Bishop Bypassed County Planning Staff, Commission In Rezone

The Mayor and Town Council of Bishop bypassed the Oconee County planning staff and the county Planning Commission when it rezoned property for a Dollar General earlier this month.

“Dollar General was going to walk away,” Bishop Mayor Johnny Pritchett said in explaining that action.

The city has had an agreement with the county since 1991 calling for the county planning staff to administer its zoning laws and has had a seat on the county Planning Commission since 1982.

The city’s zoning law, however, does not mandate that the Mayor and Council consult the county planning staff on a rezone or submit to a review by the Planning Commission.

City Attorney Joseph Reitman told the Mayor and Council they did have to send the rezone request to the county staff and the Planning Commission, Pritchett said, and the Mayor and Council decided to follow Reitman’s advice.

Pritchett said he would not commit to involving the county in future zoning, leaving only North High Shoals and Bogart among the county’s four cities following that process. Watkinsville has handled its own zoning since 2007.

For more on this story, please follow the link to Oconee County Observations.