South Fulton, GA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Base conservation subdivision density
- 80% of net buildable area density
- Bonus trigger
- Open space above 40% of project acreage
- R-5A bonus rate
- 10 additional lots per acre
- R-1 bonus rate
- 0.5 additional lots per acre
- Absolute density ceiling
- 95% of net buildable area density
- Governing provision
- Subdivision Regs, Appendix D, Art. VI § 6.9
Summary
South Fulton awards density bonuses to Conservation Subdivisions that protect more open space than the code otherwise requires. Under Subdivision Regulations Appendix D, Article VI, Section 6.9, a project that sets aside more than 40 percent of its acreage as permanent open space earns additional lots per protected acre, on a sliding scale running from a half lot in the R-1 district to ten lots per acre in R-5A.
6.9 - CONSERVATION SUBDIVISION DENSITY BONUSES The number of lots in a Conservation Subdivision may exceed the number of lots as specified in section 6.9 with one or more of the following bonus options: A.A density increase is permitted when more than 40% of the total acreage of the project is designated as permanent, protected open space. For each additional whole acre, greater than 40 percent, additional lots or units may be developed as follows... C.Dedication of land for a public use, excluding roads and utility easements, shall entitle an owner to an additional unit per acre of dedicated land...D.At no time shall the number of lots exceed 95% of the net buildable area's density allowed by zoning.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
South Fulton's density bonus lives in the city's Conservation Subdivision Ordinance, Appendix D, Article VI of the Code of Ordinances, not in the base Zoning Ordinance. 8 first caps an ordinary conservation subdivision at 80% of the net buildable area's density allowed by zoning, with net buildable area defined as total acreage minus primary conservation areas such as wetlands, floodplain and steep slopes over 25%. 9 then lets a developer earn that density back, and more, through three bonus options. 5 additional lots per acre in the two-acre-minimum R-1 district up to ten additional lots per acre in the small-lot R-5A district, with R-2 through R-4A falling between those figures.
Option B lets a developer buy additional protected land within one mile of the project in lieu of adding more on-site open space, using the same per-acre bonus schedule, provided that land is placed under a conservation easement held by the City or another qualified holder. Option C credits an owner with one additional dwelling unit for every acre dedicated to public use, excluding roads and utility easements, subject to City or Fulton County Board of Education approval. 9(D) sets a hard ceiling: the total lot count can never exceed 95% of the net buildable area's density allowed by the underlying zoning district.
Violations & Fines
A Conservation Subdivision plat that exceeds the 95% net-buildable-area density ceiling in Section 6.9(D), or that claims a bonus lot count without recording the matching conservation easement or restrictive covenant required elsewhere in Article VI, will not receive final plat approval from the Director of Community Development and Regulatory Affairs, and a Land Disturbance Permit will not issue until the open space protections are properly recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does South Fulton's density bonus work for conservation subdivisions?
What is the maximum density bonus available in South Fulton?
Can I buy land elsewhere instead of adding open space to get the density bonus?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in South Fulton
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Density Bonus Law in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle density bonus law.