Oconee County Commissioners To Decide On Future Of Old Jail And Funding For Calls Creek Sewage Plant Expansion

The Old Jail, a horse barn turned reception hall, funding for the Calls Creek sewage treatment plant, and Briarwood Baptist Church are all on the agenda of the Board of Commissioners for Tuesday night.

Commissioners will decide if they want to go forward with demolition of the abandoned Jail at a rear corner of the Courthouse in Watkinsville and if they are willing to spend an additional $57,080 for design work for an expansion of the Courthouse into the space freed up by the demolition.

They also will hold a rezone hearing on a request to bring an existing reception hall on High Shoals Road between Bishop and North High Shoals into compliance with county code.

County Finance Director Wes Geddings is asking the commissioners to consider issuing bonds for a variety of water and sewer projects, including the expansion of the Calls Creek Wastewater Reclamation Facility on the northern edge of Watkinsville.

Commissioners will consider an appeal from Briarwood Baptist Church on Hog Mountain Road west of Butler’s Crossing of a three-year moratorium on expansion of the church onto adjoining land the county claims the church improperly cleared earlier this year.

For more on the story, including a video tour of the old Jail and a video of the Planning Commission meeting regarding the horse barn, please go to Oconee County Observations.

Pictures of Jail.