The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will not intervene in a Zoning Board of Appeals denial of a private school’s request to let it move to a site on Bailey Road.
Anchor Christian Academy had requested a variance of a county ordinance that restricts the entrance of a private or parochial school to an arterial or major or minor collector road. The school had planned to move to Journey Church (Hickory Flat Church of God) at 947 Bailey, a local road, from 6613 Hickory Flat Highway, Canton.
The ZBA voted 3-2 to deny the request, and county commissioners voted Aug. 1 not to schedule a public hearing on Anchor’s appeal of that decision.
Commissioner Ray Gunnin, whose district includes the property, said, “My heart tells me (to vote) one way, and I want to do what I can to help this school, but the ordinances the way they’re written and the way they’re construed make me believe that it’s in the county’s best interest and for legal reasons (to) recommend we do not have a public hearing to overturn the ZBA decision.”
In a letter of appeal, Anchor cited other private schools on local roads, the fact county school buses already operate on Bailey and have permission to turn around in the Journey Church parking lot, the support of its proposal by the Cherokee fire marshal and county roads and traffic engineer, and hardship on its students, teachers and parents.
“By the time Anchor was made aware of the zoning issue, there was not sufficient time to find an alternate location,” the letter said.
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