The Oconee County Board of Commissioners last (Tuesday) night voted unanimously to put two Sunday sales referenda on the November ballot.
One of those referenda, if approved by a majority of voters, will allow the sale of beer and wine in grocery, convenience and beverage stores in the county on Sundays.
The other will allow for the Sunday sale of beer, wine and alcoholic beverages by the drink in area restaurants.
In other action at the meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved a rezone for a small shopping center at the corner of Hog Mountain Road and U.S. 441, but only after adding a condition that prohibits left turns into and out of the property.
By the end of qualifying at noon today (Wednesday), three candidates registered to seek the open slot on the Board of Commissioners in the special election in November.
Marcus Wiedower qualified on Monday, and Ben Bridges and Chuck Horton qualified yesterday (Tuesday). All live in the area around Watkinsville.
Sunday Sales
Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chairman Melvin Davis put discussion of Sunday sales on the July 19 Commission agenda without prior notice, claiming he was responding to requests from grocery stores in the area.
Davis 7/5/2016 |
Davis gave the commissioners letters he had received from representatives of Kroger’s, Publix and Wal-Mart, all written within a few days of each other and all with similar content.
Davis also proposed that the county consider package sales of alcoholic beverages in what are commonly called liquor stores, though none of the letter writers asked for that.
Behind the scenes is an attempt by Atlanta developer Frank Bishop, with the support of the county, to lure Costco to an expanded Epps Bridge Centre on the Oconee Connector. Costo stores sell beer and wine and often include a liquor package store as well.
County attorney Daniell Haygood advised the commissioners that putting package sales of liquor on the ballot by November would be very difficult, since it requires signatures of 35 percent of the county’s registered voters.
County Ordinance
If voters approve either or both of the referenda on Nov. 8, the Board of Commissioners would be allowed to modify the county’s alcoholic beverage ordinance.
Haygood, in preparation for the Tuesday night’s meeting, proposed that Sunday sales be allowed from 12:30 p.m. until midnight.
At the meeting on Tuesday night, five people spoke, three in opposition to immediate action and two in favor.
The two motions for the referenda were approved unanimously by Commissioners Jim Luke, Mark Saxon and William “Bubber” Wilkes.
Ray’s Corner
The proposal for the small shopping center for the northwest corner of the intersection of Hog Mountain Road and U.S. 441 produced opposition from three speakers, who expressed concern about the traffic at the intersection, known locally as Ray’s Corner.
Toccoa 85, owned by King Howington, was requesting that a 1.7 acre triangular lot, which formerly was the home to a general store, be rezoned for highway business use for construction of a single-building shopping center.
Possible tenants include a pharmacy and restaurant, according to the application. Pictures submitted with the application suggest a drive-through operation is a possibility.
Access will be via U.S. 441 and Hog Mountain Road.
Turns Restricted
The entrance to the lot from U.S. 441 is right-in and right-out because of the median on the highway.
Entrance off Hog Mountain Road is via a stub of the old roadway that connects to the current Hog Mountain Road opposite the entrance to RaceTrac fuel station.
The commissioners added a condition to the rezone restricting access at that point to right-in and right-out as well.
The commissioners approved a special exception variance requested by Toccoa 85 to eliminate the required 50-foot landscape buffer between the rezoned property and the adjacent lot to the west.
The Commission did stipulate that an opaque screening buffer of no less than 15 feet wide and 6 feet high shall be planted along the common property line of the adjoining parcel.
Qualifications
Candidates Bridges, Horton and Wiedower all chose to be listed on the November ballot as a Republican.
Wiedower, 40, is president of BluePrint builders and has worked for what was then Beall, Goonsen and Company, a land planning and engineering firm. He lives at 1081 Princeton Lane just outside of Watkinsville.
Horton, 61, served on the Commission from 2004 to 2012, when he stepped down to challenge Davis for the chairmanship. Retired as police chief from the University of Georgia, Horton is working as parking director for Athens-Clarke County. He lives at 1061 Ramblewood Place in Hickory Hill subdivision.
Bridges, 50, is a project manager at Pilgrim’s, a chicken producer in Athens. He also has a sports radio program and is announcer for Oconee County High School football. He lives at 1450 Robinhood Road in Northwest Woods subdivision.
Possible Runoff
If none of the three candidates gets a majority on Nov. 8, a runoff between the two top candidates will be held on Dec. 6.
The winner will complete the term of Post II Commissioner John Daniell, who resigned to run for Commission Chairman, He will assume the Commission chairmanship on Jan. 1.
The Post II term will expire at the end of 2018.
Deadline for registration for the Nov. 8 election as well as for the runoff is Oct. 11.
I was not able to attend the meeting on Tuesday night. Sarah Bell did attend and video recorded the session for me.
Bell spoke in opposition to the Sunday sales referenda and to the rezone for the shopping center at Ray’s Corner.
8 comments:
We sure don't need a developer on the BOC. Wiedower will vote yes on every development brought before the BOC. Chuck Horton will do the same.
Will there be any debates for the three commission candidates? This is a very important election. Bubber votes exactly how Melvin Davis tells him, and will do so even when Melvin is thankfully out of office (good riddance). Jim Luke is completely burned out. Saxon goes along to get along.
Need at least one commissioner who will represent regular actual residents, not out of county developers, or oldtime Oconee power families (yes you Mr. Dickens).
I plan to be involved in organization of a candidate forum.
Lee
I attended Tuesday's meeting and I was impressed with Jim Luke. He was the only one who seemed prepared for the meeting. He asked excellent questions. His amendments led to the changes for the small shopping center (right in/right out; required building materials). I sure hope he does not burn out. I look forward to the candidate forum. This position is very important. Chuck Horton was a reasonable voice when he was on the commission before. It still seems ridiculous to be that the head of the transportation and land use committee is the same person that represents people for these rezones. It is a clear conflict of interest and yet he was was reappointed!
I'll step up and personally attest to Marcus Wiedower not being a developer. I've know Marcus for years and have never known him to develop a piece of property. He is a builder of custom homes doing less than five per year. In my experience when Marcus tells you he's going to do something you can count on it. He'll put the same mental fortitude toward being a commissioner as he does the Iron Man races he runs. He's there to finish the job by putting 100% in.
Sincerely,
Mike Huff
Let's write in Sarah Bell.
Theres no way that a builder or developer should ever sit on the BOC. Its a conflict of interest. I can see now the backroom dealings and secret promises being made. Wiedower will be the same.
The fact that Wes Wilson is associated with Horton's campaign should be enough to reject Horton as a possible board member!
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