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Oconee County reports 19 active PRT capital projects; parks receive upgrades, shoreline work and new parking planned
Summary
Phil Sharp updated council on 19 active Parks, Recreation and Tourism capital projects funded by the PRT capital fund and accommodations tax, highlighting shelter rebuilding, shoreline restoration with nearly 350–400 plants, new tennis courts and parking at South Cove, upgraded docks and added security cameras at Lake Hartwell sites.
Phil Sharp presented an update on Oconee County's Parks, Recreation and Tourism capital projects, saying the county had 19 active projects in the past 12 months funded through the PRT capital fund and accommodations taxes.
"We currently have 19, active projects that we either recently completed in the last 12 months or they're ongoing," Sharp said.
Sharp described completed and ongoing work at multiple properties: rebuilding an erosion-damaged shelter at Shaw Grama, constructing a scaled-back metal maintenance building, relocating a dumpster area, renovating the High Falls recreation building largely with in-house staff, rebuilding the front and back porches at the Alexander Cannon Hill House and removing an unsupported chimney with archival approval. He said the county planted about "3 50, almost 400 plants" in shoreline restoration work partly funded through a Duke grant to create living shoreline habitat.
Sharp also said the county is moving underground electrical lines and has completed design review for a new South Cove parking lot that will include two tennis courts and painted markings to allow overflow parking for boats and trailers. He said the superintendent residence at South Cove was finished after roughly a nine-month process, and that security cameras were added at a leased parcel of Lake Hartwell monitored by Clemson University police.
Chairman Root asked how many visitors the parks see annually; Sharp replied, "300,000 plus." Sharp said the visitor count is pulled from the number of receipts processed.
Sharp credited the roads and bridges crew with site work on several projects and noted the county had installed 14 gateway signs across the county. He said some structures at parks date to the original creation of the lakes and will require ongoing upgrades. No formal council action was taken during the report; Sharp invited questions and said staff could return with further details as needed.
The update focused on capital maintenance and upgrades using visitor dollars in addition to capital funds and acknowledged ongoing needs at older park structures.
Ending: Sharp said staff will continue work on procurement and construction steps and will return to council with further progress reports.
