A Convenience Store Could Be Coming to Arnold Mill Road

Cherokee County commissioners have postponed a decision on a request to build a convenience store and an additional retail building on Arnold Mill Road until September to allow for more time for public input and discussion.

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted July 2 to postpone a decision on a request from H. Michael Bray for Wilson Property Investments, LLC to rezone about 4.085 acres on Arnold Mill Road from office and institutional to general commercial. The applicant is seeking to build a 6,400 square-foot convenience store with gas pumps and a separate 2,000 square-foot retail building. Thirty two parking spaces are proposed for the convenience store and 10 parking spaces are planned for the retail building.

The applicant is also requesting a concurrent variance to allow for grading within the undisturbed zoning buffer.

The Cherokee County Planning Commission recommended denial of the request.

The property sits near the intersection of Barnes Mill Road and North Arnold Mill Road.

Commissioner Richard Weatherby, who represents the area the property is in, said the property was once zoned for general commercial use, and the county rezoned it to residential — but a court order forced the county to change it back to a commercial zoning and it ended up being zoned office institutional.

“Based on this history I think we need to look at it a little bit more. I’m not willing to deny it. I don’t feel comfortable denying it based on the past history and the fact that it involved the courts,” Weatherby said. “So, I suggest postponing it until the first meeting in September to hold a public hearing to get public input on it.”

Commissioners are scheduled to hold a public hearing on the request Sept. 3.

“I’m not sure I am ready to support GC on this property, but I would support something above OI, which I guess would leave NC (neighborhood commercial) as the middle ground, but I won’t oppose holding the hearing and considering something over and above the current OI zoning,” Commission Chair Harry Johnston said. “I see it as a transition parcel. I really would like to see it step down from the general commercial activity across the street and create something of a buffer with a light residential use there, but I understand the history there and we do have to sort that out.”