Showing what style the new houses might be
Daniel J. Matthews, Jr.Watkinsville Council meeting
November 10, 2005
Oconee Living section
Athens Banner-Herald
Real Estate agent Judy McDonald of Coldwell banker shows her plans for the subdivision of property at 19 Whitehall Road to Samantha Purcell and Joe Walter.
Watkinsville approves plat precedent
By Daniel J. Matthews, Jr.
Correspondent
The Watkinsville City Council approved a pair of plat variances and sewer requests for the property of Jewell Jean Evans at 19 Whitehall Road despite the warnings of the city attorney and objections of some neighbors due to potential storm water run-off.
Newly-elected council member Joe Walter made a motion to deny the request to essentially subdivide two substandard sized lots, but his denial died due to lack of a second.
Council member Samantha Purcell made a motion to approve the recommendation to subdivide the tracts, and Brian Brodrick seconded it. Walter voted against it, with the votes of Brodrick and Purcell pushing the motion over the newest members’ objections. Council member Mike Link was absent from the meeting. The motion for the sewer hook-up passed unanimously.
City attorney R. Judson Huff warned that the subdividing of the two lots could set an indefensible precedent should some other city property owner want to do the same thing in the future.
“I’m in a dangerous situation,” Evans repeatedly confided to the council without elaborating as to the exact nature of the personal problems that forced her to sell or rent the property, and her real estate agent Judy McDonald of Coldwell Banker said at least three potential purchasers of the property said they would be interested in buying the adjacent lot.
Neighbor Connie Massey spoke about the situation with storm water run-off accumulating in her yard as well as that of her neighbor, Miss Jo Alsbaugh. Norma Payton countered with concerns for Evans’ rights to do with her property as she pleases, and how it was the city’s duty to deal with the flooding concerns.
In other business, Town Center developer Mike Thornton received building permits for two more suites of his two-story structure in the heart of Watkinsville. The first, at suite 101, will house at Quizno’s Sub sandwich shop franchise run by his 27-year-old son Jeremy. The second building permit, for suite 102 at the 2 South Main Street development, is for a retail/office space for an as-of-yet undetermined tenant.
Bret Thurmond received a building permit for 1461 Greensboro Highway for a 40’ x 100’ warehouse behind the Shell Station. Nathan Mende will house a showroom for his motorcycle restoration in the front and primarily house parts for the business in the back.
Doug Crowe received permission to combine several small tracts of land to two separate parcels of property he owns. One he is selling to his neighbor Bess Mabry in the Marshall Circle subdivision for $1. Essentially it is to create a wooded buffer so when he sells a third lot, the builders will not encroach on the scenic serenity surrounded by trees on the back of the property lines. He cut off 7/10th’s of an acre on the property fronting Marshall Circle in a tract recently owned by former Mayor Toby Hardigree to create a buffer with the addition of the wooded strip behind his property.
Mayor Luken asked for and received a motion to match a grant to build a new four-foot black vinyl chain link fence around Rocket Field to the tune of $8,000 to double the local development grant to replace the barbed wire fence currently there.
Sidewalks will connect the Stone Shoals subdivision with downtown in the near future. Wheelchair ramps and sidewalk repairs will come out of moneys budgeted over the last two fiscal years.
Luken said the Streetscape I project is awaiting the release of federal funds to begin the actual right-of-way purchasing. He indicated that Streetscape II would include sidewalks through the city’s historic district and go down toward VFW Drive and Harden Hill Road. This second phase has yet to be approved by the council or state.
The newest dream of what Watkinsville will look like for future generation will be unveiled at the visioning meeting Dec. 1 at the community center. The time for the meeting will be announced soon.
Luken announced that the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce provided the city with a $500.00 donation for services rendered before, during and after their Fall Festival Oct. 15. City clerk Julie Sanders reported that the municipal tax collection by the county cost the city $1100 more but had already resulted in more than $3500 in additional revenue due to knowing of property sales and other factors. The city eliminated two computer companies and paid the county to collect their taxes. The county is assisting the city in collecting delinquent taxes.
Civil engineers Jim and Linda McGregor addressed the council about storm water update and handed out a new brochure to the 23 audience members. Oconee County Department of Human Resources employee Christina Garrett told the council members about the 11-month-old foster child named Daniel that the council helped to sponsor through DFACS by purchasing holiday gifts, to be delivered from 8-10 pm Dec. 3 at Ted Evans’ storage facility.
Luken also added that Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast will be hosting a holiday concert the afternoon of the Christmas parade Dec. 3. There will also be a lighting of a Christmas tree that same evening at 7 p.m. along with a holiday merchants’ sale that same day. Luken said the entire day would be known as Christmas in Watkinsville along with the OCAF Holiday Market.
The mayor also said he will be asking the DOT to change the city limits signs to read “Watkinsville the Artland of Georgia.”
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Neighbor Connie Massey spoke about the situation with storm water run-off accumulating in her yard as well as that of her neighbor, Miss Jo Alsbaugh. Norma Payton countered with concerns for Evans’ rights to do with her property as she pleases, and how it was the city’s duty to deal with the flooding concerns.
In other business, Town Center developer Mike Thornton received building permits for two more suites of his two-story structure in the heart of Watkinsville. The first, at suite 101, will house at Quizno’s Sub sandwich shop franchise run by his 27-year-old son Jeremy. The second building permit, for suite 102 at the 2 South Main Street development, is for a retail/office space for an as-of-yet undetermined tenant.
Bret Thurmond received a building permit for 1461 Greensboro Highway for a 40’ x 100’ warehouse behind the Shell Station. Nathan Mende will house a showroom for his motorcycle restoration in the front and primarily house parts for the business in the back.
Doug Crowe received permission to combine several small tracts of land to two separate parcels of property he owns. One he is selling to his neighbor Bess Mabry in the Marshall Circle subdivision for $1. Essentially it is to create a wooded buffer so when he sells a third lot, the builders will not encroach on the scenic serenity surrounded by trees on the back of the property lines. He cut off 7/10th’s of an acre on the property fronting Marshall Circle in a tract recently owned by former Mayor Toby Hardigree to create a buffer with the addition of the wooded strip behind his property.
Mayor Luken asked for and received a motion to match a grant to build a new four-foot black vinyl chain link fence around Rocket Field to the tune of $8,000 to double the local development grant to replace the barbed wire fence currently there.
Sidewalks will connect the Stone Shoals subdivision with downtown in the near future. Wheelchair ramps and sidewalk repairs will come out of moneys budgeted over the last two fiscal years.
Luken said the Streetscape I project is awaiting the release of federal funds to begin the actual right-of-way purchasing. He indicated that Streetscape II would include sidewalks through the city’s historic district and go down toward VFW Drive and Harden Hill Road. This second phase has yet to be approved by the council or state.
The newest dream of what Watkinsville will look like for future generation will be unveiled at the visioning meeting Dec. 1 at the community center. The time for the meeting will be announced soon.
Luken announced that the Oconee County Chamber of Commerce provided the city with a $500.00 donation for services rendered before, during and after their Fall Festival Oct. 15. City clerk Julie Sanders reported that the municipal tax collection by the county cost the city $1100 more but had already resulted in more than $3500 in additional revenue due to knowing of property sales and other factors. The city eliminated two computer companies and paid the county to collect their taxes. The county is assisting the city in collecting delinquent taxes.
Civil engineers Jim and Linda McGregor addressed the council about storm water update and handed out a new brochure to the 23 audience members. Oconee County Department of Human Resources employee Christina Garrett told the council members about the 11-month-old foster child named Daniel that the council helped to sponsor through DFACS by purchasing holiday gifts, to be delivered from 8-10 pm Dec. 3 at Ted Evans’ storage facility.
Luken also added that Ashford Manor Bed and Breakfast will be hosting a holiday concert the afternoon of the Christmas parade Dec. 3. There will also be a lighting of a Christmas tree that same evening at 7 p.m. along with a holiday merchants’ sale that same day. Luken said the entire day would be known as Christmas in Watkinsville along with the OCAF Holiday Market.
The mayor also said he will be asking the DOT to change the city limits signs to read “Watkinsville the Artland of Georgia.”
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