Watkinsville Council barely approves sketch plat with private drive on Wilson Drive

Watkinsville resident Dwayne Wilkes has beautifully restored an old historic farm home (for sale) with a split rail fence on Barnett Shoals Road, but now he wants to cram seven houses in a two acre farm field with a private driveway access on the narrow street that is crumbling old Wilson Road in his big backyard. The Watkinsville City Council stewed a long time before Joe Walter motioned and Samantha Purcell seconded approval of the sketch plat as presented by landscape architect Kenneth Beall by a 3-2 vote at their July meeting Wednesday evening.

Council members Brian Brodrick and John Walsh, Jr. voted against the approval of the motion, and initially firefighter and council member Mike Link neither voted for it or against it, but then realized his lack of vote was pivotal in a 2-2 tie and he caved to the approval side upon second consideration by Mayor Jim Luken. Approval of the sketch plat does not necessarily mean approval of the preliminary plat or construction plans or final plat which all require separate council approval. Purcell proposed a pathway and Walter suggested greenspace as requirements for approval, which both were attached successfully.

Brodrick really kept after Beall and Wilkes with a tenaciousness seldom seen at the Watkinsville City Council meetings politely banging on them for land planning issues such as lack of connectivity and standing out like a sore thumb in a neighborhood where nothing remotely would look like it both at the meeting and in emails sent to the council prior to the meeting. "It's awkward and I think we could work with you to come up with a better plan that reflects the desires of the citizens better," said Brodrick. He questioned nearly every aspect and knew that Wilkes had built a back driveway without approval before. Trash has been dumped in the back section of large tract, and while the Mayor later told me a microwave over has been removed, quite visible garbage still remained on the corner of Lawanna Drive on both sides of the fence, both man made and natural.

Wilkes wants to proceed with construction of his shoehorned subdivision and Beall tried his best to answer every question of the council. There was even mention of changing the private driveway to a private street and possibly building a road through from busy and wide Barnett Shoals to Wilson. There was also talk of the buffer on the twisty turning Lawanna Drive.

One of the lots is extremely narrow and abuts the current property. The private driveway status is not without precedent in Watkinsville and the limits are very exact as to the number of driveways that can attach. Mr. Wilkes would be wise to look at the nearby subdivisions recently built and remaining unoccupied, not to mentioned the multiple houses for sale well within walking distance.

In other matters, the Watkinsville Clean and Beautiful Award went to David and Susan Kennedy of 1011 Christian Drive as selected by Chicken Express on their sixth anniversary. Richard Jenkins received a business license for his eponymous construction company at 1231 Christian Drive once the home owners association of Christian Lake subdivision approves it. Sherry Cox is bringing back her much missed Details Design Center to 17 S. Main Street in the Nicholson House coming back to the city where it was from 1997 to 2001. Jake Rowe received approval for his eponymous Taxidermy practice at 1461B Greensboro Highway. Micah Redden received approval for a 10,000 square foot cheerleader training facility Future Extreme LLC just down the street from the new Zion Skate Center on 1031 Business Boulevard.

Also on July 20th at an as of yet unknown location the Watkinsville City Council will have an 8:30 am to 5:00 pm with a strategy planning session where such hot button issues as the County Courthouse location and other matters from street widths to Harris Shoals Park will be reviewed.

President Barack Obama's Federal Stimulus Package funds reached all the way down to Watkinsville with an extra member to the street department with a college educated intern for the summer thanks to the entity formerly known as the Northeast Georgia RDC.