Cherokee County staff propose special-use permits and new design rules for gas stations and car washes

Planning staff recommended requiring special-use permits for gas stations and car washes in the county's General Commercial zoning and proposed a suite of supplemental regulations aimed at reducing visual clutter and traffic impacts. "We have 64 gas stations with convenience stores located within Cherokee County," staff said during the work session, adding that 16 car washes lie inside county boundaries (the counts exclude city jurisdictions).

The draft changes, presented by Planning staff, include clear definitions for "gas station" and "car wash," a requirement that fuel pump canopies meet primary building setbacks and be architecturally integrated with the principal building, and restrictions intended to keep bright, business-identity bands off canopies. Staff also recommended moving certain ancillary equipment — vacuums, air pumps and freestanding vending or donation boxes — away from the street-facing edge and subjecting them to the same setback rules as the principal building.

Commissioners debated where to draw the line on color and scale. One commissioner said the special-use permit requirement "totally makes sense" and favored treating canopy and ancillary-equipment placement through the permit process; another urged caution before banning national-brand canopy colors and suggested delegating discretion to the planning director. Planning staff also proposed reducing a minimum lot-size threshold from 2 acres to 1 acre after noting an average lot size of about 1.2 acres for existing sites.

Staff noted the county adopted a 90-day moratorium on the affected NAICS-coded uses last month and that the moratorium is expected to end at the end of this month. The draft language will be revised and presented at a public hearing advertised for June 17; staff told commissioners they would circulate updated text prior to the hearing.