More time to be taken on development standards

Oconee leaders are devoting more time on whether to recommend new development standards in a county on record respecting individual property rights.  Yet, increasingly, there’s sentiment in the county’s growing population base for new rules that protect one neighbor’s property from another’s.  After hearing from the public, hearing from the county attorney, and lots of questions, the county planning commission voted to direct their staff to summarize proposed rules applying to lighting, screening and buffering in a report for county council and to be considered by the commissioners at their December 6 meeting.  At last night’s hearing, there was divided opinion from the public.  Two representatives of the Oconee Agriculture Advisory Board endorsed the proposed standards, while a home builder and one farmland owner spoke against them.