South Fulton, GA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

The Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission, created under Sec. 5-7001 with eight appointed members plus the planning director and building official as nonvoting ex officio members, can recommend that a place, district, site, building, structure or work of art be designated 'highly significant endangered,' a 'historic and cultural landmark,' a 'demolition delay' site, or a historic and cultural landmark district under Sec. 5-7004(2). Actual designation happens only when the city council adopts an ordinance meeting Sec. 5-7007's requirements: the ordinance must show the property or district on the official zoning map, describe the property, name its owners, and require a certificate of appropriateness before any material exterior change.

Before adoption, the commission must investigate and report on the property's significance, sending that report to the state Division of Historic Preservation for a 30-day comment period. The commission and city must then hold a public hearing, with notice published at least three times in the paper of general circulation and mailed to owners between 10 and 20 days before the hearing. Within 30 days of adoption, owners and occupants must get written notice of the designation. Once designated, Sec. 5-7008 bars any material exterior change without commission approval of a certificate of appropriateness, reviewed under the standards in Sec. 5-7009. The commission must act within 45 days or the application is automatically approved.