Forsyth County Updates: Proposed County-Initiated Rezoning & Residential Development Moratorium
Forsyth County is taking steps that significantly restrict how and where future growth can occur, these actions directly impact the property rights and land values of local landowners.
Two major county-led initiatives now influence whether undeveloped or residentially zoned land can be built, marketed, or even sold. Understanding these restrictions is essential for landowners and investors whose ability to develop or realize the value of their property may be harmed by these decisions.
1. Proposed County-Initiated Rezoning of Multiple Parcels
Forsyth County has announced a planned county-initiated rezoning effort, targeting numerous undeveloped or underdeveloped parcels currently zoned under older residential classifications. The goal is to align these properties with updated residential zoning categories that better match the County’s current Comprehensive Plan and long-term land-use vision.
Public Hearing Details
A public hearing took place on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 5 p.m. in the Forsyth County Administration Building in Cumming. During this meeting, the Board of Commissioners discussed rezoning parcels from older categories like R2R, R1R, and R1 into updated residential categories — specifically, Res2 and Res1, which better reflect current planning objectives.
Why This Matters
Many parcels approved for residential use years ago remain undeveloped. The County wants to update their zoning classifications to match the land-use goals defined in the Comprehensive Plan.
Rezoning via a county-initiated resolution is different from property owner-led rezoning. The County is proactively reviewing and updating zoning on behalf of the “public interest”.
2. Moratorium on Sketch Plat & Land Disturbance Permits
To support its land-use review and prevent property owners from exercising the right to develop older zonings, Forsyth County adopted a 180-day moratorium (effective June 19, 2025) on accepting applications for sketch plats and land disturbance permits for properties rezoned to residential designations before April 13, 2017. This moratorium has been extended until June 2, 2026.
What the Moratorium Covers
Applies to residential properties rezoned prior to April 13, 2017, which have not yet begun development.
Temporarily stops the County from accepting new sketch plat and land disturbance permit applications for these properties.
Below is a list of the proposed County-initiated rezoning of multiple parcels from the R2R zoning district to the Res2 zoning district, multiple parcels from the R1R zoning district to the Res1 zoning district, and multiple parcels from the R1 zoning district to the Res1 zoning district. The tax parcels to be rezoned are as follows:
R2R - 023 002, 027 071(Part of), 119 032, 123 226 (Part of), 149 003 , 151 211, 151 217, 078 545, 101 007, 101 054, 038 045, 105 009, 105 008, 020 021, 202 006, 300 024, 265 042, 304 061 (Part of), 324 034, 319 021 (Part of), 295 041 (Part of), 269 065, 269 064, 269 060, 307 058, 284 081, 297 016, 272 041, 274 006, 272 036, 258 094, 244 147, 244 091, 243 076, 243 112, 243 113, 221 501, 242 036, 242 022, 220 449, 240 002, 240 258
R1R - 164 087, 185 047, 164 061, 164 059, 211 025, 212 025, 211 024, 212 027, 212 028, 212 013, 212 024, 212 030, 212 023, 151 198, 151 204, 125 093, 008 141, 126 035, 126 034, 101 012, 126 040, 126 044, 126 231, 034 014, 035 001, 035 003, 035 020, 040 077, 174 021, 319 128, 295 022, 295 031, 295 027, 295 004, 294 064, 294 057, 295 072
R1 - 028 057, 170 046, 192 103, 192 101, 193 014 (Split between R2R and R1), C31 001, C32 001, C22 058, 151 128, 151 231, 151 129, 125 025, 100 123, 099 106, 099 041, 099 045, 076 042, 054 001, 017 037, 083 041 (Part of), 106 079, 131 070, 152 026, 173 264,112 012, 202 026 (Part of), 229 002
Crawford Lands is committed to protecting the interests of Forsyth County landowners. If you’re concerned about how these new restrictions may affect your property’s value or your ability to develop or sell, we are here as a resource. Reach out anytime, we’re glad to walk through your specific situation.