Zoning board denies variance to remove deceleration lane for proposed chip storage yard on Victoria Road

The Cherokee County Zoning Board of Appeals on a unanimous 5–0 vote denied a variance that would have eliminated the required deceleration lane at the entrance to a proposed wood‑chip storage yard at 431 Victoria Road.

Staff said the application asked to remove the right‑turn deceleration lane required by the Cherokee County Development Ordinance; the applicant’s traffic study reported an estimated two right turns per day and relied on counts from a comparable Mableton site and GDOT (Georgia Department of Transportation) lane‑warrant thresholds. The board’s decision came after extended public comment raising traffic and land‑use concerns.

The applicant, represented by Darrell Cook of Watts & Browning Engineers, and traffic engineer Victor Garcia of ANR Engineering, said the site is under 2 acres, currently zoned LI (light industrial), and that detailed camera counts at a comparable site found low right‑turn volumes. Garcia told the board his firm recorded 12‑hour counts (6 a.m.–6 p.m.) at the comparable site, found 69 total counts and used a conservative adjustment that still yielded an extremely low right‑turn volume relative to GDOT’s 200‑vehicle per day threshold for a warranted decel lane.

Many residents opposed the variance during the public comment period. Adlai Cole (Victoria Crossing HOA), Katie Pearson (VCCI executive board), Aaron Harrison and Tim Pulver (residents and a licensed architect/planner) described heavy seasonal and school‑bus traffic on Victoria Road, boat and trailer traffic during peak months, and argued the road’s limited access and existing congestion make the deceleration lane necessary for safety. Several speakers also challenged whether a chip storage yard is an appropriate use for the LI zoning on the site — a question that the board explained it could not decide at this hearing because the ZBA only rules on setback and variance requests, not on use or zoning.

Scott Tavarino, owner of North Georgia Timber and the applicant’s representative, told the board the site would not conduct on‑site grinding or chipping; he said chips would be delivered and stored, with a small office and no processing on the property. The applicant argued that GDOT thresholds were not met and that the proposed driveway location minimized residential impacts.

Board members discussed the competing evidence. One board member said that regardless of predicted counts, “if they’re going to do the project, they should be willing to fulfill all the aspects of it,” citing the ordinance’s driveway standards. After brief discussion, a board member moved to deny the variance. The motion passed 5–0.

The denial means the applicant will either need to redesign the entry to meet the deceleration lane requirement, pursue other remedies with county staff, or withdraw the application. The board noted that objections to the underlying use or zoning should be directed to the county’s development services or planning staff for follow‑up.