Development Review Division

COVID-19 Response

Hall County understands and recognizes the importance of permitting and inspections to our whole community, and is balancing these critical services with the responsibility we have to help fight the spread of COVID-19. The safety of our citizens and staff is of the utmost importance to us.

The Hall County Government Building is now closed to the public and nonessential employees. Therefore permitting and plan review is delayed at this time. We have established temporary submittal procedures for development plans, plats, and building permits, which is outlined below. We will provide updates as new policies are implemented.

Our office is committed to providing the best service to our stakeholders throughout this period. Please see the below information on how to proceed with you request.

Building Permits:

In order to process your request for a building permit we will need you to provide the following information:

A completed copy of the online submission form, which can be found here.
If you are proposing a new structure or addition to the property we will need a detailed site plan. The site plan is the most important component of your request. The site plan needs to be drawn to an engineering scale that shows the dimensions of the proposed structure and how far this structure is away from all existing structures and property lines. We currently do not have the ability to print the site plans out and so everything must be accurately labeled for us to approve.
A copy of your recorded plat. If you do not have a copy please contact the Deeds and Records room (770-531-7058).
A completed copy the owner authorization form. Please have this filled out, have it notarized, and include a copy of your photo ID and business license, if necessary. This form is only necessary if you are not the property owner. A copy of the form can be found here.

Please submit the completed packet to planning@hallcounty.org for review and processing to ensure compliance with Hall County regulations. A representative from Hall County Planning will let you know we have received the permit request and any additional information that may be needed. If your request can be approved we will email either Hall County Environmental Health or Building Inspections letting them know of our approval. You will be copied on the email so that a representative from their department may contact you to proceed with your request. Please note, approval from Hall County Planning does not mean you have obtained a building permit. Your request must be reviewed and approved, if necessary, by Environmental Health before a building permit can be obtained.

Building Inspections:

Building Inspection offices are closed to the public until further notice. However, our staff is in the office and continuing to support critical public services, including conducting inspections, providing information over the phone, and responding to emails. For general questions or for urgent matters regarding existing permits and building inspections please email, Lamar Carver, lcarver@hallcounty.org or Peggy Pierce, ppierce@hallcounty.org.

Development Review:

Reviews for plans previously submitted are temporarily delayed as we establish new procedures in order to move these projects forward. Development Review Committee members are currently reviewing existing projects from home and will be communicating with applicants directly. For specific questions relating to your project, or questions regarding new projects, please contact Beth Garmon, Development Review Coordinator, at egarmon@hallcounty.org.

Plat Review:

Due to office closures, the plat review process has been modified to allow the continued submittal and review of plats. Please email the plat to planning@hallcounty.org along with the completed forms (Online Permit Application and Environmental Health Plat Review Application). The PDF will be reviewed by Planning, Engineering, and Environmental Health. After the initial review, comments will be provided to the surveyor indicating what revisions will be necessary in order to approve the plat. The surveyor or applicant may then mail at least 3 full-size paper copies of the plat for final approval stamps. Plats should include a mailing label for the return of the stamped plats. Approved plats may also be emailed to the surveyor as a PDF.

The plat review process previously took between 3-4 weeks; please allow additional time as most reviewers and departments are working remotely at this time.

Special Use, Variance, and Rezoning Requests:

New applications for special use permits, variances, and rezoning requests are still be accepted digitally. Please contact Beth Garmon, egarmon@hallcounty.org or Katie Greenway, kgreenway@hallcounty.org to schedule a preapplication phone call. Due to the nature of these requests incomplete applications will not be processed. You will find a link to each of these requests in the navigation menu on the left of this page.

Finally, please feel free to contact planning@hallcounty.org with any additional questions.

Jump To:
Process
Meeting Schedule & Submittal Deadlines
Committee Members
Fees & Steps
Required Plans for Submittal
Checklists & Forms
Plan Format Requirements
FAQs

About the Division

The Development Review Division assists with the review and permitting of large-scale development projects located in unincorporated Hall County. A Land Disturbance Permit (LDP) is required for all commercial and industrial activities which involve the construction of new buildings, grading, construction of infrastructure (new roads or utilities), and commercial additions. A permit is also needed for all industrial and residential subdivision developments including the preliminary construction phase of roads, ponds, utilities, grading, clearing, etc.

We recommend that prior to submitting plans, applicants attend a Development Review meeting. This meeting will give the applicant vital information on the review process, including the number of plans required for review, the timeline and any associated fees. This meeting also provides applicants an opportunity to discuss their project with all departments who will be reviewing their plans. The Development Review meeting is held each Wednesday at 9:00am in the 3^rd floor conference room of the Hall County Government Center.
- Sarah McQuade, Director

Development Review Process

Depending upon the extent of the project, the plans may include existing conditions, soil and erosion measures, grading plans, septic designs, hydrological plans, roadway profiles, storm drain profiles, landscape plans, fire access, traffic studies, water line profiles, etc. Before developing a property in Hall County, plans must be submitted to the Plans Review Coordinator and then reviewed by the Development Review Committee for compliance with local, state, and federal laws. Plans are submitted to the Planning & Development Department and then routed to all other reviewing departments simultaneously so that comments can be made and compiled in a timely and effective manner. Once you submit your permit application, the associated civil plans are reviewed by technical experts to ensure compliance with development codes and regulations. The preliminary review takes two weeks. As each reviewer completes the review, he or she will either approve the plans or return marked-up plans with comments to the Plans Review Coordinator (PRC). Once the review period is complete, the PRC will return comments to the customer for revisions. The number of departmental comments and the time it takes for the engineer, land surveyor or other professionals to address the comments determines the time frame in which a LDP is issued. When the necessary approvals are obtained, a LDP will be issued to begin the development. When the project is approximately 80% constructed, then an as-built can be submitted for review. No Certificate of Occupancy will be issued until the as-built is approved.

Development Review Committee Meeting Schedule & Submittal Deadlines

The Development Review Committee (DRC) consists of members from the Hall County Planning Department, Hall County Traffic Engineering, Hall County Fire Services, Hall County Soil and Water Conservation District, City of Gainesville Water Resources, and Hall County Environmental Health.

The DRC holds weekly meetings every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. at the Hall County Government Center (2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville, Georgia 30504) in the 3^rd floor conference room. During these meeting customers meet with DRC staff and discuss potential development projects.

Plans may also be submitted for review during these meetings. Attendance at the DRC meeting is not mandatory; however, the meeting can be very informative and help you understand the review process as it relates to a particular development. Applicants may also submit plans for distribution in advance of the meeting. Plans submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. each Tuesday will be distributed the following day at the DRC meeting.

Development Review Committee Members

Contact	Department	Phone	Email Address
Beth Garmon	Development Review Coordinator	770.297.5542	egarmon@hallcounty.org
Vanessa Foster	Planning and Development	770.297.2649	vfoster@hallcounty.org
Charles Turner	Planning and Development	770.531.6809	caturner@hallcounty.org
Rebecca Evans	GIS/Addressing	770.531.6809	revans@hallcounty.org
Chad Harper	Environmental Health	770.531.3973	charper@hallcounty.org
Emily McGahee	Environmental Health	770.531.3973	emcgahee@hallcounty.org
John Hornick	Fire Services	770.531.6838	jhornick@hallcounty.org
Scott Puckett	Traffic Engineering	770.531.6800	spuckett@hallcounty.org
Nick Swafford	City of Gainesville Water Resources	770-538-2476	nswafford@gainesville.org
Greg Bell	Soil & Water Conservation District, NRCS	770.531.6827	gregory.bell@ga.usda.gov

Development Review Fees

Project Type	Fee
Commercial Land Disturbance Permit	$400 + $40/disturbed acre
3rd Review Fee	$100
Preliminary Subdivision Plat	$400 + $40/disturbed acre + 40¢/linear foot of new streets
Finial Subdivision Plat	$400 + $10/lot
Revision to Approved Plans	$200
As-built Review	$200

Development Review Steps

The applicant submits the required number of plans to the Plans Review Coordinator (PRC), who will distribute the plans to the appropriate departments. Plans should be submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. Monday for distribution at the Wednesday Development Review meeting (plans may also be submitted at the Wednesday Development Review meeting, but may not be distributed at that time if there are missing components). The first review period is two (2) weeks.
On the Thursday following the two (2) week review period, the PRC coordinator will contact the applicant with comments from the reviewing departments.
After the applicant has addressed all comments, plans may be resubmitted to the PRC for a second review. The resubmitted plans will be distributed at the next development review meeting. Each department then has one (1) week to review the plans to ensure all comments have been addressed.
In certain situations a 3rd review may be required to addressed any outstanding comments. The 3rd review is a one (1) week review.
After all reviews are complete, and signed-off by the individual departments, the coordinator will notify the applicant to provide the final plans for stamping and issuance of a permit. Plans will be distributed to DRC members for final review on Wednesday at the Development Review meeting. Committee members will have two (2) days to review the final plans and sign-off that requirements are met. If approvals have been given by all committee members the LDP will then be issued that Friday.
If your project requires a building permit, please submit four (4) additional full size copies of the cover sheet and site plan sheet(s) for stamping and submittal to Building Inspections.

Required Plans

Departments	Initial Submittal	2nd Submittal	Final Approval
Hall County Planning & Development	- 2 full size plans - 1 hydrology report (digital and hard copy)* - 1 PDF file - 1 AutoCAD file	- 2 full size plans - 1 hydrology report (digital and hard copy)* - 1 PDF file - 1 AutoCAD file	- 2 full size plans - 1 hydrology report (digital and hard copy)* - 2 half-size plans - 1 PDF file - 1 AutoCAD file (Version 2015 or previous)
Hall County Environmental Health	- 1 full size plan	If sheets were changed	- 1 full size plan
Hall County Fire Services	- 1 full size plan	If sheets were changed	- 1 full size plan
Hall County Tax Assessors			- 1 full size plan (final subdivision plats only)
Hall County Traffic Engineering	- 1 full size plan	If sheets were changed	- 1 full size plan
Gainesville Water Resources	- 1 full size plan	If sheets were changed	- 1 full size plan
Soil & Water Conservation District, NRCS**	- 1 full size plan - 1 hydrology report	If sheets were changed	- 1 full size plan
TOTAL	- 7 full size plans - 2 hydrology reports - 1 digital submittal containing the hydrology report, AutoCAD, and .pdf files of plans	- The total number of resubmitted plans will depend on the number of comments received from the first review. - 1 digital submittal containing the hydrology report, AutoCAD, and .pdf files of plans	- 2 half-size plans - 7 full size plans - 4 full size cover and site plan sheets*** - 2 hydrology reports - 1 digital submittal containing the hydrology report, AutoCAD (Version 2015 or previous), and .pdf files

*A hydrology report with water quality spreadsheet will be required if adding over 5,000 sq. ft. of impervious area
**Soil & Water Conservation only needs to review projects within 200 feet of state waters or with over an acre of disturbed area.
*** If your project requires a building permit, please submit four (4) additional full size copies of the cover sheet and site plan sheet(s) for stamping and submittal to Building Inspections.

Checklists

The following checklists provide detailed instructions on completing your application. If you have any questions call the Plans Review Coordinator or the committee member responsible for the area in which you have a question.

Development Review Forms
- Development Review Application
- Hall County Planning & Development:
  - Land Use Division:
  - Civil Review Division:
- Hall County Environmental Health:
- Hall County Traffic Engineering:
  - Access Plan Review Sheet (PDF)
- City of Gainesville Water Resources:
  - Plan Review Checklist (PDF)
  - Final Plat As-Built Checklist (PDF)
- Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD):
  - Land Disturbance Fees Form (PDF)

Plan Formatting: Cover Sheet

A cover sheet shall be included with each application and include the following information:

Project name
Tax parcel identification
Zoning
Vicinity map
Existing site conditions. Provide a description of existing topography, vegetation and drainage areas. Cut and fill calculations, including the area and volume.
Adjacent area information. Provide a description of the features on the surrounding properties. This should adequately describe the properties and environments potentially affected by the planned activities including State waters, current land use, residential areas, roads, etc.
For final plats, leave box for recording stamp. For all other projects, proof of recorded parcel(s).
Construction schedule. A graphical description of how the construction phases will be timed.
A copy of the Hall County Board of Commissioners zoning letter.
Pre-Construction note: See Development Review Forms.
Project description: Description of the nature and purpose of the land disturbing activity including the zoning classification, total size of the project with disturbed area sizes in acres and volume of earth work (include cut and fill calculations).

Additional Information to include in the plans

The following information shall be included in the submitted plans:

Graphic scale, engineers scale.
Applicant information consisting of name, developer’s phone number including 24-hour contact information of person responsible for the development and erosion control.
Civil engineer and surveyor information, name, address, phone number of the engineer and surveyor responsible for the site plans.
Certification. The plans shall carry the signed stamp of a registered or certified professional in engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, land surveying or erosion control.
State waters, stream buffer, wetlands, Corps of Engineers Permit, Environmental Protection Division (EPD) or Hall County buffer variance, etc. Include the statements: “This site (does/does not) contain State Waters requiring an undisturbed 50’ or 100’ buffer. This site (does/does not) contain wetlands requiring a 25’ or 50’ undisturbed buffer.” If a permit or variance is required by the Corps of Engineers and/or the EPD a copy of the approved permit must be attached to the drawings.
Flood plain information. Include the statement: “This property is/is not located within a 100 year flood plain as per FIRM Panel No. ____________________________." and "This property is/is not located within the Hall County Future Flood Zone per Hall County GIS."
Boundary survey including all easements and names of adjacent property owners.
All existing structures.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does “Development Review” work?

Plans are submitted to the Planning Department and then routed to all other reviewing departments simultaneously so that comments can be made and compiled in a timely and effective manner. Once you submit your permit application, the associated civil plans are reviewed by technical experts to ensure compliance with development codes and regulations.

The preliminary review takes two weeks. As each reviewer completes the review, he or she will either approve the plans or return marked-up plans with comments to the Plans Review Coordinator (PRC). Once the review period is complete, the PRC will return comments to the customer for revisions.

How do I know if my project requires Development Review?

The review process is required for commercial projects, multi-family developments, industrial projects, major subdivisions, and institutional projects. If you are unsure if your project will require a review contact Sarah McQuade, Plans Review Coordinator, at 770.297.5544 or email Sarah.

Do I have to attend the Development Review meeting?

Attendance at the Development Review meeting is not mandatory; however, the meeting can be very informative and help you understand the review process as it relates to a particular development.

I submitted for Development Review, but my plans weren’t approved. Now what?

Many projects require resubmittals. Revise your plans to satisfy the comments from the reviewers and then resubmit to the Plans Review Coordinator who will redistribute them to the Development Review Committee.