§ 7.5. [Site plan requirements for certain districts.]

The following features shall be included in site plan requirements for all development(s) within all zoning districts except for AG, R-80, R-40, R-30, R-20, and R-15.

7.5-1  Site development plan. The site development plan shall be submitted at the time of construction plan submittal, if not submitted, the land disturbance permit shall not be permitted to proceed. Prior to issuance of the LDP, a site development plan shall be submitted addressing all issues described in 7.5-1 (a through o). All plans shall be submitted for approval by noon on Friday and a plan review will take place during the work day with county officials and the developer the following Friday. Any changes requested by the county shall be reviewed on or before the second Friday before the original submission.

a.

Location map. A general location map at a scale of one inch equals 500 feet indicating existing zoning on the site, adjoining roads and the adjacent areas are required.

b.

Survey boundaries. Surveyed boundaries of the entire tract and their relationship to adjoining properties, public rights-of-way, and easements.

c.

Building locations. Location of all proposed buildings, their shape, size, and setback in appropriate scale.

d.

Right-of-way. Location and right-of-way of streets, roads, alleys, railroads, public crosswalks, with lengths and widths, road names, or designations.

e.

Buffers. Proposed buffers and landscaping.

f.

Topography. Existing topographic conditions with contour intervals of five feet or less; areas that have slopes greater than 15 percent shall be identified.

g.

Floodplain. Location of streams, lakes, swamps, and if applicable, the boundary and elevation of the 100-year floodplain as determined by the past history of flooding or the best available data.

h.

Drainage. Size and location of all drainage mechanisms and the applicable drainage area within the tract or within the right-of-way of streets or roads adjacent to the tract; grades and invert elevations of sewers shall be shown; all elevations shall refer to mean sea level datum where public water and/or public sewers are to be installed. Layouts of all utility and drainage easement.

i.

Soil erosion plan. A soil erosion plan showing the mitigation techniques that will be employed during construction.

j.

Common open spaces. Location of parks or common open spaces, tree areas to be retained or added and other open spaces. Designation of all land to be reserved or dedicated for public use; or used as recreation areas.

k.

Recreation facilities. Proposed bikeways, jogging trails, pedestrian ways or other recreational facilities if provided within the residential district.

l.

Sketches. Representative architectural sketches or renderings of typical proposed structures, signs, landscaping, screening and/or fencing.

m.

Off-street parking and loading. Show the access point to the public street system, off-street parking and loading plan.

n.

Development report. A report setting forth the proposed development schedule, indicating the sequence of development of the various sections thereof, and the approximate time period required for completion of each phase.

o.

Technical data. Statistical or technical data as necessary to accurately describe the proposed development including, but not limited to, the following shall be included in the development report:

(1)

Total land area.

(2)

Amount of land to be used for recreational or open space purpose.

(3)

Total number of dwelling units and gross density by type of land use.

(4)

Amount of space to be occupied by streets and parking areas.

(5)

Amount of any submerged land within the project boundary.

(6)

The total ground coverage and floor area of all buildings.

(7)

A breakdown of the number of kinds of proposed buildings, including squared footage, and the number and range of lot sizes and proposed setback and yard dimensions for typical lots and/or building types.

(8)

Deed record names of adjoining property owners or subdivisions.

7.5-2  Plan format. Plan format refers to section 18.3-3c, site plan format.

7.5-3

General site development and design regulations for commercial and industrial districts.

7.5-3.1

Purpose and intent. Careful attention to attractive and citizen-friendly community design is in the economic interests of Cherokee County, its citizens, and business owners. Attractive and integrated community design features tend to improve the county's image, raise overall property values, attract new businesses, and improve the quality of life. Investment in design features tends to result in a positive return on investment for property owners, private industry, and government. For example, the money spent on landscaped roadway medians, sidewalks, and street trees is likely to be amply returned in the form of increased tax revenue resulting from the overall increase in property values that accompanies attractive and desirable urban and suburban areas.

Much of the existing commercial and industrial development in Cherokee County, particularly development along the county's principal highways, is in need of aesthetic and functional enhancement. Existing conditions that are inconsistent with the objectives quality community design include: chain link fencing enclosures of autos and trailers without adequate screening; various building materials and/or equipment stored in front yards in view of the traveling public; continuous, uncurbed, highway access; old, dilapidated, and/or unattractive awnings and facade treatments; excessive signage in the form of fluttering ribbons, portable signs, sandwich signs, and welcome flags; a lack of front yard landscaping; storage/maintenance bay doors and loading areas facing the highway; dumpsters placed in front/side yards in unobstructed view from highways; and a general lack of interparcel access (i.e., connections between adjacent developments).

It is the intent of Cherokee County to require new commercial and industrial developments install appropriate improvements and comply with general design regulations intended to improve aesthetic appearance and function. It is also the intent of the county to require substantial progress toward compliance with these improvement requirements and general design regulations in cases where existing businesses are expanded.

These design regulations are intended to merge traffic engineering, civil engineering, urban design, landscape architecture, and land use planning principles into a set of regulations for commercial developments and properties in the unincorporated areas of the county. The regulations are the minimum necessary to: preserve the carrying capacity of major arteries; reduce the number of vehicular turning movements to and from the major artery, thereby reducing the potential for automobile and pedestrian traffic accidents; encourage and promote the most suitable uses of land; ensure the adequate grading and draining of developments; promote an environment which reduces the visual clutter and other distracting characteristics resulting from various aspects typical of urban and suburban commercial strip development; prohibit the needless, wasteful and purposeless aesthetic degradation of the county's highway and major street corridors; and promote a more healthy environment.

7.5-3.2

Applicability. This article shall apply to all properties located within commercial (GC, NC, HC, OI) and Industrial (LI) zoning districts of unincorporated Cherokee County. New development shall be required to conform to these regulations. A substantial improvement of an existing development shall be required to conform to these regulations or, in cases where physically impossible, make substantial progress toward meeting the regulations contained within this chapter. Substantial improvement shall be defined as increasing the floor space dedicated to commercial/industrial operations by more than 50 percent the addition of a new or increase of an open storage area by more than 30 percent of the existing area.

7.5-3.3

Site requirements. The following requirements are applicable to the development of all commercial and industrial sites or properties in Cherokee County.

a.

Utilities. All utilities, including but not limited to electric and telephone lines, serving uses on site should be installed underground where appropriate and permissible.

b.

Grading and site development. Buildings and parking lots shall be appropriately drained so as to prevent damage to abutting properties or public streets. Grading plans for new development shall be submitted to the county engineer for review and approval, and all grading activities shall comply with approved plans. Stormwater management plans shall be submitted to the county engineer for review and approval. All disturbed or graded ground areas of a building site not used for buildings or open storage areas shall be appropriately stabilized and grassed or covered with plants or landscaping materials.

c.

Screening of outside storage yards. All areas devoted to the outside storage of vehicles, merchandise, and/or equipment not intended for display for public rent, lease, or sale, shall be screened from view from the right-of-way of the highway or major street along the entire property frontage, except in areas where access crossings have been approved. Screening may be accomplished by a vegetative buffer either planted or undisturbed or a combination of both, by a building that meets architectural standards of this chapter, by use of landscape material, either planted or existing, by an earthen berm, by a 70 percent opaque, wooden fence or wall, or combination of these screening methods. The use of low-lying landscaping that does not screen the display areas from view from the public right-of-way shall not be deemed to comply with this requirement.

d.

Outdoor lighting. All outdoor lighting installed shall be of such height, location and intensity so that direct illumination of the right-of-way of the highway or major street is avoided. The installation of shields or hoods on such lighting facilities may be required to comply with this standard. All lighting shall comply with the Zoning Ordinance of Cherokee County, Article 24 Outdoor Lighting and Road Glare Ordinance.

e.

Landscaping. Every building site and commercial/industrial use area shall be landscaped. A minimum ten-foot wide landscape strip shall be installed and maintained along the entire property fronting the highway or major street, except in cases where access areas are approved. A minimum six-foot wide landscape strip shall be required along all side and rear lot or lease lines, except in cases where shared driveways or access areas are approved. The area surrounding the road entrance(s) to the site or area, the front landscape strip, required parking lot landscaping, and all other required landscape and/or open spaces, shall be designed, installed, and maintained according to plans prepared by a professional landscape architect, architect, surveyor, engineer, or land planner submitted to and approved by Cherokee County. Landscaping shall be completed prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy by the County, unless appropriate provisions are made to guarantee the installation of landscaping after such certificate is issued, such as approval by the County of a bond for landscaping. Tree installation and removal shall be in compliance standards provided in the Zoning Ordinance of Cherokee County, Article 25 Tree Preservation and Replanting Standards, as may be amended from time to time, and administrative standards for the preservation and replacement of trees as adopted and as may be amended from time to time.

f.

Location of parking areas. Parking areas shall be set back at least ten feet from public rights-of-way. Parking areas are encouraged but not required to be located in side and rear yards where such parking areas can be partially or wholly screening by buildings from the public right-of-way. The ten-foot strip between the public ROW and the edge of parking area shall be landscaped with evergreen vegetation capable of reaching a height of three feet and/or able to withstand pruning to a height of three feet. The purpose of the vegetation is to reduce the visual impact of the parked vehicles by screening from public view the parking area.

g.

Open display of vehicles, equipment, and merchandise. In commercial/industrial zoning districts where permitted, the outside storage or display of vehicles, equipment, and merchandise to be rented, leased, or sold, shall be visible along no more than 50 percent of the frontage of the property abutting the highway or major street, excluding approved driveway entrances and exits. Screening may be accomplished by a natural and/or planted vegetative buffer, by a building that meets architectural standards of this chapter, by use of landscape material, either planted or existing, by an earthen berm, by a 70 percent opaque, solid wooden fence or wall, or combination of these screening methods. The use of low-lying landscaping that does not screen the display areas from view from the public right-of-way shall not be deemed to comply with this requirement.

h.

Plans. Site development as-built drawings, containing a boundary survey, location, elevation, height, and square footage of buildings, parking areas, utilities, walls, and stormwater facilities, pertinent site development data, and any other requirements of the planning director or county engineer, shall be submitted to and approved by the department prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy or completion.

7.5-3.4

Commercial building requirements. The following requirements are applicable to all commercial and buildings in Cherokee County.

a.

Screening of dumpsters. All garbage dumpsters and other similar areas devoted to the storage of waste materials shall be screened on three sides of said dumpster or area with a minimum six-foot high solid wooden fence, or a wall constructed of materials substantially similar in appearance to the building on site that complies with the architectural requirements of these regulations. In addition, said dumpster areas shall be gated on the fourth side, and the gate shall be architecturally finished.

b.

Building materials. Building exteriors not screened (50 percent opaque) from view from the right-of-way or shall have an architectural treatment of brick, stone, split face blocks, painted/stained wood, architectural metal, vinyl, stucco, or imitations of the same or other architectural treatments approved by the planning director. Prohibited building materials are:

1.

*Industrial or agricultural metal sheeting.

2.

*Standard painted or unpainted concrete block.

3.

Any awnings shall be maintained in good order, and any dilapidated awnings or canopies shall be removed.

* These finishes are allowed on the side or rear of buildings if a minimum of 50 percent opaque from thoroughfare ROW.

c.

Building and utility appurtenances. All water towers, cooling towers, storage tanks, and other structures or equipment incidental to the primary use of a building or site shall be architecturally compatible with the principal building or effectively screened from view from the public right-of-ways. All rooftop mechanical equipment shall be screened from the view from the public right-of-way and adjacent streets by material compatible with the building architecture, by the use of a parapet wall, or by specially designed rooftop penthouse enclosures. Ground mounted equipment such as power transformers and air-conditioning units shall be screened from view from public rights-of-way by fencing or landscaping, or painted to match the primary building.

d.

Signage. All freestanding signs in commercial/industrial districts shall be of monument-style, have a base of masonry construction, or if the sign consists of columns instead of a base, said columns shall be constructed of materials to match or compliment the principal structure or structures located on the site. All such signs shall be considered "Freestanding" for purposes of allowable sign area and height requirements according to the Cherokee County Signs and Outdoor Advertising Ordinance (Cherokee County Zoning Ordinance, Article 11), and shall be constructed in compliance with the Cherokee County Sign Ordinance, as may be amended from time to time.

e.

Roof lines on commercial buildings.

1.

All buildings in commercial buildings districts shall have a pitched roof with a minimum pitch of four and half (4.5) inches vertical elevation per one foot of horizontal distance, except as provided herein.

2.

Commercial buildings without a pitched roof shall have a detailed parapet and cornice in keeping with the overall architectural style of the building.

3.

Exposed roofing (defined as having a pitch greater than 1:12) shall be finished in architectural metal or synthetic panels, or dimensional shingles.

f.

Building arrangement and architectural consistency. When commercial buildings are developed as a planned center, all buildings located within the center shall be constructed such that the architectural styles, building materials and roof materials are similar. Additionally, color schemes for the outside of the buildings should be similar such that the center or park presents a consistent style of architecture and architectural treatments.

7.5-3.5

Industrial building requirements. The following requirements are applicable to all industrial buildings in Cherokee County, excepting those industrial buildings which are interior to a planned industrial park, adjoin only other industrial parcels, and have frontage only on roads developed as part of the industrial park.

a.

Screening of dumpsters. All garbage dumpsters and other similar areas devoted to the storage of waste materials shall be screened on three sides of said dumpster or area with a minimum six-foot high solid wooden fence, or a wall constructed of materials substantially similar in appearance to the building on site that complies with the architectural requirements of these regulations. In addition, said dumpster areas shall be gated on the fourth side, and the gate shall be architecturally finished.

b.

Building materials. Building exteriors not screened (50 percent opaque) from view from the right-of-way shall have an architectural treatment of brick, stone, split face blocks, painted/stained wood, architectural metal, vinyl, stucco, or imitations of the same or other architectural treatments approved by the Planning Director. Prohibited building materials are:

1.

* Industrial or agricultural metal sheeting.

2.

* Standard painted or unpainted concrete block.

3.

Any awnings shall be maintained in good order, and any dilapidated awnings or canopies shall be removed.

* These finishes are allowed on the side or rear of buildings if a minimum of 50 percent opaque from thoroughfare ROW.

c.

Building and utility appurtenances. All water towers, cooling towers, storage tanks, and other structures or equipment incidental to the primary use of a building or site shall be architecturally compatible with the principal building or effectively screened from view from the public rights-of-way. All rooftop mechanical equipment shall be screened from the view from the public right-of-way and adjacent streets by material compatible with the building architecture, by the use of a parapet wall, or by specially designed rooftop penthouse enclosures. Ground mounted equipment such as power transformers and air-conditioning units shall be screened from view from public right-of-ways by fencing or landscaping.

d.

Signage. All freestanding signs in industrial districts shall be of monument-style, have a base of masonry construction, or if the sign consists of columns instead of a base, said columns shall be constructed of materials to match or compliment the principal structure or structures located on the site. All such signs shall be considered "freestanding" for purposes of allowable sign area and height requirements according to the Cherokee County Signs and Outdoor Advertising Ordinance (Cherokee County Zoning Ordinance, Article 11), and shall be constructed in compliance with the Cherokee County Sign Ordinance, as may be amended from time to time.

7.5-3.6

Access requirements. The following development requirements are applicable to all commercial/industrial sites or properties in Cherokee County.

a.

Curb cuts and access specifications. All entrances or exits of any street or driveway, public or private, from or to any state highway shall be approved by the State Department of Transportation and the county engineer prior to the construction of such entrances or exits and prior to the issuance of any development permit for any improvement to be served by such entrances or exits.

No curb cut or access driveway shall be permitted to be located closer than 100 feet to the nearest existing or proposed right-of-way of an intersecting roadway or closer than 40 feet to a side property line unless the adjacent property owner is in agreement with the encroachment of the driveway and approval is obtained from the county engineer. Curb cuts or access driveways shall be no narrower than 24 feet from back of curb to back of curb. Strict adherence to these requirements may not be practical in all instances as determined by the county engineer. The county engineer may limit the maximum width of a curb cut and/or the number of curb cuts to a parcel as necessary when it is deemed to be of benefit to the safety and welfare of the public.

In cases of a substantial improvement of an existing development on a site that does not meet these curb cut and access specifications, the applicant may be required by the county engineer to prepare an access plan as part of plans for the substantial improvement that either meets these requirements or moves substantially toward compliance with these regulations. Approval by the Georgia Department of Transportation and the county engineer shall be required, as applicable.

Additional right-of-way shall be dedicated to the public as required by the most current functional classification of Cherokee County roads as designated by the county engineer, and as reasonable at the discretion of the county engineer. Roadway entrances and improvements, including necessary deceleration lane(s) and right/left turn lanes, shall be designed, installed, and maintained as approved by the State Department of Transportation, as applicable, or the county engineer, in accordance with state or county requirements, as applicable and as may be amended from time to time.

The following factors may be considered during the review and approval of a specific location of an entrance:

1.

The location of existing or planned median breaks;

2.

Separation requirements between the entrance and major intersections;

3.

Separation requirements between other entrances;

4.

The need to provide shared access with other sites;

5.

The need to align with previously approved or constructed access points on the opposite side of the street; and

6.

The minimum number of entrances needed to move traffic onto and off the site safely and efficiently.

b.

Interparcel connections. New commercial/industrial development containing, or that is intended to contain, more than one building or use on site shall provide connections so that automobile trips between and among such buildings or uses can be accomplished without using the adjacent highway(s) or major street(s). Joint or shared drives are encouraged. Where possible and practical, new developments and substantial improvements to existing developments shall provide for pedestrian and automobile access connections between adjacent properties under different ownership when the uses of the properties are of such compatibility that patrons may frequent both buildings or uses in the same vehicle trip.

c.

Location of loading and unloading areas. All areas and facilities devoted to the loading and unloading of goods and merchandise shall be located to the side or rear of the building and lot. Loading and unloading areas shall not front the right-of-way of the adjacent highway or major street. Overhead doors for loading bays shall not face the adjacent highway or major street. This section does not apply to those industrial buildings which are interior to a planned industrial park, adjoin only other industrial parcels, and have frontage only on roads developed as part of the industrial park.

In cases where this regulation is not practical for new development or in cases where an existing building to be substantially improved does not meet the requirements in this section, the property shall be screened from view from the adjacent highway or major street along the entire property frontage, except in cases where access areas are approved. Buildings that are permitted to have overhead doors facing the public right-of-way shall incorporate design features so that aesthetic impact of the overhead doors is softened through architectural detailing, or staggering with recesses and projections or additional landscape buffer.

7.5-4.

Commercial architectural standards.

A.

Facades— Major commercial buildings (over 5,000 square foot footprint) must have primarily naturally-colored brick or natural stone facades, with stucco, cast stone and hardiplank used only as accent materials. Smaller commercial buildings may use hardiplank or stucco ad the primary facade material, if they are built in a "residential" architectural style compatible with such materials. This requirement applies to all sides of buildings, except where one or more sides are 80 percent visually from view from any point off the property.

Buildings of exceptional architectural value, as determined by the planning director, may use other materials consistent and compatible with exceptional-quality design.

B.

Roof lines— All commercial roof lines must include detailed cornices and/or detailed parapets.

C.

Where parking lots adjoin public roads, they must have low (two to three feet) shrubbery and/or a landscaped berm to partially shield the parked cars from view.

D.

Inter- and intra-parcel access— Except where determined by county staff to be impractical, commercial parking areas must provide inter-parcel access to adjacent commercial properties. Parcels over five acres with access on two or more public roads must provide intra-parcel streets to connect between their entrances on different roads. These connecting streets cannot just be lanes in a parking area; they must be separated from parking areas by curbs.

E.

Freestanding outdoor lighting— Shall consist of decorative poles and fixtures not more than 30 feet tall.

F.

Parcels inside the City of Canton's growth boundary that are developed or re-developed without annexing shall substantially conform to Canton's "Streetscapes" requirements and guidelines.

7.5-5.

Location of large retail stores— To promote public safety, mitigate, and accommodate traffic congestion, individual retail stores with building areas greater than 80,000 square feet must be located as follows:

A.

With at least one primary access point on a multi-lane road.

B.

At least ½ mile away from schools.

For the purpose, the following definitions and clarifications shall apply:

A.

The building areas of adjacent stores shall be aggregated and considered a single individual store if they are under common management and/or have common customer check-out processes.

B.

"Multi-lane road" means a public road with at least four through-lanes (excluding turning and accel/decel lanes) with a length of at least one mile from the store's point of public road access and/or leading to other multi-lane roads combining for at least one mile in length.

C.

"School" means a public school serving any or all of grades kindergarten through 12.

D.

Distance from a school shall be measured as the shortest straight line from any point on a school property to the closest point of the actual store building.

(Ord. No. 2004-Z-001, 4-6-04; Ord. No. 2006-Z-001, 4-4-06; Ord. No. 2006-Z-003, 4-4-06)