The Franklin County Planning Commission held its regular monthly meeting on June 9, 2026. This meeting marked Sherrie Poindexter Mitchell’s last scheduled appearance as the chair, as her term will end on July 1. Ms. Mitchell is moving from the Snow Creek district and will not be available for reappointment. Her replacement as the Snow Creek Commissioner will join the Planning Commission on July 1, and an election for the new chair will take place at the regular July meeting.

Before discussing the draft zoning ordinance, the Commission reviewed three applications:

1. **Application #1** was a Special Use Permit (SUP) for a short-term rental (STR) on the property at 1892 Morewood Road. After significant discussion and resident feedback, the Planning Commission voted against recommending this SUP. The Board of Supervisors will consider this application at their meeting on July 21.

2. **Application #2** was for a SUP on the property at 55 Woodman Road for a public and private school and testing center. Concerns were raised by a neighboring church; however, the Planning Commission ultimately voted to recommend this SUP. The Board of Supervisors will also review this application on July 21.

3. **Application #3** involved a zoning map amendment related to a previously approved SUP for a car wash and drive-thru restaurant, now amended to permit only a car wash. The Planning Commission voted to recommend this amendment.

Full details on these applications can be found in the minutes from the Franklin County Planning Commission (FCPC).

Discussion on the draft zoning ordinance began around 8:00 PM, with 18 residents remaining for the entire meeting. Sherrie began the discussion by praising public engagement in the project and expressing hope for a continued strong relationship between residents and the Planning Commission as the project progresses. She noted that the Berkley Group’s “cookie-cutter” approach had fallen short, necessitating a more resident-friendly method from the Planning Commission. A remaining balance of $12,000 is still owed to the Berkley Group and will only be paid if the Planning Commission decides to continue utilizing their services.

No decisions were made during this discussion; however, an additional work session was scheduled for June 30. Commissioners were asked to consider several points and bring their thoughts to the next work session. These considerations include:

– Should the Planning Commission continue working with the Berkley Group or part ways to minimize losses?

– What tasks need to be completed, and what will the process look like?

– How shall this be approached?  – Edit the Berkley document, update the current ordinance, or create a hybrid with some aspects of both?

– How long might the process take—one year or possibly longer?

– Will this be an update to the current ordinance or a full revision?

– Should the work be tackled in small sections or as a complete whole?

– Can the Planning Staff be treated as peers for these work sessions, which will allow them to weigh in when they have some expertise to share on a particular subject?

– How will public engagement be managed? (Will the public be allowed to comment during work sessions, even though this is not currently the protocol?)

– Is there sufficient time in the commissioners’ schedules to dedicate extra effort to this project?

– What is the ultimate goal for the outcome—what should it look like?

From the residents’ perspective, ongoing engagement is essential!