Politics & Government
Oconee County Commission Approves Car Dealership; GDOT Provides More Reassurances On U.S. 441 Widening
The vote was 2-1, with Commissioners Luke and Wilkes in favor of the rezone, and Commissioner Saxon opposed.
Oconee County Commissioners approved a rezone request Tuesday night for a complex of auto dealerships on SR 316 at Virgil Langford Road after a public hearing lasting 115 minutes.
The vote was 2-1, with Commissioners Jim Luke and William “Bubber” Wilkes in favor of the rezone of the nearly 30 acres, and Commissioner Mark Saxon opposed.
The crowd of more than 135 packed Courtroom No. 1 at the Courthouse in Watkinsville, with a string of opponents expressing concerns about noise and light pollution, traffic and the overall impact of the project on their neighborhood.
Jon Williams of Williams and Associates, who presented the case for the rezone, was followed by a group of speakers, largely representing the development and business community, who said the project was good for the county.
The meeting followed another Tuesday night during which representatives of the Geogia Department of Transportation and its consulting firm told a group of about 35 that concerns of the community were going to dictate what is done with the proposed widening of U.S. 441 in the south of the county.
For more on the story, go to Oconee County Observations.
Pictured: Saxon in middle, Wilkes on left.