Another delay to the outcome of the ongoing saga in Old Canton…(if you are new to this story, I encourage you to catch up fast by reading cantonblogger.com)…
The Canton City Council approved a 45-day moratorium on master plan applications for proposed developments in the city’s Central Business District (CBD).
Mayor Cecil Pruett (RIGHT) said he introduced the moratorium proposal to allow for a study of the area. The moratorium applies to projects requiring master plan proposal review by the city in the entire district, which includes downtown Canton and nearby properties, but city officials “may only look at that one block” on East Main Street between Shipp and North Crisler streets, Pruett said.
Thursday, the council unanimously voted to table Dr. Michael Anderson’s request to convert three houses at 870 and 890 East Main Street and 260 North Crisler Street into offices until the 45-day moratorium on changes to property in the Central Business District, or CBD, expires.
“This issue is of grave concern to the residents of this city, as well as to the council members who serve you,” Mayor Cecil Pruett told the audience of about 70 people, adding Anderson’s master plan could come up for a vote again as soon as mid-October.
“We want to make sure that we study this matter inside and out, to be sure that what we decide to do is absolutely to the letter of the law,” Pruett added.
Anderson’s attorney, John Meier, said he is disappointed the council chose not to vote on the issue, but remains optimistic about the outcome. “Everything that has been asked of Dr. Anderson by the city authorities, he has complied with and some of those things were unnecessary,” he said. “He’s invested a lot of time and money into getting this project going and it’s unfortunate and unfair that he’s not being allowed to go forward with it. However, I’m hoping that something good can come out of all of this.”
This story contains excerpts from both local Cherokee newspapers, the Cherokee Tribune (Angela Jones) and the Cherokee Ledger-News (Tom Brooks).
