Monday, May 28, 2012

Farm Pond Exemption to Clean Water Act Allows Farmers To Do What Oconee County Government, Developers Cannot: Part I

Frazier Creek Disappearing

Over the last 10 plus years, Tony Townley, one of the founders of Zaxby’s and now one of the largest land owners in Oconee County, has built a series of small lakes and ponds on his properties.

Included is a recently constructed small lake on Frazier Creek that backs up to Aycock Road just west of that road’s intersection with Matthews Road. Frazier Creek is a tributary of the Apalachee River.

Farm Pond Exemption to Clean Water Act Allows Farmers To Do What Oconee County Government, Developers Cannot: Part II

Downstream from Aycock Road Small Lake

I first learned of the Tony Townley ponds on Feb. 29, when James Knecht sent me an email message telling me about the small lake being built on Aycock Road on property abutting his.

Knecht and his wife, Sandra, whose address is 1451 Aycock Road, have a home they built overlooking a lengthy shoals on Frazier Creek, downstream from the lake constructed by Townley this year.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Caterpillar’s Impact Hard To Know Until Suppliers Identified, According To Oconee County Development Head

Location Minimizes Traffic

Caterpillar will bring about 150 people from outside the area to work at the manufacturing plant and distribution center on the edge of Bogart, but those people are unlikely to all settle in Oconee County.

The plant is located at a nearly ideal location in terms of transportation, and it is unlikely to have a significant impact on traffic congestion in the area.

The major impact of the project will come when suppliers also move to the area, but, at present, it is “too early to tell” how many such suppliers will relocate here.

These were some of the comments Oconee County Economic Development Director Rusty Haygood made to members of the Citizen Advisory Committee on Land Use and Transportation Planning at its meeting on May 15.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Oconee County Citizen Committee Edges Toward Endorsement of Transportation Tax Referendum

Decides to Make List First

The Oconee County Citizen Advisory Committee on Land Use and Transportation Planning took a step Tuesday night toward endorsing the July 31 Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum.

But it changed course, deciding to develop first a list of local projects that might be funded by some of the monies from the tax.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Caterpillar Site Development Plans Tentatively Scheduled for May 23 Review by Oconee County Committee

Sidewalks Included

Caterpillar submitted site development plans to the Oconee County Planning Department on Friday that call for buildings totaling 900,723 square feet, for 484,085 square feet of paved area, and for 6,692 square feet of sidewalks.

The total impervious area for the plant, on the eastern edge of Bogart, will be 1,391,500 square feet, covering about 13 percent of the roughly 250-acre site, according to the documents.

Sunday, May 06, 2012

Caterpillar Facility To Be Smaller Than Originally Announced, Preliminary Site Plans Filed in Oconee County Show

Change Called Not Significant

The Caterpillar facility now under construction on the Atlanta Highway will consist of a 815,851 square-foot set of buildings providing warehouse, assembly, fabrication and office space, according to the overall site layout plans submitted to the Oconee County Code Enforcement Office.

The facility is more than 300,000 square feet smaller than was proposed in preliminary plans submitted to the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission in late February.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Few Advocates for T-SPLOST Vote in August Coming Forward in Oconee County

Educate or Advocate?

Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis stands alone at present among county governmental and business leaders in his stated support for the Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax to be voted on July 31.