• Divides Cashiers into two districts: a Village Center and a General Commercial.
• The only use not permitted in the ordinance is the construction of telecommunication towers in the Village Center district. Several other uses require special use or conditional use permits but are allowed.
• All residential buildings exempted, and existing businesses are exempted unless owners renovate or enlarge.
• Creates a five-member Cashiers Area Community Planning Council that will review amendments to the plan and make recommendations to the county planning board. The council will also vote on requests for conditional uses and variances.


Cashiers will be divided into two general use commercial zoning districts under a controversial plan adopted by a narrow 3-2 margin last week.

Jackson County commissioners passed the Cashiers Commercial Area plan a week after an incorporation referendum was soundly defeated by a 302-161 margin. While many counties have adopted individual ordinances to manage growth Ñ like subdivision ordinances and watershed ordinances Ñ Jackson is the first in Western North Carolina to adopt a unified set of land management ordinances for a specific area.

I think this is an issue of business owners and residents who want to manage growth, said Cashiers resident Ed Henson before the vote.

I know many people who voted against incorporation because they supported this plan, said Henson.

While the incorporation of Cashiers would have established a taxing authority and cost residents money, the commercial district plan establishes growth guidelines without levying any property taxes.

Many opponents of the plan feared that approval of the zoning district in the upscale Cashiers community could start a domino effect leading to county-wide zoning.

I live in Sylva, and my biggest concern is that the first thing you know, (zoning) will be in Webster, then Dillsboro, said Gary Buchanan. IÕd just like to see it go before the people.

Acknowledging the fact that many opposed the plan, commissioners adopted it for a one-year period, after which they will re-examine how it is working.

After one year, it will be evaluated by the county commissioners, when it could be re-authorized, rescinded, or altered, said Commissioner Joe Cowan.

Throughout the public comment period and while commissioners were discussing the proposal, the 200 people in the courtroom Ñ who took up every seat and lined the walls Ñ were applauding speakers depending on which side of the issue they supported. Cowan made the motion to adopt the ordinance, and later he stood at the commissioners table and made an impassioned speech to the public.

IÕve listened, listened, listened, and IÕm telling you, there is nothing in this ordinance that can hurt any one of you who lives in Cashiers, said Cowan.

County Board chairman Stacy Buchanan admitted that during his first election five years ago he did say he would never support countywide zoning unless it was by referendum. He told the crowd last week that he was still against county-wide zoning, and that he did not believe the Cashiers plan met the definition of zoning.

It is a set of guidelines and standards. It does not divide Cashiers into industrial areas and commercial areas .... I have looked at this and studied this plan, and it is nothing more than a set of standards, said Buchanan.

Commissioner Eddie Madden, who has lived in Cashiers his entire life and was on the task force that created the plan, said it would help the community.

While some do not agree with this plan, I beg you to give it a chance. We took great care to make sure that single-family residences and existing businesses will not be affected. It will affect everyone when it matters, said Madden.

Commissioners Brian McMahan and Roberta Crawford argued strongly against the plan. McMahan at first questioned the task forceÕs authority to create the plan, and later he argued that the board was going against the will of the people.

I believe the majority of folks do not want zoning in Cashiers, that is why they voted no to incorporation, said McMahan.

Sue Bumgarner, however, said the people she has spoken to in Cashiers were overwhelmingly in favor of the commercial district.

I have been out all week talking to people, and all of them support this plan, said Bumgarner, who is the executive director of the Cashiers Chamber of Commerce and its Travel and Tourism Authority.