A zoning amendment adopted March 20 by the Fayetteville City Council will enable movie and television crews to set up temporary set designs and backdrops used in filming without having to obtain a building permit.
“Due to the new and unique endeavors occurring regularly at Pinewood Atlanta Studios, staff has recently discovered some conflicts with the city’s building permit requirements and what is actually exempted from permitting by the International Building Code (IBC), which the state of Georgia requires as a minimum standard,” city Community Development Director Brian Wismer said in a Feb. 26 letter.
Wismer said after meeting recently with Pinewood staff, on-site production companies and civil engineers about temporary back lot sites and construction which will be occurring regularly on the site, staff recommended that certain exemptions contained in the IBC be added to the city’s code of ordinances.
Wismer said the zoning amendment would also apply citywide.
“Enacting these amendments will allow film productions within the city to more easily construct temporary set designs without unnecessary procedural delays. It will also provide clarity on some additional, smaller scale construction projects that should be exempted from permitting,” Wismer said.
Presented for first reading at the March 3 meeting, the council on March 20 adopted the amendment unanimously without discussion.
