Cherokee Parks Design Contract and Master Plans Approved (2) The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an agreement for the design of the future park on Highway 92 at Hunt Road. The 52-acre parcel, which was part of the Southwest Cherokee Parks and Trails Plan, is a combination of what was known as Parcels 1 and 2 in the master planning process.Plans include a recreation/community center fronting Highway 92, sports fields, hiking trails, a playground, and open lawn. The $175,000 cost for designing and constructing Phase 1 is fully funded, through $2 million in Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). Phase 1 includes the initial design and construction of parking, restrooms, playground, trails, and the open lawn area.Phase 2 of the project is expected to focus on the recreation/community center, tree canopy walk, and sports fields. The $27 million needed for the complete development of Phase 2 will include funding from recreation and parks impact fees. A portion of the funding required is included in the proposed project list for SPLOST 2024. Commissioners also recently got their first look at the full Northeast Cherokee Parks Master Plans. The County engaged TSW last year to create master plans for three parcels including the 102-acre E.W. and Edith Cochran Park, the 24-acre Long Swamp Creek Recreation Area, and the 538-acre Yellow Creek Road Conservation Area. The Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to adopt the three parks master plans as part of the Cherokee Recreation, Parks Green Space & Trails Master Plan. The proposals for Long Swamp Creek include an open lawn, walking trails, a wildflower meadow, and a feature to highlight the Native American settlement. The plan also shows a picnic area, orchard and pollinator garden, archery range, and a visitor’s center and restrooms.The Yellow Creek Road Conservation Area will feature separate equestrian/hiking trails and mountain biking trails. The drastic topography changes on the property make it ideal for trails. The concept plan also calls for primitive campsites. E.W. and Edith Cochran Park concept designs include two open green space areas, including one with a loop trail and fitness stations, a playground, two dog parks, and an 18-hole disc golf course. Due to its proximity to Free Home ES, the park offers a partnership opportunity with the school district to utilize an outdoor classroom for educational purposes. The parcel also features Buzzard Flapper Pond, providing the opportunity for a fishing pier. Rough cost estimates for the design and construction of the three parks is $24.8 million. Completion time is dependent on funding source identification and allocation.
Local Businesses Join Forces With American Legion To Give Back to Homeless Veterans American Legion Thomas M. Brady Post 45, parent company of Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program (CCHVP), will partner with Christian Brothers Automotive and Patriot Towing to expand the veteran vehicle donation program and provide further offerings to local veterans.The CCHVP works to provide donated vehicles to disabled veterans at the 70% VA service-connected disability rating. Since the start of the program in 2018, the CCHVP has donated 33 vehicles to veterans in need.Through these partnerships, CCHVP will expand its ability to acquire and repair non-operational donated vehicles, since Patriot Towing will tow the vehicles as well as offer tax-deducted services on all vehicle pick-ups through the CCHVP program.Christian Brothers Automotive, which currently donates roughly 1,000 vehicles a year to those in need, will provide pre-inspections of all the donated vehicles and will work closely with CCHVP to assist in locating vehicles to donate. In addition, Christian Brothers Automotive will also provide free services and repairs to veterans in need.For more information about the vehicle donation program, visit CherokeeHomelessVeterans.com. To donate your vehicle, please contact Jim Lindenmayer, director of CCHVP, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Woodstock Downtown Sold to Iconic Entertainment District Developer Cheri Morris, president of Atlanta-based Morris & Fellows, recently announced the sale of Woodstock Downtown to Burroughs & Chapin. Developed from 2006 to 2012, Morris & Fellows’ holdings occupy several blocks along Woodstock’s Main Street. The sale excludes the historic train depot and grounds, which Morris & Fellows retained to be part of their adjoining Woodstock City Center development now underway.“We were careful to select a buyer who is experienced in high-quality, high-street development. It is exciting and gratifying that Woodstock Downtown attracted this storied firm that acquires iconic properties in historic shopping districts like Charleston’s King Street and Savannah’s Broughton Street,” said Morris. “The name Burroughs & Chapin is synonymous with lively, successful retail on world-class shopping streets. Most importantly, they are committed to caretaking the unique appeal and value of historic context and cultural identity.”Throughout the development of Woodstock Downtown, Morris & Fellows emphasized historic architecture contextual to the 19th century downtown, and open-air gathering spaces that enliven the property and the surrounding downtown area. As a result, Woodstock Downtown became a powerful catalyst for economic development – property values in the downtown area have grown from $34 million in 2006 to over $382 million in 2021. Woodstock Downtown has garnered international attention as an unprecedented success and driver of ancillary economic redevelopment in its downtown environs. The project has been awarded the Development of Excellence by the Urban Land Institute, cited as Development of the Year by the Atlanta Regional Commission, and received the Congress for New Urbanism International Charter Award for Best Neighborhood-Scale District.
Cherokee County, Woodstock Approve Growth Boundary Agreement Cooperative growth is being memorialized with the first Growth Boundary Agreement to be approved in nearly 20 years by the Woodstock City Council and the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners. The Growth Boundary Agreement is a document that defines and limits future growth for a city. While not legally binding, the city generally agrees to limit its annexations to areas inside the boundary, and the county generally agrees not to oppose annexations there. Leadership and planning officials on both sides have met extensively for the past several months and have agreed to implement the program to better manage growth and serve all citizens.With the approval of the growth boundary agreement, which expires in June 2028, Woodstock and Cherokee County have relaunched a program that guides sensible growth and aligns character areas. The document will be used as both Woodstock and Cherokee County update their respective Comprehensive Land Use Plans, which are required in order to receive grants and other funds from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.The Woodstock Growth Boundary encompasses an area around the current city limits. On the south and east sides, the areas extend to the county lines with Cobb and Fulton, south of Highway 92 and the Little River, respectively. Lack of bridges over Little River limit the county’s ability to provide public safety services in that area. On the west side, the area abuts Putnam Ford Drive and includes frontage along Highway 92 that extends to Hartwood Drive, about one-third of a mile from Bells Ferry Road. On the north side, the area abuts Holly Springs, following Little River and Arnold Mill Road, arriving at a corner on the east side with Trickum Road.
Cherokee By Choice 2.0: A Launchpad for Big, Bold Action (2) Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) recently announced the launch of Cherokee By Choice (CBC) 2.0 – a strategic plan that guides Cherokee’s economic development efforts forward over the next five years. Much has been accomplished since the launch of Opportunity Cherokee in 2015 (the county’s first strategic plan for economic development) and the Cherokee By Choice Initiative in 2018 (COED’s first public-private partnership). These achievements include over $436 million in capital investment, the creation of more than 2,000 jobs, completion of Cherokee 75 Corporate Park, the Cherokee Workforce Collaborative, the Fresh Start Cherokee Program, The Circuit Woodstock (Cherokee’s first coworking space), the North Atlanta Venture Mentoring Service, Be Pro Be Proud Georgia, the Cherokee Film Summit, and the Forget the Commute Campaign. Building upon this foundation, CBC 2.0 was developed in partnership with Boyette Strategic Advisors, an economic development and public policy consulting firm.CBC 2.0 was based on hours of engagement with Cherokee leadership and nearly 3,500 online survey participants, including extensive data collection obtained through a series of discovery sessions, one-on-one interviews, and research. As a result, six high growth target sectors were identified:• Advanced manufacturing with a focus on green and sustainable products and medical devices • Headquarters, recruitment of both corporate and regional• Technology, including cybersecurity and data centers• Film and digital entertainment, including film production studios and video game programming/development • Entrepreneurs/startups that specialize in technology and creative services • Commercial developers that target Class A office space, mixed-use, and a hotel/conference center The plan also features four strategic goal areas:• Ensure that Cherokee has attractive and connected places, including the development of marketable sites and buildings, while enhancing livability assets.• Build an educated and talented workforce to meet the needs of new and existing businesses.• Cultivate innovating and enterprising business, which will result in a more diversified business culture that supports new and legacy manufacturers, corporate and regional headquarters, and technology companies. • Retain a vibrant and inviting brand identity both internally and externally.Identifying product for future industrial, office, and commercial development is crucial to the success of CBC 2.0, which will help diversify the tax base and drive down Cherokee’s out-commute. Even though the percentage has declined by 3% since the first strategic plan, 77% of Cherokee’s highly educated workforce still commute out of the county daily. As part of the strategy’s next phase, COED will focus its efforts on keeping talent local through projects such as the Canton Corporate Park – a development that is expected to become another premier destination for companies looking to relocate. The park’s master plan includes two large pad sites with the ability to accommodate more than 150,000 square feet, as well as flex space sites fronting Highway 20.Over the next five years and beyond, COED will continue partnering with the county and cities on infrastructure improvements and readying sites for sustainable, corporate growth. This collaboration will ensure that Cherokee remains a competitive, highly desirable location of choice. To learn more or read a summary of the CBC 2.0 strategic plan, visit CherokeeGa.org.
State Awards Cherokee $3.9 Million for Road Project (2) Gov. Brian Kemp recently announced a $17 million investment in transportation infrastructure projects across Georgia, and Cherokee County will receive $3.9 million from the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) for Technology Ridge Parkway Phase I, known historically as the Heard Road Extension. The project is in partnership with the City of Canton, the Cherokee Office of Economic Development, and Cherokee County.The total award amount is a $2.9 million loan with a five-year repayment schedule and a $1 million grant. Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds are planned to be used to repay the note. This is phase one of a five-phase project that will ultimately connect Bluffs Parkway to the Cherokee County Regional Airport. The project is expected to spur corporate and industry development and bring more jobs to Cherokee County. The new thoroughfare, when complete, will provide easier access from the airport to the businesses in the area.
Cherokee County Firefighters Recognized for Two Awards (2) The Georgia Emergency Medical Services Association (GEMSA) recently recognized 13 Cherokee County firefighters with two statewide awards.The Tim Peebles Champion of Children Excellence and Advocacy Award was presented to Christopher Ginn, Manny Zapeta, Jacob Gunter, and EMS Chief Nate Sullivan with Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services. These firefighters compiled a detailed plan to deliver CPR training to teachers within the school district. The plan included estimated costs, material, time investment, and material needs in order to receive authorization to initiate a CPR/AED/First Aid training blitz to target elementary school staff. With the support of the department and the school district, Ginn, Gunter, and Zapeta were able to move forward with the initiative and have since led a CPR advocacy campaign, training hundreds of teachers and other staff. The Mary Beth Bowns Excellence in Trauma Care Award was presented to Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services including Chris Roberts, William Armstrong, Samuel Lackender, Ethan Sanders, Denver Ice, and EMS Chief Nate Sullivan for their prompt response, assessment, extrication, and treatment of a patient at the scene of an accident, which significantly and positively impacted the patient’s outcome.
Reveille for Hope Breakfast To Raise Funds for Veteran Community Center The Highland Rivers Foundation will host the Reveille for Hope breakfast on May 12, from 7:30-9:00am at Venue 92 (12015 Highway 92, Woodstock). The fundraiser will benefit the Green Zone Veterans Community Center.Sponsored by Northside Hospital Cherokee, the event is free; however, donations are strongly encouraged. The cost to establish the Green Zone is approximately $1.4 million. The first of its kind in Georgia, the Green Zone will be a community center where veterans and their family members can receive support for critical behavioral health issues including PTSD and addiction, while also being connected to other community resources, all within a community of peers and allies. It will be operated by Highland Rivers Behavioral Health, Cherokee County’s state-designated behavioral health safety-net agency, which will provide on-site therapists and case managers who are also veterans themselves.The Green Zone is expected to be located within a larger veteran services campus being developed in Canton by well-known veteran advocate Jim Lindemayer, director of the Cherokee County Homeless Veteran Program.The Reveille for Hope breakfast will outline the critical need for the Green Zone in Cherokee County and feature veterans who are living in recovery and can speak to the value of a peer community for long-term support. For more information about donating to support the Green Zone, or to RSVP for the breakfast, please call Sherry McGee, Highland Rivers Foundation relations officer, at 706-590-9238, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Woodstock’s Market Street Receives Improvements The Woodstock Downtown Development Authority (DDA) recently completed an artificial turf project along Market Street in downtown Woodstock. Market vendors and shoppers have been asking for improvements to this area for several years, and the turf will improve the experience at events along the street, especially for vendors and shoppers at Woodstock’s Farm. Fresh. Market.Completed in 2013, the street was designed to host events throughout the year. The resulting pedestrian and vehicular traffic make maintenance of grass and landscaping difficult. The turf project was installed in the landscape areas where vendors frequently set up during events and has historically been a dirt surface.“With additional investments by Woodstock Arts and the city itself, the Market and Elm district will continue to be a place where our community can gather. We continue to look at incremental investments the DDA can participate in throughout the whole of downtown,” said Brian Stockton, executive director of the DDA.
A New Park for Hickory Flat The Cherokee Board of Commissioners recently voted to purchase 40.7 acres on East Cherokee Drive in Hickory Flat for $3.2 million. Recreation and Parks Director Jay Worley told commissioners in April that the park’s planning process could start as early as this summer. The planning process, which includes hiring a consultant with expertise in master planning, engineering, and landscape architecture, will be similar to the steps followed in the development of the Southwest Cherokee Parks and Trails Plan and the Northeast Cherokee Parks Master Plan. The Recreation and Parks team, along with the consultant, will engage the public for wish lists and input.Once planning is completed and funding sources have been identified, construction can begin. County officials estimate that construction could start in about two years.