[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6648036,"mediaKeyId","3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57","parentId",3640656,"title","Commissioners criticize Holly Springs annexation plan outside growth boundary; county staff advise possible formal objection process","audioSeconds",569,"startMs",4534000,"endMs",5103000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57&start=4534&end=5103","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57/thumbnail_4534000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6648036/Cherokee-County/Georgia/Commissioners-criticize-Holly-Springs-annexation-plan-outside-growth-boundary-county-staff-advise-possible-formal-objection-process","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648036-ab62a33dceb9dcdf414d379ad2c22b19/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011519&Signature=k3rP7cSm5RJIM~blKd7PDPDlJ~08Cn84Qc13~8TF0Reqh-cc4lVjzDIMpVA8OIoYsNSAcdu9arMp8i122GHUj1yfuf6YwUq1z57PWylfXYRXhNxqdYMPLOoHBsRrkfs-V~lfkZx7NtvJCT0eepZziLBNXXQ9lxtPjXIfr8-k0S~ABLfnhkIfRPVALKaBC01BWyfuyd~LvkZLm5ErAvjGcUV-86e8qbp7g2KU65AjO3GAP9MzvXPimg1bPATIuWfYGozIhyuR9keXp~4tQ~D13vQHCDXkrLNpqmwXvzcpvuWqm8UDD-6BKMqQzVqrtutTtCyVV16a4~dwOZQdnQcKdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cherokee ","date","2025-06-03T15:00:00Z","article","County staff briefed commissioners on a proposed annexation and rezoning filed by the City of Holly Springs for 301 Lower Union Hill Road. The submittal calls for a split rezoning to allow an MXD (mixed-use) development with up to 92 townhomes and about 60,000 square feet of medical-office, retail and restaurant space on a 20.11-acre parcel. Staff said the parcel lies outside the county’s growth-boundary agreement with Holly Springs and that the proposal is inconsistent with county plans for the Hickory Flat area.

Planning staff recommended multiple technical studies and conditions for development, including a traffic analysis to estimate daily vehicle trips and review of the roundabout radius shown on the applicant’s concept plan. Staff also flagged required minimum buffers (35 feet) adjacent to existing properties, the need to keep new structures outside the fall zone of a nearby 275-foot cell tower, a water-flow test to confirm fire suppression capacity, and minimum street-width and access standards for fire apparatus.

Commissioners reacted strongly. One commissioner said the growth-boundary agreement is a “gentleman’s agreement” and urged Holly Springs to honor it; another said, “Keep your word,” urging the city not to break the compact. Commissioners noted heavy public opposition, questioned whether Holly Springs’ proposal respects the Hickory Flat area plan and said the proposed density and unit type (townhomes) are not consistent with the county’s suburban and country-estate designations in adjacent areas.

County staff told the board the City of Holly Springs will hold a planning commission hearing on June 12 and a city council decision is scheduled July 7. Board members discussed whether Cherokee County should file a formal objection under the state land-dispute resolution statutes (Department of Community Affairs process) and asked staff to prepare options, because if the city proceeds it would represent a departure from the intergovernmental growth-boundary agreement.

No formal county vote on an objection was taken during the June 3 work session; staff said they would present additional analyses and an objection recommendation if the board wished to pursue that route ahead of the city decision.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cherokee - Board of Commissioners Work Session - Jun 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Cherokee County commissioners criticized a proposed Holly Springs annexation and rezoning on June 3 because the 20.11-acre project lies outside the county’s agreed growth boundary and would introduce 92 townhomes plus 60,000 square feet of commercial space, staff said.","taxTitle","Cherokee County, Georgia","taxId",12793,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6648031,"Board reviews multiple rezoning and variance requests, including sign over drainage easement and industrial sound-wall condition",3165,1358000,4523000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57&start=1358&end=4523","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57/thumbnail_1358000.jpg","/articles/6648031/Cherokee-County/Georgia/Board-reviews-multiple-rezoning-and-variance-requests-including-sign-over-drainage-easement-and-industrial-sound-wall-condition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648031-b5797621b57412b81cc321d674810e31/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011519&Signature=SAEll0K9WOzc7G~DlMGPTTL-UIJz6cNUkkuVdJgDiJh1IJGIBNTUEcu7hnlwagbcqXrX5LD6~~BHrjm8f6OBwLHqW056N-hoRIOHIiUFKY6UqdiGsPNsdPIp~ToygvJqiCDYsU5hlCfMlXgbVx~6L~ZTd8zAxNMv4i7TPiQtWErBeb-HLP1AnC5B8ROl2QBL7cMHPMp4BH0HTtW1kAjP4F7Y6HM0hBf2KzkNmA76CmrsFXogVPVTYxD0MPJ9Nbi6GI6CZVnFdL~~MrgfMBWe~UZDEl~VltKTwG~pOxd0X8hS4D6QF0pEJo8dGwIrfQ53mjbDrJsCa9GKuOGmtOqI5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Planning staff presented a series of zoning and variance cases at the June 3 work session. None of the items recorded a final board vote during the work session; staff and applicants discussed conditions and engineering or transportation comments that may accompany later public hearings or final actions.

Sign over drain pipe easement (Mount Olive Church Lane / Highway 20). Staff described a request to modify a prior zoning condition requiring monument-style signage after a freestanding gas-station sign was erected. Engineering reported the sign sits over a 24-inch reinforced concrete drainage pipe and a draft indemnity agreement — to be recorded by the applicant — was included in the packet. Engineering advised that replacement of the pipe would require the sign be reconstructed at the applicant’s expense or removed if the county must access the pipe; staff suggested the board could make the indemnity agreement a condition of any approval.

Rezoning and special-use matters. Staff reviewed several rezoning requests recommended for approval by the planning commission with conditions. Highlights include:
- A parcel on Hickory Flat Highway where an applicant seeks to split R-80 zoning into R-40 (residential) and General Commercial for an auto-repair/detailing and limited used-car sales operation. Planning recommended conditions limiting used-car sales to a maximum of five vehicles at a time, by-appointment sales only, and a non-transferable special-use permit tied to the tax certificate.
- A 12-acre Faulkner Lane/Ball Ground Highway site proposed to rezone to light industrial and part general commercial. Planning recommended approval with conditions and several variance requests; transportation staff recommended certain driveway and lane improvements be required at the land-development stage and recommended denial of one requested front-setback variance (from 75 feet to 50 feet).
- A 14-acre rezoning request at Hickory Flat Highway for a mixed commercial center; the planning commission recommended approval with conditions including limitations on drive-through restaurants, landscape and buffer requirements, and a proffered interparcel-access connection to adjacent shopping center property (applicant offered to construct a stubbed interparcel connection subject to engineering/rights-of-way review).
- A 38-acre site at Highway 92 and Old Alabama Road (former Yanmar facility) proposed for light industrial and two warehouses; planning recommended approval with a condition that a sound wall be installed adjacent to Building A as proposed by the applicant. Commissioners questioned truck queuing and asked staff to contact Georgia DOT about a nearby left-turn lane that had been restriped in the past.

Other cases included smaller rezoning and site-plan requests for landscaping business parking, rural residential subdivisions aligning with R-60 density, and an appeal related to a detached garage setback that the zoning board denied and the applicant asked the board to re-hear.

Across the presentations, staff repeatedly flagged the need for standard transportation, stormwater and engineering conditions at the land-development plan stage. Commissioners posed questions about buffer impacts, preserving driveway spacing to meet driveway separation rules, and whether certain uses (for example, convenience stores paired with gas stations) are sufficiently covered by the prohibited-use lists in other rezoning staff recommendations.

Staff indicated many of these cases had been recommended by the planning commission and that legal or engineering conditions, proffered commitments from applicants, and draft agreements (such as the drainage easement indemnity) could be incorporated into final approvals or used as conditions at the public hearings.","Planning staff presented a batch of rezoning, special-use and variance cases at the June 3 work session, including a request to allow an already-installed gas-station sign over a county drainage pipe easement and a rezoning that includes a 14-foot sound wall at a proposed industrial site.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6648041,"Commissioners say June–July critical for T-SPLOST referendum planning; staff to coordinate with cities",192,1133000,1325000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57&start=1133&end=1325","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57/thumbnail_1133000.jpg","/articles/6648041/Cherokee-County/Georgia/Commissioners-say-JuneJuly-critical-for-T-SPLOST-referendum-planning-staff-to-coordinate-with-cities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648041-5e80a8683a0fa5956853b1e259d18687/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011519&Signature=jc3A~pigEg9ZLsi5fvZRkdPZvtECVDeQlrvmV1-2EwuWEjaME9Yc2En2q8le6GLQy0uCuDJZlxYIFIW~ElhfMm3-W7HJxOaVugSjEzn1tNcsapjucUdeJgDgZWHXKupwM4Yg-Mj33i27rwTGjS4wQ3V0khXTBcE5e0A0UwcoLcrKXFgBhNAdRCk3pZF~3PdXxdv-4sJOxiy3uGC9xg2oD64k7HoTEUWpH2TZfZ9FF0kYDNQYVS3l6sWfVjgC4I5kkHIauI7GaADkMxo9URVyfXI4kSAwvluFiXkOAW-QIOGIL0Uc9PjCxp4Ir6R8erzSIP62k3Rspda4y-FFQA0uRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commissioner discussion on June 3 focused on whether Cherokee County should place a transportation special-purpose local-option sales tax (T-SPLOST) referendum on the November ballot and the tight timeline for doing so.

Commissioner Carter reported that the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) timeline for a county-wide T-SPLOST requires roughly a year and that Cherokee County is already about six months into that timeline. He said the county needs a county-and-city project list, joint meetings between city and county elected officials, and intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) prepared by July if the county is to move forward for a November referendum. Staff told commissioners they had prepared model rates, including 0.5 percent and 1.0 percent options, to inform the discussion.

Commissioners acknowledged practical and political constraints. One commissioner noted that even a half-percent tax is an additional levy that will likely encounter public resistance, and several urged rapid follow-through so that IGAs and project lists can be finalized. No formal action to call a referendum was taken at the June 3 work session; commissioners instructed staff to keep the topic on future agendas and continue coordination with municipal partners.

Commissioners discussed outreach to cities and said staff will continue developing project lists and schedule joint meetings to align city and county priorities. Staff did not present final project lists or an agreed funding rate at the June 3 work session; those items will be developed in June and July if the board decides to proceed.","Commissioners discussed timing and next steps for a potential transportation special-purpose local-option sales tax (T-SPLOST) referendum for November, citing a one-year ACCG timeline and the need for intergovernmental agreements and a joint project list with cities during June and July.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6648046,"Cherokee County staff propose tighter rules for gas stations and car washes; public hearing set June 17",1043,79000,1122000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57&start=79&end=1122","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3640656-67f96ffce2f2340443ec257bd7278c57/thumbnail_79000.jpg","/articles/6648046/Cherokee-County/Georgia/Cherokee-County-staff-propose-tighter-rules-for-gas-stations-and-car-washes-public-hearing-set-June-17","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6648046-12216b8363726ab5a2ef074456cd0a2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771011519&Signature=giJaUMcsVRYAEyEQkiaXQTr5Q9NI8rZPJsBktlHXMSKfRA-7MH3pwlJLBLiLeuVZRbKQN5YXKJXL6NM0LgBU8h6Xt8Zu8foAng7ag4wGMTG7sYknlWeY2vBblnO95j0vvJOz7PdrE4w3oxIw1dCgID2Wd8zM~HWkhjWYAIinf2lFbNZ88SUaopvUCh~dJ0eqfsDMmgEAJpBVyAXVPg-iIzf1-ziZ73R-J14buJViStA99OXJ~WhP1wdl1B0LRqTm9vNW4IVxMOIWa32aH3PPY173EX6vT-wcpDHKrlkO5jRBnjMdOtfwQSwY7GqsnOzfQ1s244pxv2VuZGU9ro6dDg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff presented a package of proposed text amendments on June 3 to the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners that would change how gas stations, convenience stores and car washes are regulated in unincorporated Cherokee County.

The changes would require gas stations and car washes in the General Commercial (GC) zoning district to obtain a special-use permit rather than be permitted by right. The draft also adds a new supplemental regulation (§7.7-3H in staff materials) that would set standards for fuel pump canopies, ancillary service equipment, building colors and minimum lot size. Staff said the measures are intended to address zoning, environmental, noise and traffic concerns and reflect a cluster of these uses in District 4.

Staff told commissioners the county currently has 64 gas stations with convenience stores and 16 car washes within county boundaries (excluding cities), and that many are concentrated in District 4. The draft definitions are drawn from a review of other jurisdictions and NAICS codes. Among the specific proposals are: requiring canopies to meet the primary building setback for the zoning district and to be architecturally integrated with the main building; prohibiting painted bands of color on canopies that indicate business identity; requiring ancillary equipment (vacuum machines, air pumps, freestanding accessory kiosks) to meet building setbacks and not be closer to the primary street right-of-way than the primary building; requiring neutral exterior colors for buildings and ancillary structures (blacks, whites, beiges, grays) while leaving sign color governed by the sign code; and reducing the minimum lot size for these uses from 2 acres to 1 acre.

Staff also proposed that traffic-control and fire-turnaround plans be submitted and approved during the land disturbance permitting process. The packet the board saw included a draft timeline: county staff said the matter is before the board on June 3, a public hearing has been advertised for June 17, and the existing 90-day moratorium on the uses (adopted by the board the prior month) is scheduled to expire June 30 unless extended.

Commissioners asked whether the proposed color restrictions should apply to all such businesses. Some said limiting brand colors on fuel canopies could provoke pushback from national brands and suggested the county allow branded colors subject to director-level review. Several commissioners favored directing the stricter color and visual requirements more toward large car washes and detailing operations than toward gas stations and convenience stores. Commissioners also discussed splitting “car wash” definitions into automated tunnel washes versus hand-wash/detailing services, to avoid imposing industrial-scale requirements on small, hand-wash/detailing operators.

Staff said the minimum lot-size change (to approximately 1.2-acre average lots observed) reduces variance requests, and that any special-use permit application would allow consideration of variances where appropriate. Staff committed to deliver revised language to the board before the June 17 hearing.

The board did not take a final vote on the amendments on June 3; staff recorded that the public hearing is scheduled for June 17 and that the 90-day moratorium is expected to expire June 30 unless the board acts to extend it.","County staff presented draft text amendments to zoning rules for gas stations, convenience stores and car washes, proposing special-use permitting in General Commercial, standards for canopies and ancillary equipment, color limits and a one-acre minimum lot size; the board will hear the proposal at a public hearing June 17.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commissioners criticize Holly Springs annexation plan outside growth boundary; county staff advise possible formal objection process

Board reviews multiple rezoning and variance requests, including sign over drainage easement and industrial sound-wall condition

Commissioners say June–July critical for T-SPLOST referendum planning; staff to coordinate with cities

Cherokee County staff propose tighter rules for gas stations and car washes; public hearing set June 17