Atlanta ZRB July 9: Beltline rezoning + billboard/worship asks—what to watch

Atlanta’s Zoning Review Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Atlanta City Council Chambers (second floor), 55 Trinity Avenue. The July 9 docket includes several Beltline-related overlay rezonings, plus a digital changing billboard request and a special-use request for a place of worship.

If you live or work near the parcels listed on the agenda—such as 1425/1475 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard NW, 1200 White Street SW, and 1151 Arlington Avenue SW—the proposed zoning language and any staff-recommended deferrals are worth reviewing before the hearing.

Hearing logistics: time, location, and how to add documents to the record

Zoning Review Board public hearings are held in City Council Chambers at 55 Trinity Avenue. For the July 9 meeting, briefing starts at 5:00 p.m. and the public hearing begins at 6:00 p.m. Members of the public may attend the briefing, but they may not participate or present during that time.

To help ensure your materials are included in the official record, the City allows residents to email documents by submitting to zrb-hearings@atlantaga.gov by 2:00 p.m. the day before the public hearing.

After each hearing, the City updates the ZRB agenda to show the action taken by the Board. That’s the place to check for the final outcome after July 9.

Beltline overlay rezonings on the July 9 docket (addresses to match)

The July 9 agenda includes three Beltline-overlay rezonings that target different zoning districts while keeping a Beltline overlay component tied to each site:

• Z-26-33 (1425 & 1475 Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard NW): Staff recommends approval. The request would rezone from I-2/BL/UPWO and MR-2-C/BL/UPWO to MRC-3/BL/UPWO for the two Ellsworth parcels.
• Z-26-34 (1200 White Street SW): Staff recommends a 90-day deferral to October 2026. The request would rezone from I-MIX/BL to MRC-3/BL for the White Street parcel.
• Z-26-35 (1151 Arlington Avenue SW; Oakland City Historic District/Beltline Overlay): Staff recommends a 30-day deferral to August 2026. The request would rezone from R-4A/HD20M/BL to R-5/HD20M/BL.

What to watch: For any of these cases, compare the proposed zoning language in the agenda with the staff recommendation shown in the staff packet—especially where staff is asking to carry the case forward via a deferral.

Other land-use items: digital billboards and a place-of-worship special use

• Digital changing billboard request — Z-26-32 (501 Cleveland Circle SW): This item would authorize construction of two digital changing billboard faces at 501 Cleveland Circle SW. In the staff packet, the City’s Office of Zoning & Development recommends denial.
• Place of worship special use — U-26-09 (1775 Buckeye Street SW): This case asks for a special use permit for a place of worship at 1775 Buckeye Street SW. The staff packet notes the applicant requested a deferral, and that staff is supportive, with a 30-day deferral recommended to August 2026.

What to watch: With special-use items, timing can move slower when deferrals are involved. Even if staff is supportive, the Board’s action is what matters.

Deferred vs. new: what the July 9 agenda shows for Z-26-06 in Adair Park

One of the “deferred cases” listed for July 9 is Z-26-06, which would amend the SPI-21 Historic West End/Adair Park regulations to provide an exception to a spacing requirement within Subarea 9 (Adair Park Live/Work) of SPI-21.

The key reader takeaway here is the label: because Z-26-06 appears under “Deferred Cases” on the July 9 agenda, it is being carried forward from a prior process step rather than introduced as a brand-new item.

What happens next after July 9

The Zoning Review Board considers rezonings and special use permits and, for rezonings, makes recommendations on rezonings to the Zoning Committee of the Atlanta City Council. After the July 9 hearing, the City’s ZRB materials will reflect the action taken by the Board, and the updated record is where residents should confirm whether cases were approved, deferred, or otherwise handled differently than staff suggested.

Sources

• City of Atlanta — Zoning Review Board (ZRB) public hearing schedule, rules, and how to submit to the record