Site Plan Review

In accordance with House Bill 461, Cobb County will be changing the way permitting fees are calculated. Fees will no longer be calculated solely based on job costs. The updated fee schedule is calculated based on square footage and flat fees. This change will take effect on 7/1/2024.

Land Disturbance Permit Processes

1. Wednesday: Plan Submittal Day
   1. Applicant submits plan set to Community Development Site Plan Review e-Plan portal
      1. Access the e-Plan portal
         
      1. Cover Sheet
      2. Site Plan
      3. Grading Plan
      4. Storm drainage plan and profiles
      5. Sanitary sewer plan and profiles
      6. Tree plan
      7. Street plan and profiles
      8. Erosion control plans and details
      9. Hydrology report
         
      1. Reviewers include representatives from:
         1. Storm Water Management
         2. Water Systems
         3. Planning Division
         4. Department of Transportation
         5. Zoning Division
         6. Arborist
         7. Fire Department
         8. Erosion Control
            
         1. Applicant receives staff comments and marked drawings from Site Plan Review staff
            
         1. Applicant revises plans in response to staff comments. The Applicant then must send revised plans (PDF) to each reviewer.
            
         1. Once all departments have given preliminary approval, applicant uploads revised plans into the e-Plan system.
            
         1. Site Plan Review Coordinator distributes the uploaded revised plans to review departments for final review. Reviewers verify that plans in the e-Plan system match what was provided in PDF format.
            
         1. Project is eligible for final stamping once all departments have confirmed project eligibility. Reviewers apply their department approval stamp. The Site Plan Review Coordinator notifies the applicant of final approval and availability or plan download.
            
         1. The Applicant downloads plans and supplies hard copy sets and Permit Fees to the Site Plan Review Division at 1150 Powder Springs Street, Suite
         Site Plan Review Forms

         Unless otherwise exempted, all land-disturbing activities in unincorporated Cobb County must be regulated via the issuance of a Land Disturbance Permit (LDP). The Site Plan Review Section coordinates the review and approval process for all site construction documents submitted to Cobb County for a LDP.

         All LDPs are issued by the Site Plan Review Section under the issuing authority of the Community Development Agency.

         There are three types of land disturbance permits:

         1. Clearing Only: allows for trees to be cut and removed. Tree stumps may not be extracted, nor is any other type of soil disturbance permitted.
         2. Grading Only: allows for tree removal as well as site grading. Full erosion and sediment control methods must be implemented, and no infrastructure may be installed.
         3. Full Site: allows for tree removal, site grading, and installation of project infrastructure.
         Submit a Land Disturbance Permit Application

         Electronic Submittal

         Applicants submit plans for review by uploading them directly into the Cobb Electronic Plan Review (ePlan) system. Once the plans are accepted for review by Cobb County, applicants will receive comments and red-lined plans electronically upon completion of staff review. After all departmental review comments have been addressed, applicants will upload revised plans for final approval. Once all departments have stamped the plans, they will be available for download and printing. View instructions for ACA and ePlan

         NOTICE: ACA stands for Accela Citizens Access. This page is for registration purposes and to create or continue applications. The ePlan portal is for uploading documents, receiving feedback from reviewers, and editing projects after review cycles. ACA and ePlan are linked, and run parallel to one another. The username created for the ACA page MUST BE IDENTICAL to the username used for the ePlan portal. For example: "password" and "password1" will result in an error. Spaces and punctuation are included: "Pass word" is NOT identical to "password".

         Applicants may experience unusually long review cycles due to current staffing shortages among various reviewing agencies. Site Plan Review Staff is unable to predict a timeline for your project. Thank you for your patience.

         For questions, please contact the Site Plan Review Section at (770) 528-2147.

         Plat Review

         Cobb County requires that the subdivision of land into two or more parcels or lots shall be platted in accordance with the Georgia Plat Act and electronically filed with the Cobb County Clerk of Superior Court. The Site Plan Review (SPR) section coordinates the plat review and approval for e-filing for commercial and residential projects. The applicant e-files the signed, approved plat.

         The process:

         1. One paper copy of the plat, a plat review application, and associated fees are submitted to SPR to initiate the review process.
         2. The plat is distributed to applicable County departments for comments.
         3. SPR compiles the departmental comments are provides them to the surveyor for revisions.
         4. The surveyor will email a pdf of the revised plat to each department for re-review.
         5. Once each department has verified that all comments have been addresses, the surveyor takes the paper plat to Cobb County Water System (CCWS) for signature (if required, a signature from the Environmental Health Division is obtained first).
         6. The signed paper plat is provided to SPR, which will then obtain all other required signatures.
         7. Once all signatures are obtained, SPR scans and emails a pdf of the signed plat to the surveyor.
         8. The surveyor e-files the plat with Cobb County Clerk of Superior Court for recording.
         9. The surveyor must email a pdf of the recorded plat to SPR before any building permits can be issued.
         Building Permit Review

         The Site Plan Review Section reviews individual single family lot plans, building additions, swimming pools, retaining walls, decks, and accessory structures. These plans are compared to the civil engineer plans and final plat for the subdivision to ensure compliance with the Tree Ordinance, State water buffer guidelines, Stormwater Management guidelines, and other Cobb County regulations. In addition, staff verifies that the proposed project does not encroach into or conflict with any overhead or underground utility line or easement.

         Cobb County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Cobb strictly regulates development in or near the 100 year Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Compliance with SFHA restrictions is confirmed via the use of the FEMA elevation certificate. During permit reviews, SPR staff verifies that the proposed building project meets or exceeds minimum floor elevations as shown on the subdivision final plat. A condition is then placed on the permit which requires that an elevation certificate be provided to SPR staff before a framing inspection can occur.

         County Tree Ordinance

         The Site Plan Review Section administers the County's Tree Ordinance. A County Arborist and Landscape Architect review projects for compliance with this ordinance and other environmentally related regulations.

         These regulations may include the following:

         • Storm drainage
         • Erosion
         • Sedimentation control
         • Wetlands
         • Threatened endangered species
         • State or county required stream buffers
         • Zoning required landscape buffers

         Enforcement of the Tree Ordinance typically involves several steps:

         1. Preliminary consultations with design professionals and developers
         2. Plan review and site visit(s)
            • During the Site Plan Review Process
         3. Once the permit has been issued, staff monitors the project while it is under construction to ensure compliance with the approved Tree Protection and Replacement Plan.
         4. Post-construction inspection of tree plantings and/or tree save areas to ensure that the ordinance requirements have been satisfied.
         5. Certificate of Occupancy issued

         For commercial projects, maintenance inspections are performed approximately 18-30 months after final inspections are completed to ensure all trees are alive and healthy.