Cherokee County delays decision on Kellogg Creek townhome redesignation and turn‑lane variance after residents’ protests

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted 4–1 on Dec. 3 to postpone decisions on whether to redesignate a 0.66‑acre county triangle in the Bells Ferry overlay and whether to relieve a prior condition requiring a left‑turn lane on Kellogg Creek Road for a proposed townhome development.

The two items are tied to a proposed 102‑unit townhome development near Kellogg Creek Road and Victory Drive. Commissioners agreed to hear the related third item — whether civic space may be counted toward a nonresidential/commercial requirement — at the same Dec. 17 meeting. Commissioner West moved to table the matters; the motion carried 4–1.

Residents and neighborhood representatives urged the board to keep the county parcel as parkland and to require traffic improvements if the subdivision proceeds. “The congestion is so horrible ... I now go to church an hour early so that I could be there on time,” said Tammy De Santiago, a nearby resident, describing multi‑mile morning backups and crashes she has observed. Other speakers described full parking lots on game days and said the county parcel could be repurposed to relieve park parking.

Zoning staff told the board the overlay adopted in 2007 already allows townhomes in much of the area and that the county‑owned triangle has been administratively determined by Parks staff to be largely unusable for park purposes as configured; selling it, staff said, could provide funds to improve Patriots Park. The developer’s request includes a text amendment to change the triangle from “civic space” to “neighborhood center” (which could allow higher density) and an application to remove or modify a prior condition that would have required a dedicated left‑turn lane at the Kellogg Creek access.

Opponents cited traffic counts, location of existing congestion, and a petition they said included about 596 signatures opposing the plan. Bob McNally, who lives about a mile from the site, questioned the traffic study’s sampling site and numbers, arguing that local average‑daily‑traffic figures near the project would be higher and could trigger left‑turn‑lane requirements. Proponents, including the development’s representative, said the parcel is zoned for higher density under the overlay and that sale proceeds would fund park improvements.

The board’s postponement means no changes will be made until the meeting on Dec. 17, when commissioners will consider the overlay redesignation, the turn‑lane request and whether civic space may count toward the commercial‑space requirement. Chair asked staff to ensure public notice signage remains posted.

What’s next: The Board will reconvene on Dec. 17 at 6:00 p.m. to take up the deferred items.