Photo Credit: Lee Becker

Celestea Sharp's (left) documentary "Carving Up Oconee" featured Farmington/Bishop area residents Tony Glenn (center) and Courtney Gale (right).

Ann Stoneburner said she was motivated to help set up a program at the Oconee County Library late last month by a concern with the rewrite of the county’s Comprehensive Plan and its impact on development in the county.

The centerpiece of that program—sponsored by the Oconee County Democratic Committee and the Oconee County Progressives—was a screening of the 2008 film by Celestea Sharp, Carving Up Oconee. Stoneburner is vice-chair of the Oconee County Democratic Committee.

The 50 minutes of discussion that followed the film indicated that those in attendance shared Stoneburner’s general concern, and those familiar with the draft of the Comprehensive Plan focused on one particular change it contains.

The draft now under final review includes a new land use character area called Country Crossroads that has the potential to encourage development in the south of the county–something that was opposed by all of those who spoke at the library gathering.

Stoneburner and others encouraged the 40 people at the meeting to attend the public hearings on the Comprehensive Plan, which will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Apr. 16 before the Oconee County Planning Commission and at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Apr. 24 before the Board of Commissioners. Both of those meetings will take place at the courthouse in Watkinsville.

For more, visit Oconee County Observations.