Friends of Norcross,

As property owners in our beloved city, we believe we have the basic right to build a modest two-car, two-story detached garage to pair with our historic home. For years, this was a straightforward process in Norcross — as long as simple requirements were met: the secondary structure could not exceed the height of the main home, setbacks had to be respected, etc. You can stroll around Norcross and see for yourself that what we're trying to build is a regular feature of our city. In fact, the chairman of Norcross ARB (Architecture Review Board) had a larger, 3-car ADU built last year.

Unfortunately, late last year a prior city director misinterpreted our UDO (Unified Development Ordinance). She mistakenly applied rules meant for accessory structures like sheds and gazebos to ADUs (accessory dwelling units — such as garages with an upstairs suite). This error lowered the allowable height to 12 feet, far below what is reasonable for an ADU. Because of this misstep, our project — which fully complies with the original and intended code — is now in jeopardy.

Just last month, an identical ADU project on Sunset was approved 4–1 by the Zoning Board of Appeals. Ours, however, hangs in the balance because of a neighbor’s opposition. Their reason? They simply prefer the current open view into our backyard and want to preserve it. That’s not how property rights should work, nor should one neighbor’s personal preference override fair and consistent interpretation of city code.

The city does plan to update the code to fix this mistake, but that process could take 6 months or longer — unfairly delaying our project. In the meantime, we are left in limbo.

We ask for your support.

• Please sign this petition to affirm our right to build.
• If you’re able, come to the Zoning Board of Appeals hearing on Thursday, August 28th and stand with us.

Additional Context:

• We spent thousands of dollars on professional plans over three years ago, when the code was being applied correctly. Had we built then, approval would have been immediate. We postponed only because of costly main house renovations — made more expensive by city red tape.
• Our historic home has no garage. The crawl space foundation and slope of our property prevent us from attaching one. A detached garage also helps provide privacy and noise buffering for our pool.
• The second-story living space is not just a luxury. My mother, who was recently widowed and has faced serious health challenges (cancer, hip replacement, and more), often needs a place to be cared for and, eventually, the option to live closer to family. My wife Brittany, a licensed nurse, is her primary caregiver. This suite would allow us to provide her care and bring her closer to her 10 grandchildren in Historic Norcross.

This is about more than one family’s project. It’s about ensuring that residents are treated fairly, that code is applied consistently, and that property rights are respected in Norcross.

We thank you for your support - The Murrays ❤️