (NR)
  • Townhouse Residential (TH)
  • Residential Multi-Family (R-MF)
  • High-Density Residential (HDR)

The draft also proposes Downtown and Medical Mixed-Use districts, and overlays for historic preservation, the Savannah River corridor and transit-oriented development.

Backyard cottages and garage apartments. The draft adds a new section allowing accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. Under the draft:

  • an ADU can be attached to the house, built behind it or converted from an existing garage or outbuilding
  • the owner must live in the main house or the ADU
  • the ADU cannot be sold separately or used as a short-term rental, unless the ordinance allows it elsewhere
  • the lot must be at least 2,500 square feet
  • on a lot of an acre or less, an ADU can be no bigger than 500 square feet, and never more than half the size of the main house
  • each ADU gets its own street address

Nothing is final. The adoption date in the draft is still blank, and the Augusta Commission has the final vote.

Data center rules already passed

One piece of the zoning work is already done. The rewrite page lists the Augusta Commission’s approval of a separate data center ordinance on Sept. 15. It sets siting and operating standards for data centers in five size classes, from accessory to campus, according to the final draft.

What it means for you

  • Take the survey by Sunday, Nov. 1. It has 10 questions, is anonymous and takes a few minutes. Open the city’s zoning survey.
  • Follow the next step. The Augusta Commission has the final vote. Check the rewrite page for the hearing date.
  • Watch the Sept. 24 public meeting if you missed it. The city posted the video on YouTube.
  • Look up your lot on the city’s AugustaStats maps to see its current zoning, then find the matching new district in the draft’s appendix.
  • Ask Planning and Development at 535 Telfair St., Suite 300, or call 706-821-1796.
  • Our building permits and zoning guide explains how rezoning and permits work today.