Watkinsville City Council approves plat precedent
Watkinsville City Council approves plat precedent
Community
By Daniel J. Matthews Jr. Correspondent Story updated at 10:55 PM on Tuesday, November 15, 2005
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 regarding to potential storm water run-off during the Nov. 9 meeting.
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 problem. Real estate agent Judy McDonald 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, 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. 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 is for a retail or office space for an as-of-yet undetermined tenant.
Bret Thurmond received a building permit for 1461 Greensboro Highway for a warehouse behind the Shell Station. Nathan Mende will house a showroom for his motorcycle business.
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 slightly more than a half-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 4-foot black vinyl chain link fence around Rocket Field for $8,000 to replace the 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 money budgeted over the last two fiscal years.
Luken said the first phase of the Streetscape project is awaiting the release of federal funds to begin the actual right-of-way purchasing. He indicated that the second phase 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.
Civil engineers Jim and Linda McGregor addressed the council about storm water update and handed out a new brochure to the audience. Oconee County Department of Human Resources employee Christina Garrett told the council about the 11-month-old foster child that the council will sponsor through DFACS by purchasing holiday gifts, to be delivered from 8 to 10 p.m. Dec. 3 at Ted Evans' storage facility off Greensboro Highway.
Community
By Daniel J. Matthews Jr. Correspondent Story updated at 10:55 PM on Tuesday, November 15, 2005
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 regarding to potential storm water run-off during the Nov. 9 meeting.
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 problem. Real estate agent Judy McDonald 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, 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. 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 is for a retail or office space for an as-of-yet undetermined tenant.
Bret Thurmond received a building permit for 1461 Greensboro Highway for a warehouse behind the Shell Station. Nathan Mende will house a showroom for his motorcycle business.
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 slightly more than a half-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 4-foot black vinyl chain link fence around Rocket Field for $8,000 to replace the 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 money budgeted over the last two fiscal years.
Luken said the first phase of the Streetscape project is awaiting the release of federal funds to begin the actual right-of-way purchasing. He indicated that the second phase 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.
Civil engineers Jim and Linda McGregor addressed the council about storm water update and handed out a new brochure to the audience. Oconee County Department of Human Resources employee Christina Garrett told the council about the 11-month-old foster child that the council will sponsor through DFACS by purchasing holiday gifts, to be delivered from 8 to 10 p.m. Dec. 3 at Ted Evans' storage facility off Greensboro Highway.
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