BOC blasts jail contract, Jennings Mill hotel; status quo on Planning Comm., et al.

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners meeting had a few surprises Monday evening, but any adventurous appointments to the citizens committees were not among them. Sheriff Scott Berry pointed the way to the new construction team here.

Chamber of Commerce President Rick Waller was appointed to the Development Authority, William Charles Steen made it to the Planning Commission and Todd Paschal was appointed to the Tax Assesors.

The most interesting facet was dropping the construction contract with Jail from the derelict dumbasses at PR Brown of Florida and will switch instead to New South Construction. It would be easy to suggest that someone should be fired over this $25,000 mistake, but whom am I to suggest such action. That is about how much it will cost to pay the old contractor.

The second most surprising act was the denial of the rezone request No. 4699 by Silver Farms, LLC of 1.648 acres on Virgil Langford Road from A-1 to B-2. Essentially there is a realignment of Jennings Mill Road that may put it in the path of a proposed hotel. Ken Beall presented plans to go to the DOT to get them to change where the New Jennings Mill Road would meet with Virgil Langford, but he was denied primarily by County Commissioner Chuck Horton expressing his discomfort with voting on what-ifs and maybes.

Charles M. Osborn will build 65 units on 83.90 acres (A-1 to AR-1) on Osborne Road. Russ Page wanted a conservation subdivision but was denied once again.

Steven D. Williams will create 47 lots on 44.636 acres (A-1 to R-1) on the already overdeveloped Malcom Bridge Road creating 453 daily trips to further congest the roads with people scurrying to their overpriced and unnderbuilt $300,000 houses.

There is an amenity area in the future of a subdivision on Mars Hill Road to be built by BB&C, LLC on 1.646 acres including a pair of tennis courts and an additional buffer agreed upon by Mac Furlow. So which subdivision is it? You tell me.

Jennings Mill was allowed to remove their PUD to work on it for further public abuse.

The BOC asked for the "other" government to replace the monies they misppropriated from the state environmental funds, primarily from hazard waste and scrap tire funds. So that is where Sonny got the money to do all that traveling. The BOC also said E-911 system is still cool.