Roswell, Georgia Limits Multi-Family Development Despite Affordability Concerns

The City Council of Roswell, Georgia approved changes this month to the city's unified development code (UDC) to limit the construction of new apartment buildings, in an attempt to spur the development of "higher-cost live, work, play destinations in that would resemble developments in the nearby city of Alpharetta," according to an article by Adrianne Murchison.

The changes to the UDC approved by the Roswell City Council, without feedback from the public, include limits on multi-family housing and excluding new apartment developments in certain commercially zoned areas, reports Murchison. "Other changes require mixed-used developments to have more than 50% of space dedicated to business and no multi-family units on the ground floor."

Murchison also reports that numerous city council members voiced concern that the proposed changes to Roswell's UDC would negatively affect lower income residents before the council voted to approve the changes.