City updates residents on 'Next Chapter' comprehensive plan; early engagement shows strong interest in preserving neighborhood character

Sandy Springs officials and consultants on Tuesday offered the first public update on the city's comprehensive-plan revision, called the "Next Chapter," saying the process will run through mid-2027 and is currently focused on a month-long community engagement phase.

Kurtie, the RHI principal leading the plan update, told the council the project remains on a roughly one-year schedule with a submission target of June 2027 and a public engagement cadence of monthly leadership meetings and public events. "We have already reached 400 people at the pop-ups," Kurtie said, "we had already completed 12 plus stakeholder meetings, 94 participants at public meeting number one, 1,700 unique visitors to the website and over 3,200 comments." The consultant emphasized these metrics are preliminary and will be refined as additional survey data arrives.

The presentation highlighted recurring themes from early feedback: preservation of neighborhood character, walkability, tree-canopy protection, concerns about the pace of multifamily construction, revitalization of aging commercial properties (notably along Roswell Road), housing affordability for young families and seniors, and expanded parks and trails. Council members pressed staff on survey design and outreach. One councilor asked that questions about tax increases be framed for renters as monthly amounts to make potential park-bond implications clearer.

Staff and consultants said further data is forthcoming: a statistically valid mail survey and a conjoint survey will be published this week, and a second public meeting is scheduled for August 17 (south end) and August 20 (police headquarters). The city plans sustained pop-ups and stakeholder meetings through the fall and winter as draft policies are developed. The next public presentation to the council and additional advisory-committee sessions were also scheduled as part of the process.

The update signals city officials will continue to weigh trade-offs between preserving residential character and directing growth to commercial corridors; staff cautioned that recommendations remain fluid pending further input and the statistically valid survey results.