Cherokee County adopts Highway 20 East overlay, sets parking standard for oversized vehicles

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 20 to adopt design standards and text amendments to Articles 16 and 4 of the county zoning ordinance establishing an overlay for the Highway 20 East corridor.

Planner Dana Spade told the board the package requires angled parking for large site developments and offers an option on the share of spaces sized for oversized vehicles. "The choice is at least 50% or 1 in 4 of the provided parking spaces must be designed to accommodate for oversized vehicles," Spade said, and presented a worked example using the Kroger off East Cherokee. Commissioners discussed configurations — angled, end‑to‑end, or deeper single spaces — before agreeing on the lower ratio.

Chair Harry Johnston said the overlay is intended to guide the quality of development as Highway 20 is widened: "The point is to create a good looking type of development and to prevent, at least on the visible frontage, certain types of unsightly development so that it has a pleasant look as we drive through it." Commissioner West moved to approve the overlay with the 1‑in‑4 parking option; the board seconded the motion and it carried unanimously.

The adopted text will be posted on the county website, planning staff said, and applies to new large‑site developments within the Highway 20 East corridor.