Oconee State Bank recently ran a blue banner in The Oconee Enterprise just below the papers banner. It read, “Fresh Look. Familiar, Friendly Service. Our new mark is our commitment to create remarkable experiences for you.” Apparently this ad was about the banks fresh new look.
As a resident of Watkinsville, I’m concern about downtown traffic. What is the best way to do that then looking at maps. I found something on some maps that are disturbing.
Oconee State Bank has built a two story ugly corporate headquarters on the downtown corner of Main Street, Water Street, Chestnut Street, and Experimental Station Road. On an 1939-ist map clearly shows there is a road where there is now Oconee State Bank’s parking spaces.
On a 2007 tax map MAPWAT again clearly shows there is a street between the bank’s corporate headquarters plat 30 and Oconee State Bank plat 29.
On a October 2019 plat by W&A Engineering, registered with the Clerk’s Office by surveyor John Mark Dunlap. The Public Chestnut Street (0.141 acres) between the bank’s corporate headquarters and the bank was to be turned into parking for the private use of Oconee State Bank. Chestnut is now parking spaces and a road access to parking was constructed on the banks corporate property.
On that same month, October 2019, a resolution was made by the City Council to abandon and sale Chestnut Street to the Oconee State Bank. In a public notice ran in their local paper, the City Council was to hold a public hearing on November 20, 2019, for the purpose of deciding whether to declare the aforesaid property abandoned and sell it.
At the November 20, 2019, Mayor and Council meeting for abandonment of Chestnut Street/1st Street, City Manager Dickerson noted a letter was received to withdraw the request to abandon. But she didn’t mention who sent the withdrawer request. Surprising! I cannot find any further documents on abandoning Chestnut Street or it being purchased by Oconee State Bank.
The first question that came to my mind, has Watkinsville abandon Chestnut Street? No, since the resolution was withdrawn. Has Oconee State Bank bought Chestnut Street from the City of Watkinsville? No, because it has not been abandoned. If not abandoned, why has the City of Watkinsville allowed the Oconee County Bank to go ahead and construct their parking lot on a public road it doesn’t own?
Oconee State Bank constructed an access road to parking spaces onto their corporate headquarters property and made it an one way street. Then they turned Chestnut Street into their private parking spaces for the bank.
Why didn’t City Council Pro Tem Brian Brodrick stop Oconee State Bank from continuing construction of the parking spaces on Chestnut Street when it was not abandoned and sold? And as a Board member of Oconee State Bank, should not Brian Brodrick have known that the bank did not own the street, and not have begun construction?
Dickerson as City Manager, who received the withdrawer of the abandonment of Chestnut Street from someone, why didn’t she inform the City Engineer to stop construction of the parking spaces since she knew it hadn’t been sold to Oconee State Bank? Why did the City Engineer approved Oconee State Bank to continue construction on the parking spaces? Were the permits to construct the parking lot pulled after the street wasn’t abandoned and sold? No to that question, so who at City Hall approve the parking space construction. Or the main question is did Oconee State Bank began construction of the parking lot on its own?
Why did Oconee State Bank’s Board Chairperson, Brodrick’s mother-in-law, knowing they did not own the street, tear up Chestnut Street and construct parking spaces for her bank?
I now wonder, what was the real reason City Council created a City Manager position, and what was the real reason to transfer Mayor Bob Smith’s duties and responsibilities to that City Manager? There is now a vacuum within City Hall, destroying a strong mayoral government, and left no check and balances to control any questionable issues such as the Chestnut Street debacle since the City Manager comes under the City Council.
Who actually is running the City of Watkinsville; our elected representative or the bank. For sure it isn’t the City Council, Mayor, Manager, or Engineer. Follow the money and power.
If this is Oconee State Banks commitment in creating remarkable experiences for our community, I hate to see what other experiences is to come from them. Because they do not own the property, they do not pay taxes or storm water fee on the parking spaces. Since they did not purchase the street our City coffee is minus the cost of the street.
Why doesn’t Oconee State Bank just negotiate a settlement for the street and be done with it. Why won’t the City do the same. But you know what happens when common sense and service to taxpayers/people of Watkinsville comes into play…ignore, ignore, ignore. The bank WILL get their way eventually by later going to court and have some active judge hand it them for free.
The bottom line to everything done by Watkinsville City Council is that there is NEVER any CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR ACTIONS. PERIOD. So, they continue to do whatever they so desire.
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