Rezoning requests in Cherokee County have slowed, but local officials said they are hopeful activity will pick up later this year.

There was one rezoning request filed throughout the county to be heard in March, down from five for February and three for March last year.

There have been 12 rezoning requests filed in the county for 2010 public hearings, up from 10 at the same time last year.

One case has been turned in to the Cherokee County Planning Commission for its March 2 meeting, down from two requests by the March deadline last year.

Gary Anthony Mulkey has requested 5.56 acres at East Cherokee Drive and Marvin Land Lane in Union Hill be rezoned from agricultural to R-80 single-family residential for two existing houses and a modular home.

County planning commission member Scott Barnes said he thinks activity will increase later this year.

"I am hearing rumors out there about someone doing this or doing that," he said. "People are wanting to spend some money and do some things. It is going to come around. When we get into the summer months, more stuff is going to happen."

The county planning department has received 10 rezoning requests for hearings this year, up from seven at this time last year.

The Woodstock Planning Department received no rezoning requests for its March meeting. It received just one for its February meeting.

That is the only request received so far for hearings this year, equal to the number it had at this time last year.

The Canton Planning Department also has received no rezoning requests to be heard in March, and none were filed for February. One case was turned in for a March hearing last year.

The city so far has received one rezoning case for a 2010 hearing, down from two at this time last year.

Steve Green, zoning administrator for the city, has optimism about the rest of the year.

"It is just January. Hopefully, it will pick up later this year," he said. "There seems to be a little more activity than there was at this time last year."

The Holly Springs Planning Department so far has not received any rezoning requests for its February hearings. The deadline is at the end of the month.

The department also received no requests for the January planning commission meeting. The city had not received any requests at this time last year.

Brantley Day, community development director for the city, said one positive sign is that home builders in Holly Springs have started finishing off some of the available lots there.

"That will free up some opportunities later," for rezoning requests, he said.