County Waiting On Bond Request Details From Presbyterian Homes

Oconee County officials are still waiting on Presbyterian Homes to indicate how much money it wants the county to borrow through bond sales to help finance construction of its Presbyterian Village Athens on U.S. 441 at Hog Mountain Road.

In the last two weeks the company began land clearance and construction of a chain-link fence along U.S. 441 for its complex. The county had issued a Land Disturbance Permit for the 79-acre property nearly a year ago.

The chain link fence is covered with signage promoting the Continuing Care Retirement Community, but county code enforcement officials say those signs will have to be removed because they are in violation of county code.

Rich Waller said at the meeting of the county’s Industrial Development Authority on Monday that the county has not received the documents from Presbyterian Homes that are needed for the Authority to move forward on the bond sales. Waller is chair of the Authority.

The Authority in May passed a resolution “preliminarily approving” the issuance of revenue bonds for Presbyterian Homes pending receipt of further documents specifying, among other things, the amount to be borrowed.

The resolution states that the Authority will need to pass “a Bond resolution approving such documents” before the agreement is final.

For more on the story, including a video of the Industrial Development Authority meeting, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Fence and sign on U.S. 441 at site of Presbyterian Village Athens.