Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cherokee County staff recommend reclassifying small Patriot's Park parcel to allow 102-townhome plan; residents expected to push back
Summary
Planning staff recommended a text amendment to the Bells Ferry overlay to reclassify a small triangular parcel of Patriot's Park from 'civic' to 'neighborhood center' and to modify a 2005 condition that required two left-turn lanes; staff said the change affects a narrow park triangle and argued traffic counts do not warrant the extra left-turn lane. Staff flagged heavy public interest and a petition circulating.
County planning staff told the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 3 that a developer-led proposal would convert a small triangular sliver of Patriot's Park from its existing "civic space" designation to "neighborhood center" under the Bells Ferry overlay, which would add a limited number of dwelling units to an otherwise planned 102-unit townhome development.
The staff presentation explained the change affects a narrow, county-owned triangle that planners said has limited recreational value and likely will be used by the developer for stormwater detention. "When we built the park, we didn't use it for a reason," a county staff member said, characterizing the parcel as topographically constrained.
The reclassification would increase maximum allowed intensity for that sliver—from neighborhood general (8 units per acre) to neighborhood center (up to 12 units per acre)—yielding roughly two additional townhome units in staff's calculation. The developer also asked the county to modify a 2005 zoning condition that required two exclusive left-turn lanes on westbound Kellogg Creek Road serving the development; the applicant's traffic study, delivered the same day, concluded a left-turn lane is not warranted by current counts.
Commissioners raised safety concerns about Kellogg Creek and Bells Ferry intersections; one commissioner said the intersection currently performs at a "D" level in peak periods and worried queued left-turning vehicles could back up into adjacent intersections. "I'm very concerned about the left turning traffic," the Chair said.
Staff acknowledged the case is contentious and anticipates many residents to attend the public hearings; the planning staff noted a petition circulating with roughly 600 signatures opposing rezoning of the broader area, though staff stressed tonight's hearings concern only the small county-owned parcel and the left-turn-lane modification.
The board discussed whether to present the two public hearings—one for the text amendment and one for the modification—together for efficiency and decided to introduce both items, accept public comment for each, and take separate votes after hearing both matters.
What happens next: The planning items are scheduled for public hearings (the staff presentation indicated hearings are set for the upcoming meeting nights), where public comment is expected. Staff will provide the applicant's traffic study and will verify unit counts and plan details requested by commissioners.
