Owners want to keep Hardeman sport court. July staff review urged denial.

The owners of a backyard sport court at 116 Hardeman Road want it to stay, arguing that slopes and mature trees leave no practical alternative location. Sandy Springs planning staff reached a different conclusion: its July 24 report recommends denying the zoning exceptions, finding that the property does not present an extraordinary hardship.⁠[1]

The 766-square-foot court sits about four feet from the northern and western property lines, inside the applicable 10-foot setback, according to staff. It also brings impervious lot coverage to 44.3%, compared with the district’s base limit of 35%. The application says coverage was already 39.95% before the court, following a 2019 administrative variance for a pool and hardscape improvements.⁠[1]

The owners say their contractor told them no permit was needed when the court was installed in 2025, and that they sought a permit after the city advised otherwise. Their application describes a steep rear slope and mature hickory and oak trees that constrain relocation. Staff instead characterizes the lot as a standard rectangle with a gradual slope and only a slightly substandard size.⁠[1]

Drainage is another unresolved issue. The owners propose a drainage swale, evergreen landscaping and court netting to protect neighboring property. Staff questions whether there is enough room for the stormwater measures. The site lies within the Nancy Creek Declared Sensitive Area, which requires extra mitigation, and the city engineer said the submitted plans were insufficient for a proper stormwater review.⁠[1]

The report does not find that the development would harm public safety or neighboring properties. But its overall recommendation remains denial. If the Board of Appeals approves the request, staff’s proposed conditions call for evergreen screening along the court’s western edge, a city-engineer-approved stormwater plan, and removal of the light and light pole.⁠[1]

As noted in our earlier hearing brief, the city’s register reports a deferral at the Aug. 5 public hearing and lists the request for Nov. 4, 2026, at 6 p.m. at 1 Galambos Way. That is a scheduled review—not a board denial or approval.⁠[2]