Board of Commissioners Scheduled to Decide on Two Oconee County Downzone Requests

The Oconee County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to review at its Nov. 1 meeting two requests for a downzone of property that would reduce the inventory of unbuilt residential lots in the county by 89.

The reduction is almost trivial given the estimated 2,300 lots in the county zoned for residential development.

At the current rate of use–78 single family dwelling building permits have been issued so far this calendar year–that is about a 25-year supply of lots, even if no more lots are rezoned for residential development.

But the downzones may represent a trend.

The two downzones on the agenda for the BOC meeting were approved by the Planning Commission at its Oct. 17 meeting. In both cases, the Planning Commission recommended that the BOC approve an agricultural classification for the land.

The larger of the two tracts–422 acres–is in the far south of the county south of Farmington and has frontage on U.S. 441 and on the Apalachee River. It is part of a proposed River Walk along the river.

The second downzone was for 10 acres of land on the north side of Whippoorwill Road at the end of Turtle Pond Drive.

For details of the rezone requests, including a video of the Planning Commission meeting, go to Oconee County Observations.