Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Annexation Rezoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors press Canton council on runoff and traffic at Faitcon Road annexation hearing
Summary
Neighbors at a public hearing on Nov. 6 urged Canton council to withhold approval of an annexation and rezoning at 3632 Faitcon Road until stormwater, slope stability and traffic access are resolved; developer representatives said much of the steep slope is association property and committed to engineering solutions.
At a public hearing Nov. 6, Canton residents urged the city to delay or limit a proposed annexation and rezoning at 3632 Faitcon Road (ANNX2509-003 / RZON2509-08), saying long-standing surface-water runoff and steep slopes put adjacent yards and retaining walls at risk. Staff presented the case as a request to annex 4.85 acres and rezone from Cherokee County AG to R-4, with the applicant seeking up to 28 lots (staff noted the comp plan recommends 1–3 dwelling units per acre).
Ronald Johnson, a civil engineer and Park Village resident, described a 2:1 slope that funnels water as "white water" between homes during heavy rain, reported repeated retaining-wall failures and asked the council not to approve the application until a satisfactory runoff solution was provided. "If the property were developed above, a large amount of water would run off and would be substantially increased," Johnson told the council, and asked that buffers be preserved, houses be limited to two stories, and that neighboring homeowners be protected by drainage improvements.
Other residents echoed traffic and wildlife concerns. Tabitha Whitlark said development near Hickory Reservoir has already disrupted wildlife and increased road dangers on FateCon/Faitcon Road; Earl Darby cited previous fatalities on the road and urged caution.
Applicant Eddie Vargas and another representative acknowledged community concerns and said they would task engineering teams to design stormwater mitigation. Vargas also stated that "pretty much all of the 2 to 1 slope is actually not on our property," characterizing the steep slope as association-owned land and describing the applicant's parcel as relatively level.
Council members asked whether detention ponds could be sited to avoid discharging onto neighbors, whether a homeowners association would maintain fences or drainage features, and whether utilities (water/sewer) would require service changes (staff said CCWSA does not currently serve the site and the property would need to be relinquished to the City of Canton for service). Staff said specific stormwater and grading details are typically addressed at the land-disturbance and permit stage and that some items (price points, exact setbacks, and HOA arrangements) were "not specified" at this stage.
No final council vote on the ANNX2509-003 parcel was recorded at the Nov. 6 meeting; the council had earlier agreed to defer a separate annexation item and modified the agenda. Several residents said they would provide supporting materials (videos, surveys) to staff for review.
Next steps: Staff will compile technical responses and the applicant's engineering plans will be reviewed through the land-disturbance and permitting process before any final approvals can be granted.
