My unedited Watkinsville City Council story

Watkinsville City Council
May 11, 2006
Oconee Living Section
Athens Banner-Herald
Watkinsville Council increases local businesses by 10
By Daniel J. Matthews, Jr.
Correspondent

The Watkinsville City Council met with a very busy schedule Wednesday and approved nine new business license applications and renewed one with a notorious past.


Sandy Callaway of S.C. Logging Company at 50 Barnett Shoals came back before the city council to seek reinstatement of his wood yard’s business license after getting it revoked during the previous administration of Mayor Sammy Sanders some years back. Callaway complied with numerous suggestions for beautifying the area he thought had been a wood yard for more than 60 years by removing junk cars and other garbage.

Council member Joe Walter, who was the city’s first code enforcement officer, commented that he thought Callaway had complied with every request presented him by current code enforcement officer Robert Hegge.

Council member Samantha Purcell successfully suggested Callaway consult his across the street neighbor Dwayne Wilkes for some more trees for his property.

“If I was a tree, I’d be nervous around your property,” quipped Walter.

Dale Threadgill double-dipped and received a pair of business licenses for the environmental technology consulting business Infinity Associates, LLC and the interior design consultancy under the name of Lifestyles International, Incorporated at his home 1280 Taylor’s Drive.

Clay Hartley received a business license for Oconee Heavy Hauling at 1051 Business Boulevard. He will be working with three employees to move large grading and pipeline equipment per new DOT regulations.

Jeff Jackson appeared for his wife and received a business license for Loretta Eby Hot Glass at 101 Concord Drive, where they will be wholesaling their distinctive birdfeeders and other fine hand-blown glass art made at Happy Valley Pottery to museums and shops around the county.

Shane Mercer made an appearance for a business license for Clean Cut Lawn Care at 124 N. Main Street.

Crystal Page expects lots of traffic at Town Center for her new monogramming business CALLED AND NOT ON Madison Ave. She will be in the ground floor location between Gautreau’s Cajun Café and Georgia Originals at 2 South Main Street, Suite 106.

Brent Gibson will house Watkinsville Mobile Auto Tech Service out of his home at 48 Lawanna Drive. He will take auto repairs to the location of the car, and not do it at his home.

Bob Bishop appeared twice to get a business license first for a new venture with his sons and also later for a building permit. The council approved a business license for Bishop Development Company LLC at 1401 Greensboro Highway, Suite 3 and later appeared with his son Luke for a building permit for a three-sided brick façade 60’ x 125’ foot building at Lot 8 of the new Jerry Smith Drive on the south part of Watkinsville down Highway 15. There are several conditions including health department approval and approval of the new tree board.

This is the same area where Flo Wilkes will be opening what is being billed as Oconee Preschool Academy II on three and a half acres of greenspace at 1420 Greensboro Highway. Developer Ken Beall went to bat for her and received a conditional use permit for the daycare center. There are many steps to go before they open, not the least of which is a building permit.

David Daniels appeared to receive a building permit for Bona Fide construction to create a 20’ x 30’ bedroom/bath addition to 1241 Katie Lane.

Deborah Fuller came back before the council to receive a sewer hook-up for 48 Thrasher Drive in a renovated duplex.

Larry Sheats will do his own plumbing work on a large bedroom/bath addition effectively doubling the size of his home at 112 Morrison Street. Jerry Lang appeared with Russell Tolbert to receive permission to add a hobby room 30’ x 30’ workshop to Lang’s home at 1270 Simonton Drive.

Wayne Craig appeared to report to the council that the Simonton Bridge Road traffic signal at Main Street and Harden Hill Road would cost about twice as much as originally forecast. The R.J. Haynie firm won the bid at around $120,000, negating much of the benefit of the $42,000 grant from the state and the DOT paying for much of the material. Bids will be unsealed next week for Streetscape project, and next month the council will vote an amended sign ordinance on after a public hearing June 14th.

Thomas George of 205 Concord Drive received the Watkinsville Beautiful Yard Award as selected by Ruth Barrow of Main Street Yarns and Fabric.

Connie Massey asked for more control of parking during t-ball games at Rocket Field and for the city to get a severe weather siren.