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Growing
Pains

by
Debra Haynes

Seemingly, the responsibility of city and county governments is to manage according to the best interest of the public. In each of the above cases, there was a significant number of people who demonstrated opposition. If these officials knew something we didn't know about what our county needed, they should have explained why they voted against the public's wishes.

One voice that public officials cannot ignore is our vote. During the July elections, the majority of votes went to 'responsible growth' county commission candidates. In Post 2, this accounted for 85 percent of the votes cast! Hopefully this will ring in a new year of renewed respect for public opinion and input. In the meantime, every citizen should try to get involved in understanding how decisions are made in rezoning. Attend meetings held by the county board of commissioners, county or city planning commissions, or city councils.

Browse some of these websites for rezoning and meeting information: www.cherokeega.com, www.canton-georgia.com, www.ci.woodstock.ga.us and www.hollyspringsga.net. County newspapers also announce some of this information.

There are several methods by which to let your opinions known.

Email or call your public officials
Addresses and phone numbers are found on the websites listed above and at the "elected and appointed officials" page of The TowneLaer website.

Participate in a public participation meeting
During this meeting the developer or his representative presents a site plan of a particular rezoning and asks for audience input. Following the meeting, the developer or his representative sends a letter summarizing the outcome to the local planning or government office. Call, e-mail, or check the website to see when these meetings are scheduled.

Attend or speak at a public hearing
The planning commission members listen to presentations given by proponents and opponents of rezoning cases. At the County level, each side has 10 minutes to present. The developer's side is allowed a rebuttal within the 10-minute timeframe. The planning commission may or may not ask questions during this process and may poll the audience for its stance for or against a particular rezoning. The cities have a similar process.

Write letters to the editors of your local newspapers
Newspapers are very effective communication tools as they get the word out to so many residents and public officials alike.

Although we cannot regain the ground we have lost, we can help manage future growth by our involvement with public officials, and, most importantly, when elections roll around, vote.

Debra Haynes is on the Board of Directors of the Cherokee Coalition for Responsible Growth (CCRG). She lives in the Union Hill area with her husband and two daughters.

Public participation meeting, public input and public hearing. The word common to each is "public," implying that the public does have a say in local government decisions including rezoning. Both county and city governments give consideration to the public before voting on rezoning cases. So why is the public losing ground, literally and figuratively, in Cherokee County?

Just before Christmas, several rezoning cases were resolved that will put more pressure on an already overburdened infrastructure. In Holly Springs, a developer was given permission to build 304 homes on about 80 acres on the west side of Holly Springs Parkway, north of the intersection with East Cherokee Drive. This will be developed at 3.8 units per acre. What did the public have to say about this? It's too dense.

In Woodstock, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted to rezone 216.9 acres on Priest Road and Woodstock Road near Highway 92. The rezoning consists of 18 acres for 141 town homes, 138 acres as R-20 single-family residential (lot size = 20,000 sq. ft. or 10,000 sq. ft. lots if this is a conservation subdivision) and 60 acres as RD-3 single-family residential (3 homes to an acre) to allow no more than 527 homes. The original request for 620 homes and 141 town homes failed to pass in September. Although some real negotiating took place here with an offer of 29 acres on Hunt Road for a school along with a donation to the Cherokee Recreation and Parks Authority of $250,000 and 14 acres for a new park, what did the public have to say about the approval? It's too dense.

In Canton, the council approved a 414.3-acre master plan for Canton Place on Highway 20 near Interstate 575 at Exit 19. Canton Place will include a shopping center with 80 acres set aside for big box retail such as Lowe's, Kohl's, and Target; business offices; medical offices; a 150-room hotel; 351 apartments; 81 town homes; 75 houses; and may include a new site for the Northside Hospital-Cherokee. What did the public have to say about the approval? It's too dense.

Some of you may be wondering why the public complains about these types of developments. These people must be fanatics who don't want any growth, right? Many I have talked to say they are not against growth, but they would like to see development decreased to a more manageable size. Besides an inadequate infrastructure that includes roads, schools, water, and emergency services, residents worry about their property values, tax increases, and way of life being impacted. Many moved to Cherokee County to get away from the exploding growth in other counties. My article in January included some statistics on Cherokee County's growth and infrastructure woes. Please refer to the January issue of The TowneLaker for that information.