During the June 29, 2026, Open Forum meeting, members of the public had the opportunity to share their questions, concerns, and ideas during Open Forum. Below is a summary of the questions raised and the responses provided by City staff and leadership. This recap is intended to keep residents informed and to ensure that the issues raised by our community continue to receive the attention they deserve.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING APPROACH
Question: If the Mayor is not actively leading economic development, who is, and what does that accountability structure look like?
Answer: Under the City Charter, the Mayor serves as the chief executive officer and the official spokesperson for the City, including on economic development matters. The City Administrator, appointed by the Mayor and Council, is the City’s chief administrative and operational officer and is accountable to the governing body for implementing Council policy and supervising City departments, including the Economic Development function. The Mayor and Council set the vision and policy direction; staff executes and reports progress to the governing body.
Question: Who has the Mayor’s ear on housing and development policy?
Answer: The Mayor and Council have final say on all major economic development projects in Roswell. The Mayor receives input from a range of sources, including City staff, regional partners, and residents, and has consistently expressed her commitment to making Roswell the best city in Georgia to live, work, and play.
Question: How do you reconcile a Council that campaigned on opposing new apartments with a Comprehensive Plan update that appears to move in a pro-multifamily direction?
Answer: The current draft of the Comprehensive Plan does not propose any changes to single-family zoning districts, and it includes explicit policy direction to maintain low-density areas and protect existing, stable single-family neighborhoods. The draft’s work program includes a review of zoning provisions for senior and missing middle housing beginning in 2027 and a housing market assessment in 2028. Any zoning changes that might result from those efforts would require a separate public process and approval by Mayor and Council.
RIVERFRONT PROPERTY APPROACH
Question: Is Council or staff open to commercial activity, such as food and beverage trucks or outdoor recreation, on private riverfront property not owned by the City?
Answer: The Conservation Zoning district currently does not allow commercial activity except that related to boat rental. Staff follows the policy and code regulations as currently stated. If Council decides to change policy, they will initiate a text amendment and direct staff accordingly.
Question: Is pursuing a variance a realistic and worthwhile path forward for this type of use, or is there a better mechanism available?
Answer: Please meet with our Planning and Zoning Staff (770-817-6720 or e-mail PlanningandZoning@roswell.gov). Typically, there is not an option to request a variance for a use.
RIVERSIDE ROAD CONSTRUCTION
Question: Can the multi-use trail design for Riverside Road be reconsidered to use a more natural, lower-impact approach rather than steel barriers and 24-hour lighting?
Answer:
• For the current Riverside Road project about to go under construction (from SR9 to Old Alabama Road): This project design is complete and is unlikely to have any major changes. The design was developed based on community outreach and involvement during the Project Concept phase prior to any design work. The plans for this project do not include any steel barriers. Roadway lighting will be installed at the roundabout and pedestrian lighting will be installed; however, the lights are only expected to be on at night.
• For the section of road proposed as part of the 2026 Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) (from Old Alabama Road headed south): If TSPLOST is approved by voters in November 2026, there will be a significant amount of public outreach and involvement to define what will be constructed as part of the initial project concept phase.
Question: How will increased traffic from the Highway 9 underpass project affect Riverside Road, and what traffic-calming measures are planned in response?
Answer: The work identified by the speaker as the “Highway 9 underpass project” is a part of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Historic Gateway project and is essentially grade separating the existing SR 9 at the Riverside/Azalea signalized intersection. This work will improve the safety of that intersection. The City will continue to monitor traffic conditions on Riverside Road as the GDOT project advances. No additional traffic-calming measures are planned at this time except for the improvements being installed as part of the corridor improvements on Riverside Road between SR 9 and Old Alabama Road.
DATA CENTER ZONING
Question: Should CH zoning (Highway 9) be reinstated in the data center use overlay, and what is the current staff recommendation following the June 16 Planning Commission discussion?
Answer: Staff is bringing forward to City Council findings that support narrowing the zoning districts that allow data centers to Light Industrial only by a Conditional Use approval, in compliance with a series of criteria. For small data facilities requiring 1 MW to 5 MW of power, staff is bringing to Council findings that facilities with substantial data storage needs that do not require industrial-scale equipment (such as hospitals or large professional firms) could be considered appropriate in the OP zoning district.
Question: Can the inconsistency between OR/OP office district designations and the Comprehensive Plan be resolved before the data center ordinance moves forward?
Answer: Staff has reviewed the districts and does not find an inconsistency; however, the City is planning to do a full assessment of the Unified Development Code (UDC) starting under this year’s budget.
