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Cherokee County staff recommends zoning changes after 90‑day moratorium on new gas stations and car washes
Summary
Cherokee County staff recommended defining 'gas station' and 'car wash' in the zoning ordinance, adding six use conditions, and making such uses a special‑use permit in general commercial districts after the board adopted a 90‑day moratorium beginning April 1; commissioners asked staff for an acreage analysis and revisions before a June 17 public hearing.
The board reviewed a staff proposal to study and potentially revise Cherokee County's zoning rules for gasoline stations, convenience stores and car washes after the board adopted a 90‑day moratorium on new applications on April 1. Staff (Speaker 3) said the moratorium is scheduled to expire around June 30 and that a public hearing is planned for June 17 to consider text amendments.
"This board adopted a 90 day moratorium for any new applications for gas stations and car washes," staff said, adding the county will review locations, environmental risks and development patterns. Staff presented maps showing concentrations along Highway 92 and in District 4 and said there are currently a mix of vested, permitted and under‑construction sites countywide.
The draft changes include two formal definitions—one for car washes and one for gasoline stations—drawn in part from NAICS and neighboring cities, and six proposed use conditions: (1) locate fuel pumps and canopies to meet primary building setbacks, (2) prohibit ancillary equipment (vacuum stations, compressed‑air pumps) directly abutting the primary street, (3) require ancillary structures to use architectural materials and muted colors similar to the primary building, (4) a suggested minimum lot size (staff proposed 2 acres), (5) a traffic control plan including a fire apparatus turnaround, and (6) limit freestanding accessory structures (ice machines, ATMs, donation bins) so they are not closer to the primary street than the principal structure.
Commissioners discussed whether the proposed 2‑acre minimum was appropriate for neighborhood shopping centers and whether national‑brand grocery‑anchored fuel sites (for example, a Kroger gas) would be treated as accessory uses. Several commissioners supported making these uses subject to a special‑use permit in general commercial zoning so the county can add site‑specific conditions and require public hearings.
The board directed staff to analyze recent convenience‑store/gas‑station site sizes, research how nearby jurisdictions treat canopies and colors, and return with revised text amendments at the next work session so commissioners can review updates before the June 17 public hearing.
