Planning Commission Rejects Impound Lot In Farmington

When Ben Hanley made his pitch last Monday before the Oconee County Planning Commission for an impound lot in Farmington, he had a nearly full room of citizens seated behind him.

Hanley said the county needs a second tow operator and impound lot, and he proposed expanding his Madison County business into Oconee County to meet that need.

None of the citizens agreed with his plan, and eight of them spoke up to say that putting an impound lot on 1.35 acres on U.S. 441 at the entrance to Farmington–literally across Salem Road from the old train Depot–was a really bad idea.

The Oconee County Planning and Code Enforcement Department staff had concluded much the same thing, saying the proposed impound lot is “not consistent with the desired pattern of development for the general area.”

In the end, Hanley was alone in supporting his proposal, as the Planning Commission voted 7 to 0 to recommend that the Board of Commissioners deny the request.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously later that evening to support two other rezone requests–one for expansion of Piedmont’s Oconee Health Campus at Virgil Langford Road and Jennings Mill Road and the other for subdivision of a lot in Resurgence Park further down Virgil Langford Road.

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