(OCT. 4, 2024) — The former Buffington school site could be the future of several facilities for Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services – what facilities will be included will be dependent on the results of a master plan.

At its Oct. 1 meeting, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with Jericho Design Group LLC for master planning services at the Buffington School parcel. The cost is not-to-exceed $100,000 and will be paid for with SPLOST funding.

District 1 Commissioner Steve West made the motion, which was seconded by District 4 Commissioner Corey Ragsdale.

The county purchased 9.8 acres from the Cherokee County School District in February for $1.2 million. Paired with the adjacent nearly 3.2-acre site the county already owned, Fire & Emergency Services plans to create a replacement Fire Station 29 and possibly a new Fire & Emergency Services headquarters, Logistics building, and Fire Safety and Education Village.

The county purchased the property from the school district to help preserve the historic Buffington School. The master plan is required to determine what the site will allow.

During the Oct. 1 meeting, the Board also:

  • Proclaimed October as Community Planning Month. The Planning Department has engaging activities planned for the month. See the news release about Community Planning Month here (https://www.cherokeecountyga.gov/Communications/media.php?storyID=463).
  • Approved, 5-0, the minutes from the Sept. 17 work session, executive session and regular meeting. District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter made the motion, which was seconded by District 2 Commissioner Richard Weatherby.
  • Approved, 5-0, hearing a request to overturn a Zoning Board of Appeals variance decision made on Sept. 12. A neighboring property owner is requesting the Board of Commissioners’ overturn the ZBA’s approval of Rachel Machamer’s variance application to reduce the setback for a proposed covered horse arena from 75 feet to 21 feet. The ZBA approved the variance request in September with conditions related to visual screening, lighting and sound. A public hearing will be held at the Nov. 19 Board of Commissioners’ meeting. Commissioner West made the motion to hear the request, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. Commissioner West said he motioned to hear the request to be able to consider conditions related to commercial use.
  • Approved, 5-0, to hear Ilde Robles’ request to appeal the Zoning Board of Appeals variance decision made on Sept. 12. The appellant is requesting the Board of Commissioners overturn the ZBA’s decision denying a variance request to eliminate the required 30-foot buffer between General Commercial properties. The property is located on Wade Green Road at Highway 92 and is slated for a climate-controlled self-storage facility. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion to hear the appeal, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter. A public hearing will be held at the Nov. 19 Board of Commissioners’ meeting.
  • Denied, 5-0, hearing James and Jill Mosley’s request for a variance to allow for an accessory structure to exceed 50 percent of the gross square footage of the principal building. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
  • Approved, 5-0, Complete Site, LLC’s request for a Special Use Permit to construct a non-climate controlled self-storage facility and concurrent variances to allow the parcel to be less than five acres, to allow the facility to not be fully enclosed by six-foot opaque privacy fence or decorative wall, and to allow the required screening to behind the required fence. The property is located at 3510 Ball Ground Highway, Canton. Commissioner West made the motion to approve the request and concurrent variances with conditions recommended by Planning Commission, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. Conditions include the proposed facility is limited to a single building with three sides enclosed.
  • Approved, 5-0, Cherokee Classical Christian School, Inc.’s request for a Special Use Permit to allow for a school as an additional use to a place of worship. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, Chris Mixon’s request to rezone 2.59 acres at 2701 Ball Ground Highway from R-40 to General Commercial. The approval also includes a Special Use Permit for an electrical contractor and a concurrent variance to eliminate the required deceleration lane. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby.
  • Approved, 5-0, Marrison Investments LLC’s request to rezone 1.10 acres from Office and Institutional to Neighborhood Commercial for a veterinarian animal hospital. The site is located at 7997 Hickory Flat Hwy., Woodstock. Conditions include no outside runs and no unsupervised animals. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, Hani Narmani’s request to rezone 4.25 acres from Agriculture and R-80 to Neighborhood Commercial to develop a multi-use commercial and office lot on Highway 20 at Wheeler Martin Road. The case had been remanded back to Planning Commission in April 2023 when the applicant was requesting General Commercial for the site. Commissioner West made the motion to approve the request with conditions, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. Conditions include no commercial access to Wheeler Martin Road and the development must adhere to the recently approved development standards for Highway 20.
  • Approved, 5-0, the consent agenda, which included: a request by E 9-1-1 to surplus outdated radio equipment that been replaced by Premier One and 800 MHz Radio Projects; calling for a public hearing to be held on Nov. 19 for an exceptional variance request for SM Partner LLC to allow for a convenience store with gas pumps in the Bells Ferry Community Design District; calling for a public hearing to be held on Oct. 15 for a proposed amendment to the insurance requirements for classified dangerous dogs; and a request from Human Resources for a change in the health insurance premium cost to be split between the employer and employee. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, adopting the fiscal year 2025 budget totaling $415 million. Commissioner West made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, a request from Fire & Emergency Services to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with Lanier Technical College to allow fire recruits to earn college credits from Lanier Tech during the recruit training process at the Fire & Emergency Services Training Facility. Recruits will be able to earn college credit, and the county will be reimbursed by Lanier Tech. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Canton for use of Premier One Mobile Dispatch Client licenses. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner West.
  • Approved, 5-0, a request from Fire & Emergency Services for amendment four to the agreement with Intellitime Solutions Corporation to extend the length of the contract to provide a comprehensive timekeeping system for three additional years. The cost is $141,421. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Ragsdale.
  • Approved, 5-0, a request from the IT Department to renew an email protection solutions agreement. The cost is not to exceed $54,954. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, a request from the Community Development Agency to award a Professional Services Agreement with Clark Patterson Lee Architects for development of a Unified Development Code. The cost is not to exceed $248,455. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, a request from the Coroner for the purchase of a Chevrolet Tahoe PPV from Bachman Auto Group. The cost is $56,106. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Ragsdale.
  • Approved, 5-0, a request from the Engineering Department for amendment four to the Professional Services Agreement with Practical Design Partners LLC to perform design engineering for the Northcreek Drive Drainage Improvement Project. The cost is $31,675. Commissioner Ragsdale made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, a request from the Engineering Department for an agreement with Dawsonville Bluffs LLC for the purchase of stream credits for the Hidden Branches Drainage Improvement Project. The cost is $349,814. Commissioner Carter made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Weatherby. The action is a requirement by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
  • Approved, 5-0, a condemnation resolution authorizing the county to proceed with the condemnation process for Parcels 12 and 12-T-1 for the Highway 92 at Trickum Road Intersection Improvement Project. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
  • Approved, 5-0, the purchase of 4.14 acres that is proposed to be bisected by the construction of Technology Ridge Parkway Phase 2. The cost is $800,000, and the approval by the Board also includes allowing the County Manager to complete the transaction. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion, which was seconded by Commissioner West.