On December 27, CCPR board members met with incoming Cherokee County Commission Chairman, Buzz Ahrens, at the Justice Center in Canton. The meeting provided an opportunity for members and Mr. Ahrens to get acquainted and to discuss some hot property rights topics.
As expected, the first topic of discussion was the Proposed Land Use Plan and map. CCPR members express opposition to elements of the plan, including:
- 200 ft. set-backs.
- Discouraging of production-oriented agricultural activities like animal production.
- Denial of infrastructure to rural areas in terms of transportation and sewer improvements, and a low public services such as fire, police and libraries.
- Imposing upon our use of our property any additional level of governmental control or regulation other than the zoning ordinances already in place.
Members also expressed opposition to the plan’s Character Areas which:
- Do not reflect current land use and preexisting or approved zoning.
- Do not allow for sufficient transitional areas.
- Will deter badly needed job-growth in our county.
- Ignore growth patterns of surrounding counties.
- Ignore growth patterns already present in Cherokee County.
- Ignore planned infrastructure to be put in place by Cherokee Co. Water and Sewerage Authority.
Another point of discussion was the proposed Zoning Decision Process that will make rezoning requests even more cumbersome and bureaucratic than it is today.
CCPR stated the position that annexation is the result of past slow-growth policies and that the density in lower Cherokee will only continue. Any plan that does not reflect the inevitable growth of the county will only assure the enlargement of Canton, Woodstock, Holly Springs, Ball Ground, and other incorporated areas.
Mr. Ahrens expressed his own concerns about the process and the contents of the plan, and changes that might be forthcoming. CCPR is very interested in seeing how the Land Use Plan and Map will develop in 2007.
Points of agreement included the need for commercial growth and the need for parks and recreation in Cherokee County.
Finally the topic turned to the Planning & Zoning appointments that were announced last week. From CCPR’s perspective, the new P&Z will be dominated by slow growth activists who are relatively new-comers to Cherokee County. Mr. Ahrens expressed confidence that the P&Z appointees will be fair-minded and impartial, and that there will be no conflict of interest. CCPR expressed hopes that it is not yet too late to make some changes in the lineup.
Chairman Ahrens has been described as a "listener" and "accessible," and he lived up to his reputation during the two hour meeting. At the conclusion, members wished Buzz success in his new job and promised to stay in touch.
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