Planning Commission Favors Proposal Of Life Church Of Athens

The Oconee County Planning Commission Monday night voted 9 to 1 to recommend to the Board of Commissioners that it grant a special use permit to allow Life Church of Athens to build a community-scale church on just under nine acres at the corner of Summit Oaks Drive and Summit Grove Drive north of Watkinsville.

The Planning Commission took the action after a public hearing before an overflow crowd in the Board of Commissioners Chamber at the Courthouse during which neighbors complained about traffic problems and disruption of the neighborhood that the church would create.

Several citizens also spoke in favor, most of them associated with the church, which is now operating in Athens but is seeking to move to the Oconee County site. The property is east of the U.S. 441 bypass and north of Oconee County Fire Station Number 1 on SR 15 (North Main Street).

In other action, the Planning Commission voted 5 to 4 against a motion to deny a request from Lovett-Keller Ventures LLC to modify the style of homes in a subdivision to be built between Atlanta Highway and Thompson Street in Bogart.

The Oconee County planning staff had recommended denial of the request. The Commission did not vote to recommend approval.

That vote goes to the Bogart City Council, not to the Board of Commissioners, for final action.

For details of the Planning Commission action, with a video of the meeting, please go to Oconee County Observations.