Oconee County Puts Two Projects On Three-Year Hold Because Of Issue With Ground Clearance Permits

Oconee County has informed developers of two projects, both of which have been before the county’s Development Review Committee in recent weeks, that their projects are on hold because they cleared trees from the sites without getting clearing and grubbing permits.

A representative of one of those projects--the expansion of Briarwood Baptist Church on Hog Mountain Road--was before the DRC on Friday and was told that even though the DRC approved the Preliminary Site Plan the county would not issue any permits for work to go forward.

Jason Lawson, representative of Rhino Storage on U.S. 441 north of Watkinsville, was before the DRC last month and similarly received approval of his Preliminary Site Plan.

Sandy Weinel, assistant director of the county Planning and Code Enforcement Department, subsequently wrote Lawson telling him of the three-year moratorium of “development approval.”

Both entities have the option of asking the Oconee County Board of Commissioners to waive the moratorium.

For details of the story, go to Oconee County Observations.