Cherokee County Board Of Education Highlights

Press release from Cherokee County:

April 11, 2023

Public engagement for the final stages of the Comprehensive Plan will open this month.

The draft of the 2023 Comprehensive Plan will be available at www.cherokeega.com/ourcherokee from April 10-April 28 with a community meeting to be held April 11, from 6-7 p.m., at the Northside Cherokee Conference Center, 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton.

The Comprehensive Plan update launched last fall and included an online map and survey to engage the public in the process. County planning staff led the update process, bringing on consultant, POND, in a support role. Staff utilized the community feedback, existing Comprehensive Plan, and recent development data to create updated documents. Further community engagement will be used to shape the final plan. In May, county planners will submit the Comprehensive Plan to Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) for review, allowing ARC feedback to be implemented over the summer. Final adoption and transmission to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs is expected in September.

Design for Hickory Flat Park to begin

Plans for the new park in Hickory Flat will begin soon following the approval of the design contract.

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved a Professional Services Agreement with Lose Design for land use planning and design services for the future 40-acre park master plan at 3552 East Cherokee Drive. The cost for land use planning and design is $43,350.

Seven proposals were received, and the top two scoring firms were interviewed. Lose Design was the top scoring firm and second lowest price firm. County Manager Geoff Morton told the Board the park is in the beginning planning stages.

District 1 Commissioner Steve West made the motion to approve the Professional Services Agreement, with District 2 Commissioner Richard Weatherby seconding. The vote was 4-0. District 4 Commissioner Corey Ragsdale was traveling and could not attend.

At the April 4 meeting, the Board also:

• Proclaimed April Child Abuse Prevention Month. Amy Economopolous from the Anna Crawford Children’s Center and Michelle Meek from The Children’s Haven accepted the proclamation and spoke briefly about their respective organizations.
• Approved, 4-0, the minutes from the March 21 regular meeting, work session and executive session. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter.
• Postponed for one month Joseph Rajecki’s request to rezone 1.38 acres at 5966 Vaughn Road from R-80 to R-60. Commissioner Weatherby said he had some additional questions and wanted to postpone it while he researches. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion to postpone, which was seconded by Commissioner West. The case will be heard at the May 2 meeting at 6 p.m.
• Remanded back to Planning Commission, with a 4-0 vote, Hani Narmani’s request to rezone 9.14 acres from Agriculture and R-80 to General Commercial at Cumming Highway and Wheeler Martin Drive for a retail development to include a gas station and used car dealership. The request also included a Special Use Permit. Commissioner West made the motion to remand the case back to Planning Commission to start the process over, including a community input meeting and public hearing, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Tabled until the May 2 meeting, Iglesia De Dios Evangelio Completo, Inc.’s request for a Special Use Permit to develop a place of worship on Pea Ridge Road. The applicant also requested variances to allow a place of worship to have primary access from a local road, to allow square footage of all buildings to be greater than 10,000 square feet, to allow the 30-foot buffer to be disturbed and replanted as needed, and to allow for a multi-use sports field as an accessory use. The applicant requested the case to be postponed. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter. The vote was 4-0.
• Denied, 4-0, SW North Canton LLC’s request to rezone 4.24 acres at 14120 Fincher Road and 2116 Upper Burris Road from R-80 to Neighborhood Commercial for a Dollar General store. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. Commissioner West, in whose district the parcel lies, indicated the use was not fitting with the character of the area, which is slated for Rural Places and Scenic Corridor, on the future development map.
• Approved, 4-0, Countryside Ventures LLC’s request to withdraw its application without prejudice. Countryside Ventures LLC was seeking to rezone 16.763 acres at 14045 Cumming Highway from Agriculture and R-40 to General Commercial for a special events facility, as well as a Special Use Permit to operate the facility. Commissioner West made the motion to allow the withdrawal, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 4-0, hearing an appeal of a March 9, 2023, Zoning Board of Appeals Decision related to a variance request from the Community Development District in the Lake Arrowhead development. Johnson Development requested the appeal. The original request was to reduce a 25-foot building setback to 12 feet in certain lots of an 88-lot subdivision. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. The case is expected to be heard at the May 16 meeting at 6 p.m.
• Approved, 4-0, notifying the city of Holly Springs that the county does not object to a 0.6-acre annexation and rezoning from County Light Industrial to City Light Industrial on East Rope Mill Road. This is part of a larger assemblage with property already in the city of Holly Springs. The applicant’s plan is for two office/warehouse buildings. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 4-0, notifying the city of Canton that the County does not object to a 1.42-acre annexation on Fate Conn Road but is opposed to the proposed use. The applicant is seeking to construct a gas station at Fate Conn Road and reduce buffers to the south and the west. The proposed development also is in conflict with the construction of Technology Ridge Parkway. The Board instructed staff to share the concerns with the city, including that if it’s approved, the development would need to wait until Technology Ridge Parkway is complete or pay for changes to the plan to include the development. Additionally, the Board said the buffers should be no less than 35 feet, specifically to the south of the property, which abuts a residential property, the entrance would need to be aligned with Walker Road, and to point out that the use is a secondary use in Canton’s Land Use Plan. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 4-0, the consent agenda, which included: Georgia Power’s request for an easement across 3264 Hickory Flat Highway (Hickory Flat Fire Station parcel); the surplus of obsolete office furniture from the Tax Commissioner’s Office and the Probate Judge’s Office; renewal of the annual service and maintenance agreement with Motorola Solutions for E 9-1-1’s VESTA System; a project revision request from the Canton Housing Authority to change the scope of work for the ARPA subrecipient agreement from the Oakside Property to the Tanner Property; and Georgia Power’s request for easements across 956 Univeter Road (future city of Holly Springs Public Works parcel). Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner West.
• Approved, 4-0, the purchase of an Easy Lawn L90 Hydro-seeder from Erosion Control Products Corporation for Public Works. The cost is $34,495. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 4-0, fitness equipment for the Bluffs employee fitness center from low-bidder Innovative Fitness. The cost is $40,751 and is paid for through a wellness grant from Northside Hospital. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 4-0, upgrading the Manatron VCS tax software to its web-based version for the Tax Commissioner’s Office. The cost is $26,208. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 4-0, upgrades to three existing call-taker consoles for E 9-1-1 in the amount of $171,194.27 from Motorola Solutions. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 4-0, five separate Professional Services Agreements for the Public Works Department for trucking services. The firm, fixed price is $100 per truck per hour worked. The three-year agreements are with Randy Cochran Grading & Hauling, Haithcock Grading and Paving, Inc., Randy B. Trucking, Lee Farms and R.H. Trucking. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner West.
• Approved, 4-0, awarding a Professional Services Agreement for the East Cherokee Drive at Mill Creek Drive roundabout projects to highest-scoring proposer Keck & Wood, Inc. The cost is $105,000. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
• Approved, 4-0, an additional $36,674.92 from Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds for the purchase of the remaining 13 Ford Explorers for the Sheriff’s Office that were previously approved by the BOC on Aug. 2, 2022. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 4-0, a contract for the sale of 36.90 acres on Technology Ridge Parkway – a portion of the Park Village property – for $55,000 per acre. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.

This press release was produced by Cherokee County. The views expressed here are the author's own.