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Board adopts Wildcat area plan to guide 20-year development and transportation improvements
Summary
Cherokee County commissioners unanimously adopted the Wildcat area plan July 1, a 20-year blueprint targeting mobility and development around the Styx Road/Old Highway 5 interchange; staff said full implementation would take many years and substantial funding.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on July 1 adopted the Wildcat area plan, a small-area study produced with the Atlanta Regional Commission that outlines near-term and long-term transportation and development recommendations for the Styx Road/Old Highway 5 interchange area.
County staff described the project as a 10‑month Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) effort and said the plan looks forward 20 years, identifying a range of transportation projects intended to reduce congestion, improve connectivity and prepare parcels for higher-quality development. The board and staff noted the most expensive infrastructure elements are long-term and will require state or regional funding partnerships; staff estimated full implementation costs “well in excess of $200,000,000,” and that some improvements could be staged within the near term.
Commissioner Carter, who moved adoption, highlighted near-term items the county might pursue — including intersection reconfiguration at Sixes Road and Old Highway 5 and coordinated traffic signals — while noting that many elements, such as four‑laning sections of Old Highway 5, would depend on larger funding sources or voter-approved SPLOST projects. The plan also identifies projects that would improve access to undeveloped land in the southeast quadrant of the interchange and provides a transportation project list for future grant applications.
Why it matters: the plan creates a county-adopted vision that will guide land-use expectations, SPLOST project prioritization and grant applications for the area that links I‑75, Old Highway 5 and local connectors. The board’s adoption signals county staff can move from study to outreach with potential funding partners.
Next steps: community development staff will publish the final plan, pursue funding and integrate recommended transportation projects into SPLOST and grant planning as appropriate.
