Alpharetta's Unified Development Code (Article II — Use of Land and Structures) sets maximum lot coverage and impervious surface limits by zoning district. In the R-15 single-family residential district, the maximum impervious surface is 35% of the lot. The city also requires soil-infiltration testing for any new project in the Residential Overlay District that adds 1,000 to 5,000 square feet of impervious area.
Alpharetta regulates impervious lot coverage through its Unified Development Code (UDC), Article II (Use of Land and Structures), Section 2.3 (Surface Requirements) and the development-standards tables in Appendix A. For typical low-density single-family lots zoned R-15, the maximum impervious coverage is 35%. Higher-density residential and mixed-use districts have different caps — check the table for AG, R-12, R-8, R-6, and other zones. The city operates a Residential Overlay District (Appendix B) that adds stormwater and tree-canopy mitigation requirements, including required soils infiltration testing for development that adds between 1,000 and 5,000 square feet of new impervious area. The Board of Adjustment has authority to grant lot-coverage variances on a case-by-case basis (one approved variance increased R-15 coverage from 35% to 40%).
Exceeding the maximum impervious coverage without an approved variance is a zoning violation. Penalties include stop-work orders, citation by Code Enforcement, required removal of excess impervious surface, and stormwater-mitigation requirements. Applicants who need more coverage must apply for a variance through the Alpharetta Board of Adjustment.
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