Except as otherwise provided in this resolution, when any building or structure is hereafter erected or structurally altered, or any building or structure hereafter erected is converted for the uses listed in article 12.1 adequate off-street parking shall be provided as indicated in the following tables.

1.

The use regulations for each district are not affected by arrangement of uses in the chart.

2.

The parking requirements in the chart are in addition to space for storage of trucks or other vehicles used in connection with any use.

3.

The parking requirements in the chart do not limit other parking requirements contained in the district regulations.

4.

Floor area as used in the chart shall be defined in article 4.

5.

Where fractional spaces result the parking spaces required shall be construed to be the next highest whole number.

6.

Except as otherwise provided, the number of employees shall be compiled on the basis of the maximum number of persons employed on the premises at one time on an average day or average night, whichever is greater. Seasonal variations in employment may be recognized in determining an average day.

7.

The parking space requirements for a use not specifically listed in the chart shall be the same as for a listed use of similar characteristics of parking demand generation.

8.

In the case of mixed uses, or uses with different parking requirements occupying the same building or premises, or in the case of joint use of a building or premises by more than one use having the same parking requirements, the parking spaces required shall equal the sum of the requirements of the various uses computed separately.

9.

Whenever a building or use is changed or enlarged in floor area, number of employees, number of dwelling units, seating capacity or otherwise, to create a need under the requirements of this article for an increase in parking spaces of ten percent or more than those required before the change or enlargement, such additional spaces shall be provided on the basis of change or enlargement. No additional spaces shall be required for the first change or enlargement which would result in an increase of spaces of less than ten percent of those required for the first change or enlargement which would result in an increase of spaces of less than ten percent of those required before the change or enlargement, but this exception shall not apply to a series of changes or enlargements which together result in a need for an increase in parking spaces of ten percent or more.

1.

All parking spaces required herein shall be located on the same lot with the building or use served except that where an increase in the number of spaces is required by a change or enlargement of use or where such spaces are provided collectively or used jointly by two or more building or establishments, the required spaces may be located and maintained at a distance not to exceed 300 feet from an institutional building or other nonresidential building served.

2.

Up to 50 percent of the parking spaces required for (a) theaters, public auditoriums, bowling alleys, dance halls and night clubs, and up to 100 percent of the parking spaces required for a church auditorium, may be provided and used jointly by (b) banks, offices, retail stores, repair shops, service establishments and similar uses not normally open, used or operated during the same hours as those listed in (a), and up to 100 percent of parking spaces required for schools may be provided and used jointly by a church auditorium, provided that written agreement thereto is properly executed and recorded as specified below.

3.

In any case where the required parking spaces are not located on the same lot with the building or use served, or where such spaces are collectively or jointly provided and used, such parking space shall be established by a recorded covenant or agreement as parking spaces to be used in conjunction with the principal use and shall be reserved as such through an encumbrance on the title of the property to be designated as required parking space such encumbrance to be valid for the total period the use or uses for which the parking is needed are in existence. A certificate of recording of the covenant or agreement shall be furnished to the zoning administrator.

1.

Minimum area. For the purpose of these regulations, an off-street parking space is an all-weather surfaced area not in a street or alley and having an area of not less than 200 square feet, temporary a paved driveway which affords ingress and egress for an automobile without requiring another automobile to be moved.

2.

Drainage and maintenance. Off-street parking facilities shall be drained to eliminate standing water and prevent damage to abutting property and/or public streets and alleys, and surfaced with erosion-resistant material in accordance with applicable town specifications.

Off-street parking areas shall be maintained in a clean, orderly, and dust-free condition at the expense of the owner or lessee and not used for the sale, repair, dismantling or servicing of any vehicles, equipment, materials or supplies.

3.

Separation from walkways and streets. Off-street parking spaces shall be separated from walkways, sidewalks, streets or alleys by a wall, fence, curbing or other approved protective device, or by distance so that vehicles cannot protrude over publicly owned areas.

4.

Entrances and exits. Location and design of entrances and exits shall be in accord with the applicable requirements of Cherokee County regulations and standards. All entrances and exits from or to any State of Georgia highway shall be approved by the Georgia Department of Transportation prior to construction. Landscaping, curbing or approved barriers shall be provided along lot boundaries to control entrance and exit of vehicles or pedestrians.

5.

Interior drives. Interior drives shall be of adequate width to serve the particular design arrangement of parking spaces.

6.

Marking. Parking spaces in lots of more than ten spaces shall be marked by painted lines, curbs or other means to indicate individual spaces. Signs or markers shall be used as necessary to ensure efficient traffic operation of the lot.

7.

Lighting. Adequate lighting shall be provided if off-street parking spaces are to be used at night. The lighting shall be arranged and installed to minimize glare on property in any residential district.

8.

Screening. When off-street parking areas for ten or more automobiles are located closer than 50 feet to a lot in a residential district, or to any lot upon which there is a dwelling as a permitted use under these regulations, and where such parking areas are not entirely screened visually from such lot by an intervening building or structure, there shall be provided a continuous, visual screen with a minimum height of six feet. Such screen may consist of a compact evergreen hedge or foliage screening or louvered wall or fence.

9.

Corner visibility clearance. [Reserved.]

1.

Except as otherwise provided in this resolution, when any building or structure is hereafter erected or structurally altered to the extent of increasing the floor area by 25 percent or more, or any building is hereafter converted, for the uses listed in table 12.2.

Table 12.2. Minimum Off-Street Loading Requirements

2.

Interpretation of the chart.

a.

The loading space requirements apply to all districts but do not limit the special requirements which may be imposed in the district regulations.

b.

Under the provisions of article 15, the board of appeals may waive or reduce the loading space requirements whenever the character of the use is such as to make unnecessary the full provisions of loading facilities, where provision is made for community loading facilities or where provision of loading space for uses which contain less than 10,000 square feet of floor area.

3.

Mixed uses in one building. Where a building is used for more than one use or for different uses, and where the floor area used for each use for which loading spaces is required is below the minimum for required loading spaces but the aggregate floor area used is greater than such minimum, then off-street loading space shall be provided as if the entire building were used for that use in the building for which the most spaces are required. In such cases, the zoning administrator or his designee may make reasonable requirements for the location of required loading spaces.

4.

Design standards.

1.

Minimum size. For the purposed of these regulations, a loading space is a space within the main building or on the same lot, providing for the standing, loading or unloading of trucks, having minimum area of 608 square feet, minimum width of 35 feet, a minimum depth of 45 feet and a vertical clearance of at least 14.5 feet.

b.

Loading space for funeral homes. Loading spaces for a funeral home may be reduced in size to 10 by 25 feet and vertical clearance reduced to eight feet for all but one space when multiple spaces are provided.

c.

Drainage and maintenance. Off-street loading facilities shall be drained to eliminate standing water and prevent damage to abutting property and/or public streets and alleys, and surfaced with erosion-resistant material in accordance with applicable town specifications. Off-street loading areas shall be maintained in a clean, orderly and dust-free condition at the expense of the owner or lessee and not used for the sale, repair, dismantling or servicing of any vehicles, equipment, materials or supplies.

d.

Entrances and exits. Location and design of entrances and exits shall be in accord with applicable requirements of town traffic regulations and standards. Where the entrance or exit of a building is designed for truck loading and unloading, such entrance or exit shall be designed to provide at least one off-street loading space.

All parking of vehicles shall be in compliance with the Cherokee County Property Maintenance Ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2009-O-006, § ID, 10-20-09)

The purpose of this article is to provide for the continuation and within a suitable period of time, elimination of existing uses of property that do not conform to the requirements of this ordinance or that may not conform to future amendments. The provisions of this article are designed to accomplish this intent in a way that:

13.1-1 Minimizes the nuisance, reduction in neighboring property values, and other adverse effects of properties that do not conform to their environs.

13.1-2 Allows the property owner or lessee to recover all or a substantial part of his investment in the nonconformity, while also minimizing the time period during which, by virtue of the nonconformity, he enjoys a special right not available to other property owners in the same zoning district.

Nonconformity is a characteristic of a building, structure, or area of land, or the use of such building, structure, or area of land, which was lawful prior to the date of enactment of this ordinance of any amendment that does not conform to the requirements applicable to the zoning district, is which it is located.

Use of a portion of a lot shall not establish a nonconformity as to the entire lot, but only to that portion of the lot actually used at the time of the enactment or amendment of this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2008-Z-002, § 4, 9-16-08)

The lawful use of any building, structures, land or sign existing at the time of the enactment or amendment of this ordinance may be continued, even though such use does not conform with the provisions of this ordinance, except that the nonconforming use shall not be:

13.3-1 Changed or extended so as to increase the portion of the property covered by the non-conforming building, structure, or sign on which the non-conforming use occurs.

13.3-2 Extended to occupy a greater area of a building or structure unless such additional area of the building or structure existed at the time of the enactment or amendment of this ordinance and was clearly designed to house the same use as the non-conforming use occupying the other portion of the building or structure.

13.3-3 Re-established after discontinuance for a continuous period of six months unless otherwise approved by the board of commissioners or holds a current Cherokee County Business License. In cases where the request is to re-establish a use after discontinuance for more than six months, the board of commissioners may not approve the re-establishment of any use which has been discontinued for more than two years, unless as provided in section 13.15 regarding legacy uses.

13.3-4 Changed to another non-conforming use.

(Ord. No. 2008-Z-002, § 4, 9-16-08; Ord. No. 2024-O-002, Exh. A, 2-20-24; Ord. No. 2025-O-001, § 1 (Exh. A), 1-21-25)

A nonconforming building existing at the time of the enactment or amendment of this ordinance may be retained except as follows:

13.4-1 No building other than a single-family detached dwelling may be enlarged, or altered except in conformance with this ordinance but it may be repaired to the extent necessary to maintain it in a safe and sanitary condition.

13.4-2 No building other than a single-family detached dwelling shall be rebuilt, altered or repaired after damage exceeding 75 percent of its replacement cost at the time of destruction, except in conformity with this ordinance.

13.4-3 A nonconforming single-family detached dwelling created or modified through the acquisition of right-of-way and/or easements by a federal, state, or local government shall not constitute a violation of this Code. The owner of any such nonconforming property created or modified through the exercise of eminent domain powers shall not be required to cure the nonconformity. Any single-family detached structure subject to this Code may be rebuilt, relocated, or reconstructed to cure the impacts of the right-of-way and/or easements acquisition, even if such rebuilding, relocation, or reconstruction does not conform to this Code with respect to those requirements including, but not limited to, development standards, buffers, or location requirements. The planning and zoning director, or their designee, shall allow the rebuilding, relocation, or reconstruction so long as the following criteria are met:

A.

The proposed rebuilding, relocation, or reconstruction is necessary to allow use of the property consistent with or similar to the pre-acquisition use of the property.

B.

The size or intensity of the nonconformity is not increased.

C.

The rebuilding, relocation, or reconstruction will not result in other violations of the zoning ordinance which are dissimilar to the pre-acquisition use of the property.

Should the proposed rebuilding, relocation, or reconstruction not meet the aforementioned criteria per this Code and the planning and zoning director, or their designee, is unable to approve the request, the request may be considered by the board of commissioners.

Where a party immediately adjacent to the subject residential property contests a decision of the planning and zoning director, or their designee, the aggrieved party may file an application to appeal such decision subject to the requirements per section 15.14 (a) of the zoning ordinance.

Any non-conforming use which is discontinued for a continuous period of six months shall not be resumed, unless approved by board of commissioners under the provisions of section 13.3-3, and the premises shall be occupied only by a use which conforms to the use regulations of the district in which it is located.

(Ord. No. 2024-O-006, § 1, 5-21-24; Ord. No. 2025-O-001, § 1 (Exh. A), 1-21-25)

The nonconforming use of any building, structure, or portion of that which is designed or intended for a use not permitted in the district in which it is located, may not be changed to another nonconforming use.

When the nonconforming use of a building, structure, or portion of a structure, which is designed or intended for a use not permitted in the district in which it is located, is discontinued for a continuous period of one year, such building, structure, or portion of that shall be occupied only by a use which conforms to the use regulations of the district in which it is located.

There shall be no extension or enlargement of a nonconforming uses except with the approval with of the zoning board of appeals.

When a building, structure, or portion of that, is designed or intended for a use not permitted in the district in which it is located, it shall not be enlarged, added to, or structurally altered in any manner except as may be required by law, unless the said building or structure and use of that shall be made to conform to the use regulations of the district in which it is located.

Repairs and alterations necessary in the ordinary course and operation of a building or structure may be made to a nonconforming building or structure, except that no structural alterations shall be permitted, unless such structural change is for the purpose of conforming with the use of a nonconforming use, or to introduce new nonconforming uses are prohibited. A nonconforming sign shall not be replaced by another sign, except within the provisions of this article. The substitution or interchange of poster panels, boards or the like on nonconforming signs shall be permitted. Minor repairs and maintenance of nonconforming signs, such as repainting, electrical repairs) and neon tubing shall be permitted. However, no structural repairs or changes in the size or shape of the sign shall be permitted except to make the sign comply with the requirements of this article.

No nonconforming building or structure shall be moved in whole or in part to any other location on the lot, except as required by law, unless every portion of such building or structure which is moved has the use if that made to conform to all the regulations of the district in which it is located.

A nonconforming use of land which is accessory to the nonconforming use of a building or structure shall be discontinued on the same date the nonconforming use of the building or structure is discontinued.

The sale of merchandise in the open, when not permitted by the provisions of this ordinance shall be discontinued immediately.

13.14-1 No lawfully established building, structure, or use shall be subject to the termination provisions solely for reason of being nonconforming with respect to the standards prescribed in this ordinance for any of the following:

A.

Floor area ratio.

B.

Development standards.

C.

Permitted uses.

D.

Buffers.

E.

Gross floor area.

13.15-1 Intent. The intent of this section is to allow the ability for legacy uses to be re-established through review by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners.

13.5-2 Review criteria. The board of commissioners shall review and render a decision for an application of a legacy use and shall render its decision based upon consideration of the following:

A.

The extent to which the use has a documented historical record of its prior existence in the proposed location.

B.

The historical, cultural, or economic significance of the use to Cherokee County.

C.

The similarity of the use to the prior, historical use.

D.

The impact of the use to the general health, safety, and welfare of neighboring properties.

E.

The appropriateness of the intensity of the use for the proposed location.

F.

The extent to which the zoning of property in the immediate vicinity, the land use policies set forth in the comprehensive plan and existing pattern of development of nearby property support a request for a zoning change rather than a legacy use designation.

G.

Any special or unique conditions of the use which are consistent with the purpose, intent and goals of the comprehensive plan.

H.

Conformity with other applicable requirements set forth in the zoning ordinance and code of ordinances.

13.5-3 Use conditions. The use may only be permitted with the following conditions:

A.

The building or structure which previously contained the use must exist on the property and have been in existence prior to January 1, 1969.

B.

The use must be permitted in the OI (office and institutional), or NC (neighborhood commercial) zoning districts as reflected in the permitted uses table.

C.

The exterior materials and design of the building or structure containing the use must complement the historic design of the use and of the community previously served by the use, as determined by the Cherokee County planning and zoning director, or their designee.

D.

The proposed legacy use may not exceed the area, structure, or building of the prior, historical use by more than 25 percent. If no documentation is available to conclusively determine the scale of the prior area, structure or building, the planning and zoning director, or their designee, shall determine this based on the available information.

E.

The use may not result in a nuisance as defined under state law.

13.15-2 Public hearing required. The board of commissioners shall conduct a public hearing for a legacy use consideration. Alternatively, the board of commissioners may direct the planning commission to conduct a public hearing for the purpose of obtaining its recommendation on the request for a legacy use. Following its public hearing or after receipt of the planning commission recommendation, as applicable, the board of commissioners shall consider the request for a legacy use and take final action. Requests for legacy uses shall be subject to the public notice requirements of sections 18.3-3, and 18.3-5(A)(7) of the Cherokee County zoning ordinance unless determined otherwise by the community development agency director, or their designee. In the event an approved legacy use ceases operation for six consecutive months, the board of commissioners may initiate a process for the termination of the legacy use pursuant to the provisions of article 18 of the zoning ordinance.

(Ord. No. 2025-O-001, § 1 (Exh. A), 1-21-25)