Oconee County planning commission approves scenic-highway ordinance with complaint-response requirement; members elected

The Oconee County Planning Commission on Monday approved a draft Scenic Highway ordinance and amended it to require applicants to provide a contact for complaint response and to remedy complaint-identified maintenance issues within 45 days.

The amendment was added during discussion of notice and maintenance provisions in the draft ordinance, which also includes a baseline county inspection every two years and a requirement that applicants commit to three trash pickups annually. Commissioner Nicks moved to approve the ordinance as written; commissioners then adopted an amendment requiring applicant contact information and a 45-day response period before the county may lower or redesignate a scenic-highway classification. Commissioners voted by voice; commissioners said “aye” to approve the measure.

Why it matters: the draft ordinance determines how Oconee County will recognize and manage designated scenic highway corridors, including notice to contiguous property owners and ongoing maintenance obligations. The amendment creates an explicit, short-term remedy path when the county receives complaints about litter or storm-related debris, and it places a clear contact-and-response requirement on the applying organization or property owner.

The county staff member presenting changes, Mr. Root, said the redlined draft reflects prior guidance from the commission and borrows notice language used for small-area rezonings. "The red lines are the additions," he said, summarizing edits to the application, notice schedule and who may apply. During discussion commissioners asked whether the document was intended to require all contiguous property owners to be part of an application and whether the notice timing should mirror change-of-zoning notices; Root said that was the intent.

A commission member raised the practical question of how the county should respond if a windstorm or other event leaves a scenic highway corridor unusually messy between the scheduled two-year inspections. Commissioners then proposed and adopted language placing on the application a requirement that the applicant provide a contact telephone number and commit to addressing complaint-driven cleanups within 45 days. If the applicant fails to act, the ordinance language the commission adopted allows the county to consider lowering the scenic classification or redesignating the corridor.

During the discussion commissioners said the ordinance and the application form should reflect both the routine inspection cadence (every two years) and the new complaint-response process. The commission directed staff to draft a final ordinance text consistent with the commission’s amendment and to forward that draft to county counsel and county council for the council’s public hearing and final consideration.

The meeting also included two other formal actions: approval of the Jan. 6, 2025 meeting minutes and the election of commission officers. The minutes were approved by voice vote with one abstention. Members elected Mike Johnson chairman, David Dix vice chairman and James Coley secretary by voice vote.

A public commenter urged a separate change to the county’s setback rules. Tom Markovich, who said he has built houses in Oconee County for more than 45 years, told the commission that the county’s setback language (cited as section 9.3 in his remarks) lists freestanding fences, freestanding walls and hedges as allowable within setbacks but does not explicitly list retaining walls. "What's missing is retaining walls," Markovich said. He described hilly terrain in the county, recounted building projects that required retaining walls and said appeals to the Board of Zoning Appeals for retaining-wall issues had increased. Markovich asked the commission to amend the ordinance to explicitly allow retaining walls in the same way freestanding walls are allowed.

Commissioners responded that staff and the commission would consider the matter; several commissioners said they would place the retaining-wall question on a future agenda for more detailed review and possibly ordinance amendment.

The meeting adjourned after the commission completed its agenda and agreed to circulate the final draft of the Scenic Highway ordinance to members before it proceeds to county council.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved the draft Scenic Highway ordinance as amended (voice vote: "aye"); approved the Jan. 6, 2025 minutes (voice vote, one abstention); elected Mike Johnson chair, David Dix vice chair and James Coley secretary (voice votes).