Monday, October 29, 2012

Regina Quick Waiting on Oconee County Board of Commissioners to Offer Advice On Redistricting

New Maps Examined

Regina Quick, unopposed on the Nov. 6 ballot in the newly created 117th House District, says she is waiting on advice from the Oconee County Board of Commissioners before moving forward on her campaign promise to try to re-unite Oconee County in a single House district.

“If they make the request, I’ll do everything in my power to make that change,” Quick told me in a telephone conversation yesterday. She was referring to the members of the Commission.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Presbyterian Homes of Georgia Offering Village in Austell As Representative of Oconee County Facility

Colorful Brochures Show Lots of Gray Hair

Citizens who express an interest in the Presbyterian Homes of Georgia Continuing Care Retirement Community proposed for Rocky Branch Road in Oconee County are being sent materials about an existing facility, Presbyterian Village in Austell, west of Atlanta.

Michelle Morris, director of marketing for the Cobb County complex, told me materials are not available yet for the Oconee County facility and that the Austell materials are illustrative of what will be provided when the local facility is being marketed.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Oconee County Chamber of Commerce Joins Board of Education in Opposing State Charter School Amendment

Local Proponents Not Organized

The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce has added its support to the resolution passed by the Board of Education earlier this month asking voters in Oconee County to vote against the charter school amendment on the Nov. 6 ballot.

The Chamber included the BOE resolution in its Oct. 15 newsletter with the heading stating that “The Oconee County Chamber of Commerce Supports the Board of Education’s Resolution for the Purpose of Supporting Quality Georgia Public Education.”

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Hard Labor Creek Management Board Still Waiting on Loan Documents From State

Oconee Approval Expected On Dec. 4

The Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir Management Board has revised its schedule for approval of the $32 million in loans the state is offering for construction of the reservoir because the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) has not yet provided the loan documents for review.

Project Manager Jimmy Parker told me today that he expects to receive the loan documents on Oct. 26 and that he anticipates that the Oconee County Board of Commissioners will approve the two loans at its Dec. 4 meeting.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Oconee County Planning Commission Gives Nod To Rezone At Daniells Bridge and Mars Hill Roads

Right Turns Only

The Oconee County Planning Commission tonight voted to recommend to the Board of Commissioners that the Board rezone 5.1 acres between Mars Hill Road and Daniells Bridge Road for a small shopping center/office complex.

The Planning Commission added the condition before sending the rezone request on to the BOC that the entrance to the shopping and office complex off Mars Hill Road shall be right turn in and right turn out only.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

R-3 Zoning Category Requested by Presbyterian Homes of Georgia Allows for Multiple Uses At Oconee County Site

Including Apartments

The R-3 zoning classification that Presbyterian Homes of Georgia is seeking for a 96-acre site on Rocky Branch Road would allow for two-family duplexes, multi-family townhouses and multi-family apartments, none of which are allowed on the property as currently zoned.

With a special use designation, the R-3 also allows for the Continuing Care Retirement Community use that PHG is seeking, as well as for an assisted living facility. Assisted living will be part of the CCRC facility that PHG is proposing.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Oconee County Magistrate Court Fines Oconee Waste Transport $1,425 for Zoning Violation

Elder Reapported to IDA

Oconee County Magistrate Court Judge Eric W. Norris fined Oconee Waste Transport $1,425 last week for operating outside the business hours set forth in a rezone ordinance passed by the Board of Commissioners in September of 2010.

Elder 9/14/2012

Judge Norris had found after a hearing before him on Sept. 14 that OWT had violated the rezone ordinance, but Norris did not enter his final order and specify the fine until Thursday. The $1,425 fine includes court and administrative costs. The base fine was $1,000.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Oconee County Commissioners Approve Three-Sided Billboard for Epps Bridge Parkway, Relocation Of Billboard In Butler’s Crossing

One More Removed

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners tonight amended the agreement it had reached with Fairway Outdoor Advertising on July 24 to allow a proposed two-sided sign on Epps Bridge Parkway to become a three-sided sign.

It also voted to allow Fairway to approach the Board of Education to discuss placing the proposed Butler’s Crossing sign on school property.

Sunday, October 07, 2012

Presbyterian Homes Got Sewer Capacity After Much Discussion Among Oconee County Officials

Helium Balloons For Viewing

The decision to grant Presbyterian Homes of Georgia sewage capacity for its proposed Continuing Care Retirement Community on Rocky Branch Road followed back-and-forth communication among Oconee County officials reflecting differences of opinion about how to handle sewage allocation for the project.

The project needed that sewage capacity allocation to begin the process of review that is now underway.

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Corps of Engineers To Conduct Site Visit of Aycock Road Farm Pond To Investigate Complaint

58 Acre Pond in Morgan County Also Proposed

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has told Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Nate Hunt that it will conduct a site visit of the farm pond that local farmer Tony Townley built earlier this year on property he owns on Aycock Road just west of its intersection with Matthews Road.

Hunt, an expert on the farm pond exemption to the federal Clean Water Act, had written to the Corps on June 26 expressing concern about the pond built on Frazier Creek.

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

New Small Shopping Center and Office Complex Proposed for Daniells Bridge Road Intersection

Across from QuikTrip

The busy Oconee Connector–Mars Hill Road–Daniells Bridge Road intersection will get even more traffic if the Oconee County Board of Commissioners approves a new rezone request for a small shopping center/office complex with entrances on both Mars Hill Road and Daniells Bridge Road.

Abe Abouhamdan, chairman of the Oconee County Citizen Advisory Committee on Land Use and Transportation Planning, has submitted the application to rezone property currently owned by Gary and Linda Carroll of Eastpoint, Fla.