According to a Dec. 28th Banner Herald editorial, "Watkinsville, the
picturesque county seat of Oconee County, is working hard to market
itself as a center of arts tourism, to the point of beginning to bill
itself as the 'Art Land of Georgia.' Perhaps apropos of that,
Watkinsville residents and their city council have themselves been
engaged in something of an 'art' project. With the help of a $15,000
Quality Growth Grant from the state Department of Community Affairs,
the community has for the past several months been exploring the 'art'
of developing a land-use and zoning plan that will help the city retain
and enhance its small-town feel. In a broad sense, the community is
looking to return to the past, when small towns were walkable
communities characterized by mixed-use development that put business,
professional, recreational and residential uses close together...
"Watkinsville's city council and residents have taken a decidedly
different approach, and have spent time developing plans that will
become real guidelines for shaping the city's future. The city is
taking full advantage of the considerable expertise offered through the
Northeast Georgia Regional Development Center, a state agency that
provides technical assistance to governments across Northeast
Georgia...Perhaps one of the best results of the process has been a
commitment to a flexible set of development guidelines. As a result,
the council will be able to work with individual property owners and
developers to 'craft' residential, commercial and other types of
development, rather than just ensuring that development adheres to a
set of inflexible rules..."
Source: CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking
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