Oconee County Commission Turns Down Appeal Of Sewer Capacity Decision For Bogart Subdivision

Oconee County Commissioners last (Tuesday) night voted to deny the appeal by Lovett-Keller Ventures LLC of a decision by Oconee County Utility Department Director Wayne Haynie to turn down a request by the developers for a transfer of sewer capacity for a subdivision in Bogart.

Stephen Lovett and Chad Keller of Gainesville and Oconee County had negotiated with REO Funding Solutions III LLC to purchase part of the sewage capacity held by Westland, a dormant 443-acre master plan development on the south side of U.S. 78 between Hog Mountain Road and the Apalachee River.

On Jan. 31, the Board of Commissioners voted to refund sewer capacity fees paid by Westland, Parkside and Willow Creek, three master plan development in the county, as well as for a proposed residential complex in Watkinsville. The fees were to reserve sewer capacity.

That Jan. 31 decision by the BOC is now the subject of three lawsuits, including one by REO Funding Solutions, challenging the county refund of fees and withdraw of reserved capacity.

The Commission, in turning down the Lovett-Keller request, made no reference to the Jan. 31 decision to refund sewer capacity, stating instead that the denial resulted from inadequate sewage treatment capacity at the county’s Land Application Site on Rocky Branch Road.

For more on this story, go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictured: Commissioner Chuck Horton.