A Johns Creek homeowner wants to build stone steps inside a protected stream buffer. The city's Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) will hear the request Tuesday, Oct. 20.
Neil Smith, the petitioner on case V-26-0015, is asking the board for permission to construct stone steps inside the 75-foot stream buffer at 10390 Forest Bridge Drive, according to the BZA meeting agenda. The property is zoned R-3 Conditional, a single-family dwelling district.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers at 11360 Lakefield Drive.
Johns Creek requires property owners near streams to maintain a 50-foot undisturbed vegetative buffer plus an additional 25-foot impervious surface setback, for a total protected zone of 75 feet from the stream bank. The rule falls under Chapter 109 of the city's Code of Ordinances, which governs natural resources and environmental protection. Any construction inside that zone requires a variance from the BZA.
No staff report for Smith's case appears in the city's published meeting materials. In two earlier stream buffer cases this year, V-26-0002 in March and V-26-0004 in April, city staff recommended approval with conditions that capped the allowed encroachment distance and required a vegetative planting plan to offset the disturbance.
The board has handled more than a dozen variance cases in 2026. Every case that reached a vote between March and September was approved with conditions, according to the BZA's meeting records. That track record does not guarantee a similar outcome for Smith's request.
The city's BZA webpage also lists two additional October cases: V-26-0016 at 330 Laketrail Drive and V-26-0017 at 513 Butler National Drive. Details on those requests were not included.
The seven-member board is chaired by Sandeep Adhipathi, with Edward Steiner serving as vice chair.
Residents who need accessibility accommodations can contact City Clerk Allison Tarpley at 678-512-3212 at least seven working days before the meeting. The board can also be reached at 678-512-3293 or by email at [email protected].
The next scheduled BZA meeting after Oct. 20 is Tuesday, Nov. 17.
