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Commissioners weigh color and canopy rules as part of gas‑station zoning overhaul
Summary
Cherokee County commissioners debated whether to ban bright canopy colors outright or address them through special‑use permit design review and commercial building standards; staff will research how nearby jurisdictions regulate canopies and return with recommendations.
A substantive portion of the work session turned to how fuel pump canopies and ancillary equipment should be treated under proposed zoning changes. Several commissioners urged that noise and highly visible color schemes be explicit concerns in any new language.
"We've seen a lot of that," one commissioner (Speaker 4) said of bright color schemes used by regional independents. Chair (Speaker 1) asked whether the county should restrict canopy colors such as the red used by a major local brand and whether such colors should be reviewed through the special‑use permit process. Staff (Speaker 3) said columns and canopy features are often addressed through rezoning conditions and indicated the county could either add a specific color/roof provision or rely on general commercial building standards to address the canopy and roofline.
Commissioners suggested allowing the special‑use permit process to vet color schemes and require design approvals as part of permit conditions rather than enacting a blanket prohibition. Staff will look at examples from Forsyth and other nearby jurisdictions and return with proposed language.
