Watkinsville City Council gets ready for changes
The April meeting of the Watkinsville City Council was brief and to the point, with the point being many activities in the near and distant future for the county seat of Oconee County. All the members were here for the meeting with not a huge agenda but a very ambitious aim months and years down the line.
One business license was approved at the onset, and that belonging to Ann Peden of Ann Peden Jewelry, opening her first retail outlet after other locations in Watkinsville catered to creating her jewelry and shipping them as far as Nebraska and Iowa. Ann Peden plans to open in Town Center at 2 South Main Street, Suite 107 in the old Georgia Originals location. Ann had a location at Happy Valley Pottery, and they are now following in the location that the Jerry and Kathy Chappelle had in Town Center.
Don Truelock received a framed proclamation for the Oconee Lions Club for their ongoing battle against privet and other invasive plants in cleaning up neighboring Harris Shoals Park. Mayor Joseph Walter read the tribute and the yellow vested Lions Club President introduced his replacement Gene Lyon.
Father and son reunion occurred as well with portrait photographer Dan McClure contemplating a new Watkinsville studio location and his landscaping son Ian (thanks for correction BB) winning the yard of the month at the start of the meeting.
Mayor Walter acknowledged the efforts of Eagle Scouts in several small projects in Harris Shoals Park including control of erosion and some benches built in the more scenic areas of the wetland retreat in the heart of Watkinsville. He also asked for all of us to come be a part of the clean up at 9:00 am Saturday, April 24th starting in the stream and branching outward over the acreage. This clean-up is being headed up by the Keep Oconee Clean and Beautiful Commission.
Walter also praised City of Watkinsville Street Department employee Jerry Harris and his crew for scraping out an easily flooded culvert on the dead end known as Lakeview Drive, hopefully alleviating the water washing across the yards and streets into the neighbors yard. As many as 350 people packed the First Friday with businesses such as Art Masters staying open later than usual and receiving many new inquisitive shoppers. The Mayor operated the pop corn machine and stayed busy.
The city saved three thousand dollars with the solution to the crumbling crosswalk on Main Street. The actual construction should take five to eight days in the month of May. The areas set to receive sidewalks includes School Street around Rocket Field and back toward the part of Third Street connected to Eagle Tavern. This all comes as part of the firm Travis-Pruitt's proposals for StreetScape II. This design was revealed by Patricia Mahoney.
Public hearings were completed on Subdivision Regulation Amendment and consideration allowing an eventual Simonton Bridge Connector to maybe spill out right on top of Katie Lane and Morgan Manor Estates subdivision. The first public meeting on the concept report of StreetScapte II was unveiled as were the zoning ordinance amendment to potentially allow retail sales in areas where Zion Skate Park and several other businesses primarily of a wholesale variety are now. The store space would need to be under 5,000 square feet to sell goods in this warehouse district.
One business license was approved at the onset, and that belonging to Ann Peden of Ann Peden Jewelry, opening her first retail outlet after other locations in Watkinsville catered to creating her jewelry and shipping them as far as Nebraska and Iowa. Ann Peden plans to open in Town Center at 2 South Main Street, Suite 107 in the old Georgia Originals location. Ann had a location at Happy Valley Pottery, and they are now following in the location that the Jerry and Kathy Chappelle had in Town Center.
Don Truelock received a framed proclamation for the Oconee Lions Club for their ongoing battle against privet and other invasive plants in cleaning up neighboring Harris Shoals Park. Mayor Joseph Walter read the tribute and the yellow vested Lions Club President introduced his replacement Gene Lyon.
Father and son reunion occurred as well with portrait photographer Dan McClure contemplating a new Watkinsville studio location and his landscaping son Ian (thanks for correction BB) winning the yard of the month at the start of the meeting.
Mayor Walter acknowledged the efforts of Eagle Scouts in several small projects in Harris Shoals Park including control of erosion and some benches built in the more scenic areas of the wetland retreat in the heart of Watkinsville. He also asked for all of us to come be a part of the clean up at 9:00 am Saturday, April 24th starting in the stream and branching outward over the acreage. This clean-up is being headed up by the Keep Oconee Clean and Beautiful Commission.
Walter also praised City of Watkinsville Street Department employee Jerry Harris and his crew for scraping out an easily flooded culvert on the dead end known as Lakeview Drive, hopefully alleviating the water washing across the yards and streets into the neighbors yard. As many as 350 people packed the First Friday with businesses such as Art Masters staying open later than usual and receiving many new inquisitive shoppers. The Mayor operated the pop corn machine and stayed busy.
The city saved three thousand dollars with the solution to the crumbling crosswalk on Main Street. The actual construction should take five to eight days in the month of May. The areas set to receive sidewalks includes School Street around Rocket Field and back toward the part of Third Street connected to Eagle Tavern. This all comes as part of the firm Travis-Pruitt's proposals for StreetScape II. This design was revealed by Patricia Mahoney.
Public hearings were completed on Subdivision Regulation Amendment and consideration allowing an eventual Simonton Bridge Connector to maybe spill out right on top of Katie Lane and Morgan Manor Estates subdivision. The first public meeting on the concept report of StreetScapte II was unveiled as were the zoning ordinance amendment to potentially allow retail sales in areas where Zion Skate Park and several other businesses primarily of a wholesale variety are now. The store space would need to be under 5,000 square feet to sell goods in this warehouse district.
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