Oconee County told Mercedes-Benz of Athens on Friday that the county will not be able to provide sewer service for the planned new auto dealership on Highway 316 at Virgil Langford Road for another 12–18 months.
The announcement coincided with the release of a memorandum stating that those requesting letters of availability of sewer service be advised of limited capacity in parts of the county’s service area and the complete lack of availability in others, including where the Mercedes-Benz facility is planned.
The dealership is currently located on Atlanta Highway. Oconee County commissioners approved a rezoning for the new dealership in June.
The county released the announcement on sewer capacity in a Friday meeting of the county’s Development Review Committee, which was considering the preliminary site plan and site development plans for the new auto dealership.
The DRC approved the Preliminary Site Plan, but Sandy Weinel, assistant director of the Planning and Code Enforcement Department, told a representative of Mercedes-Benz the firm will have to build a private septic system if it wants to move forward before sewer capacity is available.
Weinel gave Jason Stough a copy of a Memorandum dated Mar. 21 from Utility Department Director Wayne Haynie to herself and B.R. White, director of the Planning and Code Enforcement Department.
The memorandum states that both the county’s land application site on Rocky Branch Road and the Calls Creek wasterwater plant on the northern edge of Watkinsville “are experiencing conditions that place them near or over their allowable capacity.”
For more, visit Oconee County Observations.
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