A conversation with Jahnee Prince, Commissioner of the Department of City Planning

Jim Durrett, president and CEO of The Buckhead Coalition sits down with Jahnee Prince, Commissioner of the Department of City Planning.

 

Q: You came to the City of Atlanta as our new Commissioner of City Planning in September of last year, having served in both the public and private sectors for many years. And I should say right here that you and I have known each other for quite a few years.

Tell me something about what you learned early on and one thing that you worked on that most people wouldn’t be aware of.

A: I was very pleased to discover that the staff is really, really good. They are smart, they know what they are doing, they care, and they are passionate and hard-working. We just don’t have enough of them!

One of the first things we worked on was getting our permitting process straightened out.

We had a big backlog of permits. We cleared about 3,000 permits in seven weeks.

And how did we do it? We made some big changes in processes and software, and we provided educational opportunities for the staff.

We’ve got a very talented team of people. They received some additional training and utilized that training while working every Saturday for seven weeks to clear the backlog.

It has never been easier to get a permit in the City of Atlanta than it is today.

 

Q: During the pandemic, the City tried going through a rezoning process. The City is growing and we need more housing to accommodate that growth. To say that during a pandemic is a less-than-ideal time to meaningfully engage the public and propose changes to the zoning ordinance that would impact neighborhoods would be a massive understatement. One of Buckhead’s signature qualities is its beautiful, stable single-family neighborhoods.

What is your approach to maintaining that quality while finding opportunities to provide more housing?

A: In the City of Atlanta, we have and will continue to have an array of options for residential zoning.  That includes everything from larger lot single-family zoning to high-rise condos/apartments—and everything in between.  We aren’t planning for that to change.

We do need more housing, particularly in the areas that have jobs and in areas that have easy access to jobs. Right now, we are looking to our arterial corridors and transit station areas for those opportunities.

 

Q: Now that you have gone through a new period of public engagement during the first part of 2023 to update the zoning ordinance, what are the steps to complete the process and are there more opportunities for public input?

A: Based on the input of City of Atlanta residents and property owners given through the public engagement process so far, our consultants are drafting the first sections of the Zoning Ordinance.

As each section is completed, it will be posted on the website for the public to review.

They can go to https://atlzoning.com/ to learn more. There will be a way to offer feedback online on the drafted sections as they are ready.