Cherokee County adopts rules requiring special-use permits for private schools and new outdoor fields

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners on April 21 approved a zoning text amendment that will require private schools teaching grades 1–12 to seek special-use permits and impose new controls on outdoor fields.

Planning and Zoning Director Ms. Stallings told the board the goal is to align private-school definitions with public-school grade structures and to add community protections for outdoor facilities. "So really, what we were doing here is making sure that it covers any private school that is teaching grades 1 through 12," Ms. Stallings said during the presentation.

The amendment moves many previously "restricted" zoning entries to a "special use" classification, meaning new or expanding schools must complete a special-use-permit process with community outreach, a planning commission hearing and a final board decision. The ordinance now requires a minimum 30-foot buffer where a school adjoins residential property and makes outdoor fields subject to permit review if not included in an original approval. The rules also require fencing or walls, prohibit central loudspeaker systems, mandate a traffic control plan approved by the county engineer and require lighting to comply with existing outdoor-lighting standards.

Commissioner Carter, who moved approval, framed the change as a response to community impacts from outdoor activities, noting the board's intent to consider compatibility with surrounding neighborhoods. "This gives us a chance to consider those factors and decide whether it's appropriate to have that scale of a school in a residential area," the chair said in discussion.

The board voted unanimously to repeal and replace Section 7.7-15C as presented. Ms. Stallings thanked the board, and the changes take effect as part of the county's zoning code update process.

The board opened and closed the public hearing with no members of the public registered to comment on the amendment.