Catherine Long
Planning Division Manager
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SW Cherokee Plan
Southwest Cherokee Area Plan
Plan Documents
Summary
The four primary objectives of this planning process are:
- To build a consensus about a shared vision for the future of SW Cherokee;
- To clearly understand and describe the potential for increasing mixed-use development along Highway 92, particularly retail, service, and hospitality businesses;
- To integrate trails and greenspace into SW Cherokee’s vision;
- To develop a list of action items for implanting this vision for the area;
Early in the planning process, Bleakly Advisory Group was selected to prepare the Market Study, which included demographic, employment and real estate market data. At the same time, Planning staff researched and developed case studies, created and analyzed GIS maps and prepared for the public meetings. A Stakeholder Committee was formed with residents and business leaders to serve as a sounding board for public meeting materials and elements of the final plan. Then staff hosted three general public meetings in March and April 2019 that involved interactive activities to engage participants in generating a vision for the future of the community. The final phase saw the completion of the plan document, which was reviewed and refined based on feedback from the community, stakeholders and county officials.
This area plan is divided into three main parts—Community Context, The Plan, and Vision into Action. The Community Context explores SW Cherokee’s key demographics, summarizes the Market Study, and outlines the public engagement process critical to the realization of our vision. Building on that section is The Plan, which describes SW Cherokee’s core values and priorities, illustrates the key elements of the map, and presents the final land use plan map with a detailed description of the map development process. Finally, the Vision Into Action section spells out how this plan will affect future land use decisions and steps that Cherokee County and its partners can take to implement this vision. The plan concludes with the 5-Year Implementation Plan which outlines initiatives that will fulfill SW Cherokee’s mission. Some of the initiatives are immediate while others will be addressed gradually, but the implementation plan will help the community measure progress toward implementing their vision for SW Cherokee.
Purpose of the Plan
After the SW Cherokee Target Area Workshop in July 2017, it was clear that more planning was needed in this area. While the comprehensive plan focuses on a community’s long range goals and ‘big picture” outlook, an area plan:
- Focuses on a specific geography that shares common issues and characteristics;
- Engages the local residents and business leaders to develop the plan;
- Explores how the comp plan’s vision can be carried out on a much more detailed level with a clear set of implementation tasks;
- Considers local elements for the community’s vision such as zoning, design guidelines, mixed-use centers, greenspace, and place-making ideas;
Public Engagement Process
Each of the three public meetings had a distinct focus and an accompanying group activity. The first meeting, a public kickoff on March 20, 2019, got everyone thinking about the SW Cherokee Area with two activities. Divided into three groups, attendees developed lists of Assets, Challenges, and Needs while staff recorded responses. The second activity focused on word association, as groups recorded a list of words that quickly came to mind about the SW Cherokee Area. Results from both exercises were recorded for incorporation into the plan and then presented at the second public meeting.
On April 11th, community visioning was the focus of the second public meeting. A Community Preference Survey was conducted, allowing the public to rate a diversity of images ranging from parks to apartment buildings. 200 different images were rapidly shown and participants used score sheets to assign ratings and provide additional comments. Results helped staff understand community desire for particular uses and design details for these uses. Outcomes were used in developing a community vision for the plan.
The third activity, a charrette, was conducted at the last public meeting on April 24th. This intense work-effort aimed to find solutions to critical problems or issues within the area. Again, three groups were formed and staff recorded group responses to five challenges. Drawing on a single base map, staff recorded each groups wishes for locating new parks, mixed-use centers, business expansion areas, residential areas and new connections and infrastructure. A digitized composite map was created from all three group's responses and then refined to become the new Future Land Use Map.
Plan Status
The plan was adopted by the Board of Commissioners on June 18, 2019 as an amendment to the 2018 Comprehensive Plan. Planning staff is moving forward with revisions to the Hwy 92 Overlay identified in the plan.
