Sandy Springs Bans Use of Wood In Buildings Taller Than 3 Stories

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- The city of Sandy Springs formally took a step last week to crack down on so-called "stick-built" residential dwellings.

The City Council voted to amend its building to code to require any building or structure more than three stories and exceeding 100,000 square feet gross floor area are made of noncombustible materials such as steel or concrete.

While the change went into effect at the Aug. 16 meeting, it won't apply to projects with active land disturbance permits "provided that any such project apply for a building permit no later than February 16, 2017," city documents note.

The city's previous code allowed for wood framing in structures up to four stories -- or five if those buildings had fire sprinklers. The code also applied to condominiums and hotels.

Sandy Springs staff members notified the Georgia Department of Community Affairs of its plans to alter its code last month. Assistant City Manager Jim Tolbert said the state had no comments on the proposal, which paved the way for the city to move forward.

However, a few people spoke in opposition to the proposed changes. Sam Francis, senior director of national programs of the American Wood Council said he wasn't "sure what the problem is we are trying to solve" and pondered if the city was trying to improve fire safety by reducing the amount of wood used in multi-story structures.

He noted using wood was more environmentally sustainable, and has a "positive impact" on global warming. He also said the number of residential fires are on the decline in the United States, and that 65 percent of fires in multi-family units are caused by cooking. That, he added, can occur in any building made of any type of structure.

Matt Hestad, director of communications and public relations for the Georgia Forestry Association, said he applauded the city for its efforts to create safe developments. However, he also stated wood products "use less fossil fuels" than other materials. Wood framing in homes, he added, also produces less carbon dioxide emissions than steel or concrete.

Michael Paris, president and CEO of the Council for Quality Growth, stated he was concerned about the change and its impact on "new investments," adding it could require much more expensive building techniques for those interest in redeveloping in the city of Sandy Springs.

Councilman John Paulson told the three gentlemen that the city is not barring the use of wood materials altogether.

“That’s not the case here," he said, adding the city is just enhancing the quality of construction for taller structures.

Fellow Councilman Chris Burnett added the city is not trying to solve a problem.

"I think we are trying to set a goal," he said, adding it's the city's job to ensure higher-quality development.

Burnett went on to say Sandy Springs does not discriminate against wood, as it's established itself as a city situated in a forest.

"We love our wood and we love our trees," he continued.

As a man who comes from a family of tree farmers, Mayor Rusty Paul said his family used to plan about 3,000 trees each year. Noting he's pushed this ordinance "pretty hard," the mayor said he'd never disparage wood and its uses in any shape or form.

The city's movement on the issue is an interim step, as Sandy Springs will come back with updated land-use plans and revised ordinances that will address the issue in the long term.

There are still many uses for wood in the community, and Paul added he knows how important the material is to the economy of the region and the state.

"I understand the concerns the industry has, but I don’t think this is going to be a situation where we are going to be doing long-term damage to the industry," he said. "We are trying to deal with specific issues that are isolated to our community."

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