The Oconee County Planning Commission, after a hearing lasting nearly 90 minutes, voted 9-2 tonight to recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it approve a special use permit for construction of a materials recovery facility on agricultural land at 1441 Dials Mill Road.
Approximately 100 people turned out for the public hearing at the courthouse, with supporters outnumbering opponents.
Oconee County officials have agreed to allow Oconee Waste Transport to continue to operate, at least in the short term, at its site on SR 15 south of Watkinsville during hours that Magistrate Court Judge Eric W. Norris found last October to be in violation of the county zoning ordinance.
OWT had indicated that it intended to appeal Norris’ ruling, but the county joined with OWT in asking Norris three weeks after he issued his ruling to reconsider and vacate it.
The Oconee County planning staff has determined that a proposed materials recycling facility on Dials Mill Road in the northwestern part of the county is not consistent with the surrounding area or with developmental goals for that part of the county.
If the facility is built, the staff has concluded, it “could negatively affect the ability for all of the properties adjoining the site” to be developed consistent with county land use plans.
The Oconee County Board of Commissioners last Tuesday awarded $92,298 in bids for grounds maintenance at Oconee Veterans Park and Heritage Park, but only after setting aside a challenge by one of the bidders.
Chad Keller of Precision Landscape Management, 1351 Jennings Mill Road, had complained that his company’s low bid improperly was passed over in the bidding process.
The Oconee County Board of Commissioners last night passed to the county’s Industrial Development Authority the issue of prezoning, requesting that the Authority review the proposed changes in county zoning procedures and report back to the Board.
Commissioners Jim Luke and John Daniell took the lead again last night in pushing for consideration of prezoning as an option for the county.
Vegetable grower, egg gatherer, farm promoter and market vender Dana Bradford is really looking forward to Saturday.
That’s when the Oconee Farmers Market launches its 10th season in front of the courthouse in downtown Watkinsville.
Oconee County Attorney Daniel Haygood told the Board of Commissioners last night that he has a list of at least 22 issues that he feels the commissioners need to address before the county can move forward with prezoning of property for development.
Haygood said the county should consider the consequences of abandoning the current approach of reviewing individual zoning requests and reflect on the method that will be used to select properties for prezoning.
