Navigating Zoning: How Canterbury Court’s Woodland Garden Came to Life

When most people think of new development, they picture cranes, concrete, and the long meetings to get permits and plans approved. But what happens when the project is all about adding more green space—not replacing buildings with something bigger, but creating gardens for a retirement community? That’s the story behind Canterbury Court’s new woodland garden and the journey to getting it properly zoned.

Read on to learn the four zoning hurdles overcome for the Canterbury Court project, along with several key approaches that are useful for architects, developers, and property owners facing their own zoning and other entitlement challenges.

Behind the Scenes: From Houses to Garden

Canterbury Court in Atlanta isn’t a newcomer to big projects. As the city’s first Life Plan community that opened in 1965, it has grown from the original Club Tower and expanded to include Peachtree Tower, Vermont Tower, and most recently, the Garden Tower and Monarch Pavilion. With each expansion, they've intentionally maintained and added beautiful outdoor spaces for their residents to enjoy.

In 2023, Canterbury Court purchased three properties in the neighborhood behind their facility. The parcels had single-family residences on lovely wooded lots, and Canterbury Court envisioned transforming them into a lush woodland garden.

Sounds simple, right? Satisfying the zoning requirements, however, turned out to be a complex, multi-step process. Canterbury Court needed help from an expert in Atlanta zoning.

Jones Pierce Architects was brought onboard to decipher and complete the zoning requirements for the project. Let’s take a walk through that process.

Key takeaway: Early identification of entitlement issues (like zoning or variances) as part of the architect’s due diligence and viability planning is crucial. This allows for better project timeline creation and risk management.

Step by Step Zoning

Jones Pierce met with city zoning officials to discuss the proposed project and determine what zoning issues must be addressed for the project to move forward. After multiple discussions over several months, it was determined that four main zoning changes would be needed to authorize the project:

• Lot Consolidation. The three residential lots with houses that were purchased for the project had to be consolidated into one legal lot. It was later discovered this first consolidation could not occur until the houses were demolished, because a single-family residential lot of any size can only contain one house.

• Campus Consolidation. Next, the new combined lot had to be formally merged with Canterbury Court’s existing campus. The main facility was zoned for high-rise multi-family residential use. Residents of the neighborhood, however, wanted the new combined lot to remain single-family residential zoning to ensure neighborhood cohesiveness in future. Jones Pierce coordinated with the neighborhood and city officials to include this in the zoning plan.

Key takeaway: Community engagement is crucial. Getting buy-in from the community often isn’t a one-time thing. The Canterbury Court project team met multiple times with planning groups and residents, keeping them informed and involved throughout the project.

• Special Exception for Use. The new combined lot would remain zoned as single-family residential yet be used for a woodland garden. This meant a special zoning exception was required to use it for “open green space” versus a single-family residence.

• Variance for Fencing. The fence surrounding the garden was planned to extend closer to the street than allowed by the residential zoning. This required a variance approval since it deviated from standard setback regulations.

These zoning changes had to be requested and approved in this order.

Zoning and Project Timeline

Each of the four zoning applications required 90 days for zoning board review and a public comment period. This timing, along with each step depending on the previous step being approved, created a scheduling challenge for the project.

The first priority was getting a demolition permit to remove the houses from the three residential lots. The first zoning application could not be submitted until that was completed. Jones Pierce coordinated getting this permit from the city.

Once the house demolition was completed, Jones Pierce submitted the first zoning application to the city zoning board. To optimize the schedule as much as possible, Jones Pierce made sure each subsequent zoning application was ready for submittal as soon as the previous application was approved. To keep the entire process moving as smoothly as possible, Jones Pierce continually communicated with the city zoning staff to answer any questions and ensure the lines of communication stayed open.

Key takeaway: The process highlighted the central role of ongoing, clear communication between project teams, city officials, and local residents, particularly during contentious or multi-phased entitlement processes.

Jones Pierce and Canterbury also met with the neighborhood to address community concerns and keep them informed of the zoning and project progress. They knew from experience how important stakeholder coordination would be for the project, especially given past public concerns about zoning and development in the area. This continued communication resulted in a favorable review at the Neighborhood Planning Unit hearing for the necessary approvals we needed.

During the zoning period, Jones Pierce coordinated with the Canterbury Garden Committee for a pavilion design that could be a gathering area in the new woodland garden.

The demolition permit was issued in July 2024, followed by the actual demolition work and then submittal of the zoning applications. The garden development work began in early 2025 and was completed in early June 2025. Talk about perseverance and patience!

Key takeaway: The architectural firm’s ability to act as both designer and zoning consultant can simplify the client experience by consolidating project oversight and reducing the need for outside specialists.

The Grand Opening

The Woodlands grand opening ceremony was held on July 9, 2025. Canterbury Court staff and residents, families and friends, and the project team gathered and celebrated the hard work and perseverance that resulted in the beautiful new garden.

Fun fact: Two slices of a fallen white oak were retained to make entrance signs into the Woodlands. Each slice weighed about 400 pounds!

Amongst the mature trees, the garden includes a variety of flowers, shrubs, and other plants, a gently lighted walking path, a pavilion and gathering space with benches, and other senior-friendly features.

⁠During the opening ceremony, board member Larry Lord from Lord Aeck Sargent shared the following:

“Thanks to Cooper Pierce and Natalia Chavez, our Architects, not only for making sure our pavilion was done right, but also for taking us through the zoning process, which was quite an endeavor.”⁠

Key takeaway: The need for multiple, sequential approvals—often with some uncertainty around timing or acceptance—requires flexibility and patience from all parties involved.

Cooper Pierce shares in the celebration.

Cooper Pierce was then asked to share a few words about the project, and he summed it up well:

“The zoning process took months and months. But we persevered and this is what we have to enjoy. We all understood this vision, which was a tremendous vision, and we all worked hard to get here. And although sometimes zoning can be one of those teeth-gnashing things, it’s all about perseverance, and we made it! I'm proud to have helped, because what we have here is beautiful, and as it grows in it’s going to be even more beautiful! You'll have your own little botanical garden here, and that is getting to be rarer and rarer in the City of Atlanta.”

The most rewarding part? Seeing the residents enjoy their new woodland retreat, knowing all the hard work was worth it. Canterbury Court’s experience shows that even the simplest-sounding projects need expertise, proactive planning, and plenty of team spirit to make dreams come true.

What’s Your Dream Project?

Does this amazing story inspire you to take the next step in making your own vision a reality? Jones Pierce Architects is here to help you succeed—with fewer zoning headaches!

Email Cooper Pierce to schedule a call.