…On June 16, 2010, Thursday, the Jennings Mill traffic was re-routed to go around the bank on the Connector at Virgil Langford Road. To me, Jennings Mill Road now has a “butchered” feeling. The relocation route has sidewalks on both sides but has a lot of twists and turns. It now looks like a Development Street and the property owners along that stretch have even more valuable property…..

AVOC

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June 18, 2010

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Oconee Connector – Jennings Mill Relocation takes interesting turns

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By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

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My office is located on Jennings Mill Road near the Loop.  There are several office complexes on that road as well as Jennings Mill Country Club and a Day Care Center.

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Oconee Connector at Jennings Mill & Athens Loop –March 30, 2010

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Oconee Connector – Loop Bridge – 5.30.10

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The work on the Oconee Connector has impacted Jennings Mill Road for several months.   On June 16, 2010, Thursday, the Jennings Mill traffic was re-routed to go around the bank on the Connector at Virgil Langford Road.   To me, Jennings Mill Road now has a “butchered” feeling.   The relocation route has sidewalks on both sides but has a lot of twists and turns.   It now looks like a Development Street and the property owners along that stretch have even more valuable property.

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Oconee Connector – South Bound approaching GA 316 - May 16, 2010

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Oconee Connector @ Virgil Langford Road -5.30.10

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A few years ago, some of us questioned allowing a bank to be built beside Jennings Mill Rd where the Connector project was to be.    Well, it turns out to be the reason for rerouting Jennings Mill through some undeveloped acreage.   A review of the tax records indicates some interesting owners and values but one is unable to access the tax maps as you can in the rest of the County.    Oconee County Tax Maps

http://qpublic3.qpublic.net/ga_oconee.html?layers=roads+parcel_sales&mapmode#62

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Jennings Mill Relocation –Straight Away – 6.18.10

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Jennings Mill Relocation –Note Sidewalks – 6.18.10

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Virgil Langford-Jennings Mill Intersection near Oconee Connector 6.18.10

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The commissioners are all talking economic development and ‘diversifying the tax base’ but the public seems to feel differently.   At a recent BOC Town Hall Forum on Economic Development, Dr Franklin Shumake to offer a warning near the end of the meeting.
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            “The vast majority of the people who are here tonight are here to promote economic growth,” he said. “But my own observations in Oconee County are that 80 percent of the people in this county, 80 percent of the voters in this county,  are not obsessed with economic growth.
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            “They came into this county because it is a good place to live. They came into this county because it has good schools. They came into this county because it is beautiful,” Shumake said.
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            Shumake, who is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, told the  commissioners to make sure they involve different types of people before they  made decisions so they don’t hear only from those who want more development.
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            “Most of us like this place like it is,” he said.

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SEE:  Lee Becker’s Blog: www.oconeecountyobservations.blogspot.com

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Charlie Baugh, informed Oconee citizen and property owner, recently said to a group of people in my presence that:

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“Every time I hear someone go on about "diversifying the tax base" to "hold taxes down" I go back and look around at counties with a "diversified tax base" and compare their millage rate to our 25 mills.  So far I have not found one with a lower millage rate.  It is real easy to check.  Just go to county web sites like Gwinnett or Cobb and check out their millage rate.”

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Charlie Baugh and Franklin Shumake’s positions probably now represent the majority of citizens and voters in the county.Our commissioners need to take heed.   Times are “A-Changing”!

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The concept of the Jennings Mill Parkway and Oconee Connector was a good one.However, development interests got involved.   As a result, local traffic is being rerouted through developmental areas, sometimes at much inconvenience.   Some folks will become even wealthier.   Often times the owners are Corporations or LLCs and individual investors are not always known.  However, rumors have abounded for several years about the involvement of “silent partners” with political influence in some commercial ventures.

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For more background and tax record information, check these links:

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Oconee County Tax Maps

http://qpublic3.qpublic.net/ga_oconee.html?layers=roads+parcel_sales&mapmode#62

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Corporations Division at GA Secretary of State

http://corp.sos.state.ga.us/corp/soskb/Corp.asp?970446

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Concept of the Oconee Connector –Jennings Mill Project

Oconee.Connector.Jennings.Mill.Pkwy.Project.3.08.pdfx

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5-25-10 Oconee Connector Project Over Loop- Economic Opportunity or ‘Road to nowhere’ or Both?

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http://corp.sos.state.ga.us/corp/soskb/Corp.asp?1310983

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HF JENNINGS MILL ROAD, LLC

1720 GRACEWOOD PARKWAY

BISHOP, GA 30621

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7.12 Acres

Tax Parcel # C 01 039 

$ 1,535,252.00  Value

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BRITER VENTURES, LLC 

P. O. BOX 80905 

ATHENS, GA 30608-0905 

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8.1 Acres

Parcel # C 01AP001 

$ 3,240,000 Value

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2.0 Acres

Parcel #C 01AP002 

$ 1,000,000.00 -Value

http://corp.sos.state.ga.us/corp/soskb/Corp.asp?970446