“The next move is up to Oconee County”

For Oconee County to build the replacement jail at its current preferred location, the county must ask the Walhalla zoning administrator for a special exception. The city attorney, Julian Stoudemire, says it’ll be zoning administrator James Ashton’s duty to schedule a hearing and, and in Stoudemire’s words , “it will proceed from there.” At least to some extent, such a hearing could be reminiscent of the 2011 hearing when the Walhalla Board of Zoning Appeals rejected the county’s request to make an exception for the jail–on the opposite site of the current LEC. The new preferred property lies in a general residential zone. According to Stoudemire, the law enforcement center, as now exists, was granted a special exception previously. Stoudemire also provided this information: “Even if the building is within the footprint of the old special exception, a new one must be granted for new construction or any construction. This was brought to our attention by the current Zoning Administrator housed within the Fire Department. This has been conveyed to Mr. Moulder by the Mayor and I have advised Sheriff Crenshaw. The next move is up to Oconee County.”