Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Residential Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
After lengthy public comment, commissioners table Beavers Road garage‑orientation amendment for clearer language
Summary
The board held an extended public hearing on a developer's request to modify a 2007 zoning condition that required detached garages for a Beavers Road subdivision. Neighbors raised traffic, fire‑safety and character concerns; the board unanimously voted to table the decision until the first June meeting to finalize precise draft language about semi‑attached vs. fully attached garages and setback implications.
Cherokee County commissioners on May 19 heard more than an hour of public comment about a proposed modification to zoning condition number 5 for a Beavers Road subdivision (originally approved in 2007). The applicant requested the option to build attached or semi‑attached garages (for example, garages connected via a breezeway or enclosed hallway) rather than requiring fully detached garages.
Applicant representatives said the change would allow a product that better meets buyer expectations and would not increase density (the developer stated plans are reduced from 23 to 18 lots). Neighbors from Beavers Road and nearby properties raised objections focused on maintaining the "rural estate" character, preserving tree cover and buffers, potential traffic and emergency access concerns, and possible impacts on property values. Speakers urged the board to keep detached garage requirements and to ensure architecture remains consistent with the original conditions.
Staff and the applicant clarified technical points: the current code treats garages connected by a breezeway as 'attached' for permitting, and detached accessory structures could have different setback allowances (accessories can be as close as 10 feet). Commissioners and staff discussed drafting precise language to allow 'semi‑attached' forward‑facing detached garages via breezeway while requiring fully embedded garages to be side‑entry and to meet full setbacks. Because the details remain unsettled, Commissioner Cagle moved to table the matter until the board's first June meeting; the motion carried unanimously.
The board instructed staff to work with the applicant and legal counsel to craft clearer ordinance language that reflects the group's intent and to return with recommended wording at the next meeting.
