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Commissioners affirm ZBA approval for covered horse arena with conditions limiting parking and commercial use
Summary
The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously affirmed a Zoning Board of Appeals approval allowing a 10,000 sq ft covered riding arena with reduced setback, adding conditions to prohibit on‑street parking and any commercial use, after neighbors raised traffic and visibility concerns.
Chairman Johnson said the board would decide whether to affirm or deny an appeal of the ZBA approval for Rachel Makemer’s request to roof an existing riding arena at 103 Hunting Valley Trail. Zoning administrator Mr. Traylor summarized staff’s presentation: the structure would be roughly 10,000 square feet, about 25 feet tall, and required a variance to reduce the 75‑foot front setback to about 21 feet. Traylor also noted the ZBA’s prior conditions: an 8‑foot evergreen screening, no lighting, and no outdoor speakers.
Neighbor appellants Theresa Lucela and Giovanni LaVicella told the board the structure would be visible, would sit ‘‘right at the fence’’ and near a one‑lane cul‑de‑sac, and could create parking and emergency‑access problems. Lucela said the arena was ‘‘bigger than her house’’ and questioned the neighborhood being characterized as equestrian when only three of eight houses keep horses. Applicant representative Shannon Sewell, who identified herself as Rachel McElmer’s mother, said the arena is lower than the neighbors claim, most neighbors support the project, and the homeowner has two or three horses for private use.
Commissioner West moved to affirm the ZBA approval but add two conditions: a prohibition on parking in the road or on the side of the road at any time and an explicit prohibition on commercial use of the facility. Commissioner Weatherby seconded; the motion carried unanimously. Chairman Johnson announced: ‘‘Motion carries unanimously and the ZBA decision for approval is affirmed with the two additional conditions we’ve discussed.’’
The board’s action maintains the ZBA’s original screening and no‑lighting conditions while adding the no‑parking and no‑commercial‑use restrictions that commissioners said respond to neighbors’ concerns about visibility, traffic, and potential commercial activity. The decision affects only this variance; enforcement and any future compliance review would be handled through county permitting and code enforcement processes.
