The Brookhaven City Council had a second read of the Chapter 27 Zoning ordinance, in which interim city attorney Bill Riley said was the same as DeKalb County, but including overlay districts that council could make a motion to remove.

Council voted to adopt the ordinance Jan. 15 after a public hearing, and subsequently remove the overlay districts, which includes portions of land not in the city of Brookhaven. Included in the code, developers would be required to meet with subdivisions and homeowners’ associations within 500 feet of a proposed development first before going before the planning commission.

Councilwoman Rebecca Chase Williams commented the council wants to make sure there is enough public notice to residents of any potential future development. Acting City Manager Marie Garrett assured council there would be no approval of plats of land until staff receives proof that a meeting with neighborhoods took place.

During the special called meeting, which followed the public hearing, council also voted again on the approval of the sexually oriented business ordinance for code of ordinances for the city of Brookhaven.

Councilmembers reiterated the ordinance was the same as the current DeKalb County ordinance, with a few slight word changes.

Councilman Bates Mattison said the intent is to protect future development for the city of Brookhaven.

“We have very few commercial areas and we need to protect the value of the area,” said Mattison.

Jim Eyre, District 2 city councilman, added the ordinance is not just for one particular type of business, but it covers a broad range that could potentially locate in Brookhaven.

“Our ordinance does the same as DeKalb County’s,” said Mayor J. Max Davis. “But in a more thoughtfully-written way. We have a duty to have thoughtful deliberation on everything we adopt.”

City council also read and adopted the one-read ordinance on water, sewer and sewage disposal. Riley said the city was required to pass a water and sewer ordinance, but Brookhaven’s does not include the low-flow toilet revision that DeKalb County has.

Basically, residents do not have to exchange all of their toilets to low-flow toilets before selling a house, which is a stipulation in DeKalb’s ordinance. Davis said this would be temporary, and they would have to look at other ways to conserve water.