Friday, December 05, 2014

Oconee County Removed Boswell Signs From Oconee Connector And SR 316 Intersection

Other Signs In Compliance

Oconee County yesterday removed the two-sided sign that Jamie Boswell, District 10 representative to the state Transportation Board, had at the southwest corner of SR 316 and the Oconee Connector more than seven months after the county asked Boswell to move the sign.

Oconee County Code Enforcement sent Boswell a letter on Oct. 17 setting a deadline of Nov. 17 for him to bring the sign into compliance with the county’s ordinance, which prohibits signs in the public right of way.

Sign Gone From SW Corner
Connector and SR 316

Code Enforcement sent a similar letter to Nichols Land and Investment Group and Andy Homeyer. Nichols had a sign in the northeast corner of the SR 316 and Oconee Connector intersection, and Homeyer had a sign on the southeast side.

The Boswell, Nichols and Homeyer signs listed the properties in the intersection as available for purchase.

Both Nichols and Homeyer moved their signs back from the right of way into the property they have listed for sale.

Construction Underway

The county removed the Boswell signs after the construction crews for the widening of the Oconee Connector and Mars Hill Road from SR 316 to Hog Mountain Road got underway in earnest this week.

Construction crews began putting up erosion barriers along the roadway and clearing land for the road work.

Crews removed another Boswell sign at the northwest corner of the Oconee Connector and Daniells Bridge Road on Thursday as well. It could be seen on its side back inside the property today.

Other Boswell signs on other properties in that same intersection remained in the area between the erosion fences and the existing roadway this evening.

Boswell Properties

Boswell is an Athens real estate broker and owner of Boswell Properties. Since early 2013, he has served as District 10 representative to the 14-member State Transportation Board, which oversees road projects, including the widening of Mars Hill Road.

NW Corner Connector and
Daniells Bridge Road

He received a permit to place a sign along the Oconee Connector in August of 2013, but rather than place it at the permitted location he placed it at the SR 316 and Oconee Connector intersection in the state right of way.

Oconee County Code Enforcement says it asked Boswell early this year to remove the sign, but he has refused to do so. He did move it back slightly from its original location, but it remained in the state right of way.

Boswell also received a permit for the sign at the northwest corner of the Oconee Connector and Daniells Bridge Road that same month. That sign was placed where permitted, but the roadway widening is requiring additional right of way at that intersection.

Property owner Maxie Price is in a dispute with the county over the value of that right of way. Boswell joined Price in a meeting with county officials last month to discuss that disagreement and the resulting condemnation suit.

Other Property Listings

On Oct. 17 the county sent identical letters to Boswell, 788 Prince Ave., Athens, Nichols Land and Investment Company, 2500 Daniells Bridge Road, Oconee County, and Andy Homeyer, 1361 Jennings Mill Road, Oconee County.

Property markers for the properties listed by Nichols and Homeyer were not visible, B.R. White, director of Code Enforcement and Planning for Oconee County, said at that time.

White told me in an email message yesterday afternoon that the Homeyer and Nichols signs were relocated by the two companies after the right of way was located.

“Boswell signs removed,” he wrote.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now that Boswell's signs are removed, we should continue the momentum and have Boswell removed from the GST Planning Board.

Anonymous said...

I drove by that Jamie Boswell sign yesterday, on the ground on its side near the QT intersection. It's an embarrassing eyesore!

This guy represents us on the State Transportation Board?? Enough of the handful of power players that lord over this county. Boswell can't even follow signage rules, and has no problem creating an eyesore. Step up county commissioners!!

Xardox said...

Seven months for Boswell.
Chainsaws the following day for the rest of us regular folks.

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