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Cherokee County tightens helipad conditions for Rocky Morris; board adopts amended special‑use permit
Summary
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners adopted amended conditions for the helipad special‑use permit at Rocky's Lake Estates (2700 Cox Road) on April 15, clarifying the single‑pad definition, adding an operator compliance affidavit, and tightening enforcement language.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on April 15 adopted revised conditions for a previously approved helipad special‑use permit associated with Rocky’s Lake Estates at 2700 Cox Road.
The board opened a public hearing on a board‑initiated modification to Case 202206‑026S and considered a staff proposal that tightened multiple permit conditions: clarification that the SUP covers a single helipad, a required signed affidavit from the operator accepting continuing responsibility for SUP conditions, explicit reference to applicable Federal Aviation Administration standards, and language allowing the board to terminate the SUP immediately if conditions are violated.
Operator Rocky Morris attended and said he had incurred significant expense and worked with county staff to comply with prior requirements. Morris and staff discussed the practical location of the pad, which sits in the lake on the property; the board accepted revised language to allow the helipad to be located closer than 200 feet to a property line when the adjoining parcel is owned by a related party to Rocky’s Lake Estates, while preserving a 200‑foot buffer requirement with respect to third‑party parcels.
Resident commenters raised safety concerns about helicopter operations in a populated area and asked the board to weigh those risks. Staff and the operator discussed prior violations and corrective actions; staff indicated that the amended conditions were intended both to clarify expectations and to provide stronger enforcement tools if future deviations occur.
County Attorney Davis proposed specific wording to condition 6 clarifying the 200‑foot standard and related ownership exceptions; the board adopted that language. Commissioner Wetherbee moved to approve the amended SUP conditions; Commissioner Carter seconded and the board voted unanimously to adopt the revised conditions.
The adopted conditions require a compliance affidavit from the property/operator, clarify permitted approach and flight‑path limitations, confirm compliance with FAA standards where applicable, and state that deviation from approved flight paths or other material violations may lead to immediate revocation of the SUP. The resolution updates the 2022 approval rather than creating a new SUP.
