The Oconee County Board of Commissioners last (Tuesday) night imposed changes on the proposed plans of Pinelake Campground LLC to expand its existing campground west of Bishop before giving approval to the project.
Residents along Adams Road objected to the addition of a recreational vehicle park on undeveloped property on High Shoals Road to the east of the existing Pinelake Campground, saying it would adversely affect their privacy, subject them to unwanted smoke, and be unsightly.
Oconee County commissioners tomorrow (Tuesday) night will consider a rezone request for expansion of Pinelake Campground west of Bishop as part of a lighter-than-usual agenda.
Most of the important items under consideration, in fact, already have been given tentative approval and are on the consent agenda, meaning they will be voted on en masse unless a commissioner asks for discussion.
Oconee County expects to open Parkway Boulevard from the Oconee Connector to Kohl’s by the end of May, county Public Works Director Emil Beshara told a meeting of the regional metropolitan transportation planning organization on Wednesday.
Construction on the roadway is “winding down,” Beshara told the group, with work remaining only on such things as pedestrian islands, guardrails, and striping.
Oconee County Utility Department Director Wayne Haynie is asking for a 1.0 percent increase in the base water rate and a 1.5 percent increase for those who use just slightly more water per month.
Those who are heavier users actually will see a reduction in water rates, if the Board of Commissioners accepts Haynie’s recommendations.
Oconee County commissioners tomorrow (Tuesday) night will discuss budget requests from two key departments, Parks and Recreation and Utility, in hearings rescheduled from last week.
The Board of Commissioners has set aside two hours before the regular Board meeting for the two departments, which have more interaction with citizens than many of the others in the county.
Oconee County has informed developers of two projects, both of which have been before the county’s Development Review Committee in recent weeks, that their projects are on hold because they cleared trees from the sites without getting clearing and grubbing permits.
A representative of one of those projects--the expansion of Briarwood Baptist Church on Hog Mountain Road--was before the DRC on Friday and was told that even though the DRC approved the Preliminary Site Plan the county would not issue any permits for work to go forward.
Oconee County told Mercedes-Benz of Athens Friday that the county will not be able to provide sewer service for the planned new auto dealership on SR 316 at Virgil Langford Road for another 12 to 18 months.
The announcement coincided with the release of a memorandum stating that those requesting Letters of Availability of sewer service be advised of limited capacity in parts of the county’s service area and the complete lack of availability in others, including where the Mercedes-Benz facility is planned.
