The Cobb County Zoning Division has jurisdiction over properties located within unincorporated Cobb County. Each of the County’s Cities’ regulates zoning within their respective city limits. Please refer to the Cobb County Main Web page for links to all six of the County’s Cities.
Please see the Community Development home page for downloadable Zoning Block Maps and the Future Land Use Map, as well as other planning and zoning related documents and studies.
Zoning Certification Letters are available from Cobb County. It is required you provide the County with a site plan or survey drawn to scale by a registered surveyor, architect or engineer. The site plan or survey should tie into Land Lots, Districts or Rights of Way wherever possible. A legal description of the property is also required. Please call 770-528-2016 to obtain information regarding fees and time frames.
Chapter 134 of the Cobb County Code contains the Zoning Code. The Zoning Code specifically regulates the use of land on a by-parcel basis. Every parcel of land in Cobb has one (1) of forty four (44) zoning districts which regulate the types of land uses, height of structures, etc. Each of these districts has a purpose and intent section which specifies that the district is established to provide locations for uses which are located within one (1) of the thirteen (13) Future Land Use Categories.
Brief explanations of Future Land Use Categories are as follows:
Regional Activity Center - provide for areas that can support a high intensity of development which serves a regional market. Typical uses include high-rise office buildings, malls and varying densities of residential development.
Community Activity Center - provide for areas that can meet the immediate needs of several neighborhoods or communities. Typical uses include low to mid-rise office buildings and department stores.
Neighborhood Activity Center - provide for areas that serve neighborhood residents and businesses. Typical uses include small offices, limited retail and grocery stores.
Industrial Compatible - provide for areas that can support light industrial, office/warehouse, and distribution uses. Typical uses include professional business parks and distribution centers.
Industrial - provide for areas that can support heavy industrial and manufacturing uses. Typical uses include plants which convert raw materials into a finished product.
Public/Institutional - provide for state, federal or local government use and institutional land uses such as government building complexes, police and fire stations, colleges, churches.
Park/Recreation/Conservation - provide for land dedicated to active or passive recreation uses. Conservation: a sub-category for permanently protected land dedicated to passive recreation and protection of water quality, wetlands, stream banks, riparian buffers, scenic views, historic and archaeological resources.
Transportation/Communication/Utilities - provide for uses such as power generation plants, railroad facilities, telephone switching stations, airports, etc.
Rural Residential - The purpose of the Rural Residential category is to provide for areas that are suitable for Cobb County’s lowest density housing development. Such areas include those difficult to sewer, furthest from major activity centers, public services, and transportation corridors, or have particular sensitive environment features or scenic value. The Rural Residential category provides for development that is zero (0) to one (1) unit per acre.
Very Low Density Residential - The purpose of the Very Low Density Residential category is to provide for areas that are suitable for very low density housing, particularly in locations which may not have basic services such as sewer, or where the existing or desired residential development pattern is zero to two (2) dwelling units per acre.
Low Density Residential - The purpose of the Low Density Residential category is to provide for areas that are suitable for low density housing between one (1) and two and one-half (2.5) dwelling units per acre, and non supportive senior living housing that in certain circumstances may reach five (5) dwelling units per acre, depending on existing conditions such as product type and mix, structure/building height, tract size, topographic conditions, etc in order to provide compatibility with adjacent residential uses.(Amendment of January 25, 2005) This category presents a range of densities.
Medium Density Residential - The purpose of the Medium Density Residential category is to provide for areas that are suitable for moderate density housing between two and one-half (2.5) and five (5) dwelling units per acre. This category presents a range of densities, and proposals are encouraged to develop at densities similar to existing residential subdivisions, to protect the stability and character of existing residential areas.
High Density Residential - The purpose of the High Density Residential category is to provide for areas that are suitable for higher density housing between five (5) and twelve (12) dwelling units per acre. Density on any particular site should be sensitive to surrounding areas and should offer a reasonable transition of land use.
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