Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cherokee County approves rezoning to let Garland Mountain rebuild restaurant after fire
Summary
The Board unanimously rezoned 5.67 acres at Garland Mountain Sporting Clays from agricultural to general commercial, removed a required 35‑ft buffer, and approved an expansion that will allow a standalone restaurant and ancillary building as required under a 2019 settlement agreement.
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 21 unanimously approved a board‑initiated rezoning that clears the way for Garland Mountain Sporting Clays to replace its former lodge with a standalone restaurant and a second building.
Zoning Administrator Thomas Trawick told the board the request covers 5.67 acres of a roughly 226‑acre property at 2618 Garland Mountain Trail. The property is legally nonconforming for outdoor recreation under current county rules. A settlement agreement signed Aug. 13, 2019 requires county approval before any expansion of the Garland Mountain facility; staff and the applicant said the proposed project exceeds the prior footprint and would change the restaurant from an incidental accessory use to a primary, standalone use.
“The proposed restaurant would be 8,523 square feet, two levels, with 74 parking spaces,” Trawick said in his presentation. The board also considered a concurrent variance to remove the 35‑foot zoning buffer that would otherwise apply between the requested general‑commercial parcel and surrounding agriculturally zoned land.
Owner and operator Jack Chevalier and supporters told the board the restaurant was a longtime community gathering place that employed local residents and supported charitable fundraising. “This change is not only necessary for the continued success of Garland Mountain but also for the many residents, charities and visitors who benefit from what we provide,” Chevalier said.
Neighbors and some nearby landowners testified in opposition, citing shooting‑range noise, shooting‑lane orientations, traffic and the perceived effects on privacy and property values. Several speakers asked for broader community meetings or detailed plans before allowing commercial rezoning adjacent to residential properties.
Commissioner West, whose district includes the property, said the restaurant had operated for years and that the request was driven in part by rebuilding after a November 2023 fire that destroyed the lodge. West moved to approve the three‑part request—rezoning to GC, the concurrent buffer variance and approval of the expansion required by the settlement agreement. Commissioner Wetherbee seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous.
The approval makes the restaurant a conforming primary use on the rezoned parcel but does not change or expand the shooting‑range operations addressed elsewhere during prior litigation and settlement. Trawick noted environmental health must reassess the septic system and other infrastructure as part of permitting and building permits are still required for final plans.
The county’s approval record cites: Cherokee County Zoning Ordinance buffer standards (Table 10.1), the settlement agreement dated Aug. 13, 2019 (condition 7), and prior 2015 building permits and food‑service permitting that established the prior clubhouse and accessory dining area.
