Recode Cherokee April 15, 2026 Meeting Informational Boards
Project Background
What is ReCode Cherokee?
Building on the vision and success of the Cherokee County 2023 comprehensive plan, Our Cherokee: Planning the Future Together, the county is launching ReCode Cherokee.
ReCode Cherokee will simplify and align the county’s zoning code and development regulations with the community’s vision for the future, creating a clearer, more consistent, and easier to understand Unified Development Code.
ReCode Cherokee has two main goals:
Modernize standards and policies so the code better supports community goals for growth, character, and quality of life.
Bringing our vision to life
The 2023 comprehensive plan, Our Cherokee: Planning the Future Together, defined Cherokee County’s vision, summarized below:
• Neighborhood based shopping and services
• Employment opportunities
• Community that nurtures member’s health and spiritual wellbeing
• Wise land use choices, including abundant places of worship, hospitals, senior homes, and childcare centers
• Schools, theaters, museums, and public spaces that challenge the mind and nurture the soul
The comprehensive plan established this core community vision and set primary goals and objectives to achieve that vision. The ReCode Cherokee project will support the implementation of this vision, aligning standards for the built environment with community desires.
Combine several zoning and development documents into a Unified Development Code, making it clearer and easier to use.
Core
Community Vision
The “highest” level ideas and basis for Community Investment
Master/Comprehensive Plan Goals
Primary goals that foster (re)development Implementation (aka the Code) Measurability and accountability
Project Schedule and Future Engagement
Project Schedule
The ReCode Cherokee project is a 15-month process, with an estimated end date of spring 2027. The process includes:
• Data collection
• Review of the county’s existing zoning code and development regulations
• Drafting the code and updating the county’s zoning map
• Finalizing the new Unified Development Code
Future Engagement
Community engagement will guide the ReCode Cherokee process. The project will have multiple engagement opportunities, including:
• Community Workshops focused on special topic areas
• Community Open House
• Community Survey
Use the QR code to the right to visit the project website and stay up to date on opportunities to get involved!
Zoning is the legal framework that determines how properties can be developed. Zoning shapes our built environment and impacts how places grow. Zoning influences:
What gets built including housing, retail, office, industry, and other development types
Transportation and connectivity
Environmental protection and preservation of greenspaces and other natural assets
Neighborhood character and design
Zoning ensures that land is used in a way that is compatible with the area and aligned with community goals. Zoning can also affect how an area or neighborhood looks and feels, defining both neighborhood and building features.
What are development regulations?
Development regulations guide how land is divided and the form that buildings take to ensure growth occurs in the desired way. They establish standards for infrastructure so that new development functions safely and efficiently.
Development regulations work alongside zoning regulations. While zoning determines what uses and densities are allowed on a property, development regulations focus on how that development is physically designed and constructed.
Why update the zoning code?
The current regulations have grown over time and can be difficult to navigate. Updating the code will make it clearer, more consistent, and better aligned with today’s planning goals and development practices.
How does the zoning code affect me?
The zoning code affects property owners, residents, and businesses by guiding what can be built, how projects are reviewed, and how new development fits into existing neighborhoods and rural areas.
Dictionary
Use: What a property is allowed to be used for, including residential, commercial, industrial, parks, etc.
Density: How many homes or buildings are allowed on a lot
Setback: The required distance between a building and a street or property line
Lot size: Describes how big or small the lot is, often describing lot width which, when combined with setbacks, can determine how close buildings are to each other
Ordinance: A piece of legislation enacted by a municipal authority. Zoning ordinances set rules about how land and buildings can be used and developed.
Variance: Official permission to deviate from a zoning rule when a property has unique conditions that make the rule difficult to meet.
Rezoning: A change to a property’s zoning designation that allows different uses or a type of development that is not currently allowed in the area.
Zoning
What do you think about zoning in Cherokee County?
1. Place a dot on the map at the location you want to comment on.
2. Take a Zoning Map Comment Card and write the number that matches your dot.
3. Use the card to share your thoughts about zoning at that location!
Cherokee County Zoning Map
Preliminary Issues
The ReCode Cherokee project is currently seeking community feedback on key issues. Please use the sticky notes below to share any parts of the zoning code or development regulations that you think need improvement.
Place sticky notes with your thoughts below!
Zoning Priorities
What are your top three priorities for the zoning update?
Place dots in the space below for your top three priorities.
Protecting neighborhood character
Preserve greenspace
Encourage economic development
Improve transportation and connectivity
Parking availability
Support attainable housing
Address stormwater concerns
Do you have additional priorities not listed? Share your thoughts on a sticky note below!
