The Peachtree Corners City Council voted recently to approve a zoning change that will regulate the maximum size and height of residential accessory structures. Accessory structures are only permitted in rear yards with exceptions like mailboxes, driveways, walkways, lamp posts, landscaping, and vegetable gardens provided they do not exceed 30 percent of the front yard.

The new guidelines are dictated by the size and number of stories of the primary residence and apply to storage buildings, patios, swimming pools, dog runs, dog pens and houses, detached garages, tennis courts and playground equipment.

For one-story homes, accessory structures may not exceed 50 percent of the habitable square footage of the primary structure or 800 square feet, whichever is less and may not exceed one story or 16 feet in height, whichever is less. The new structure needs to be set back from the property line at least five feet unless provided by other zoning.

With two or more stories, the accessory structure ground floor area can not exceed 50 percent of the habitable square footage of the primary structure or 800 square feet, whichever is less and not exceed two stories or 30 feet in height, whichever is less. Two-story accessory structures must be set back at least 15 feet from any property line unless authorized by other zoning.

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

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