“Greenpaw” taken off last night’s agenda

A final vote on an inducement agreement with an apartment builder was taken off last night’s agenda of the Oconee County Council, at the county attorney’s request.  The attorney, David Root, gave no explanation why.  Nevertheless, this did not curtail one member of the audience from questioning the appropriateness of allowing any new, major development from being built in the county without the requirement of an impact fee.  Ken Charles of Townville took the position that a “FILOT” – a fee in place of a tax – is wrongheaded. County officials have warmed up to the idea of a pair of new apartment complexes on 123, the increasingly busy Seneca-Clemson corridor, because of developer Brent Little’s offer to pay a large amount of the costs to extend the utilities.  Responding to Charles, Councilman Julian Davis explained the state’s thinking back in the late 1990s when, faced with losing out on industry to neighboring states, the General Assembly enacted “FILOT” to counteract the percentage of tax required of manufacturing.  The proposed complexes of hundreds of apartment units to meet student housing needs is referred to as Greenpaw – because the property envisioned is bordered by Greenfield manufacturing and Paws Restaurant.