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Votes at a glance: Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approves multiple rezonings, variances and consent items; signs variance and public-hearing actions
Summary
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved a slate of rezoning requests, variances and consent items at its June 3 meeting; most motions passed unanimously with conditions addressing buffers, drive-through limits and site-specific mitigation.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on June 3 considered a series of planning and zoning matters, a public hearing on a sign variance, and a consent agenda that included intergovernmental agreements, equipment purchases and service renewals. Most items passed by unanimous votes of the three commissioners present.
Key votes and outcomes
- Mount Olive Crossing LLC (Case 1-5-17) public hearing item 8.1: The board approved a modification to a prior zoning condition (Condition 5) and a concurrent variance to Article 11 to allow an existing freestanding sign that does not have full masonry wrap-around monument styling. Approval was conditioned on execution and recordation of an indemnity/hold-harmless agreement addressing a county drainage pipe easement under the sign. Vote: 3-0.
- Jamie Lee Scott / Chris Gowen (10.1): Commissioners approved rezoning and associated concurrent variances and then separately approved a special-use permit (SUP) for used-car sales with three conditions: cap of five vehicles on site at one time, sales by appointment only, and SUP to run concurrent with the business tax certificate (not transferable). Rezoning vote: 3-0. SUP vote: 3-0.
- Latimer Properties (10.2): The board approved a rezoning request that would split a parcel into light industrial and general commercial areas and granted four of five variances recommended by the planning commission; the setback reduction from 75 to 50 feet was denied. A concurrent variance that had been advertised was later withdrawn by the applicant; the board recorded the withdrawal. Motion passed 3-0 for the rezoning with the described variances/denial.
- DNG Acquisition (10.3): The board approved rezoning approximately 14.11 acres from AG to General Commercial with multiple proffered conditions and planning-commission recommendations (for example, limits on certain uses). The applicant proffered additional restrictions: limit drive-through restaurants in standalone buildings, no more than two drive-through menu-board restaurants and two pickup-only windows; prohibitions on self-storage, convenience stores, gas stations and some auto uses; landscape and buffering conditions; and commitments to work with GDOT on intersections and interparcel access. The board approved the rezoning with the agreed conditions and an explicit requirement that some rear buildings be limited to two stories; vote 3-0.
- Waters Development / Nathan Beavers (10.4): A request to rezone two parcels for a small subdivision was approved with the planning-commission—s recommendation to apply R-60 (less intense than applicant—s requested R-40). Vote 3-0.
- Pablo / Michael Bray (10.5): The board approved rezoning 0.9 acre from Neighborhood Commercial to General Commercial for a landscaping/vehicle staging site; vote 3-0.
- Parkside / SDP Acquisitions (10.6): Commissioners granted rezoning from General Commercial to White Industrial for a proposed two-warehouse site (about 38 acres), approved a concurrent parking-reduction variance, and required a sound wall to mitigate impacts on neighbors. The board instructed staff to allow the sound barrier to be located "as close to the building as possible while maintaining required fire access," and approved the rezoning and variance 3-0.
- Coda Stewart appeal for Jonathan and Joy Crosby (10.7): The board granted the applicants— request to appeal a Zoning Board of Appeals denial and authorized rehearing; a new public hearing will be advertised for July 15. Vote 3-0.
- Consent agenda and county-manager items: The board approved a multi-item consent agenda that included final acceptance of completed road/detention work in several subdivisions; waiver resolutions for three alcohol-license residency requirements; agreements with GDOT to increase federal funding for design of a SR-140/Univerter Road project; an update to the county Title VI plan; renewal of a contract with Cherokee County School District for Cherokee Area Transit (CAT) service to transport ACE Academy students via CAT demand-response buses; lease renewals with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for park land; and calls for public hearings on proposed noise-ordinance updates (fireworks near equine facilities) and a hotel-motel tax increase from 6% to 8%. The consent agenda passed 3-0.
Other implementation details and conditions
- Engineering and planning staff flagged technical requirements at several approvals: recording indemnity agreements when county drainage easements are impacted; adherence to GDOT approvals for driveway geometry and intersection improvements; submission and approval of landscape and photometric plans; and adherence to county standards for berms, fencing and tree plantings.
- Multiple approvals included explicit limits on commercial uses (for example, prohibitions on auto repair, gas stations and self-storage at the DNG site) and caps on drive-through or pickup-only windows to address neighborhood concerns.
How the board voted overall
Most contested planning and zoning matters were approved with conditions; votes recorded on the transcript show unanimous approval by the three commissioners present for each motion listed above.
