Oconee Library Board Votes To Move Library To Wire Park

The Oconee County Library Board of Trustees voted 9 to 2 On Monday to move the Oconee County Library from its current location at 1080 Experiment Station Road on the northwest side of Watkinsville to the commercial redevelopment project called Wire Park on the southeast of the city.

In taking the action, the Board reversed a decision it had made by an 8 to 2 vote in July of 2019 to move the library to the county’s planned administrative building just outside the city’s northern boundaries.

The Board of Trustees took its vote after a 40-minute discussion in which roadway access to the library played a role, but members also spoke about what they viewed as strong statements of public support for the Wire Park location and the appeal of locating the library in the Wire Park setting.

John Daniell, Oconee County Board of Commissioners chair, and Wire Park owner and developer Duke Gibbs, joined by Christine Tucker and Brian Brodrick, members of the Watkinsville Council, had made presentations to the Board at its meeting earlier this month.

The meeting on Monday was called for the Board to make a final decision.

No time frame for the move to Wire Park exists, but Board Chair Mark Campbell said the Board will now go forward with planning for the opening of the new facility.

For more on the story, with a video of the Library Board meeting, please go to Oconee County Observations.