Pioneer to buy property

Pioneer Rural Water is now agreeable to consummating a deal in which the district buys 25 acres from Oconee County, on which to build its first treatment plant. The property is located within the county’s Golden Corner Commerce Park at Fair Play. At their regular meeting yesterday, the board members voted to sign off on county’s documents which will commit Pioneer to spending $132 thousand for the property. Once Pioneer returns signed papers to the county, General Manager Terry Pruitt, says the final step will be the real estate closing. In the meantime, Pioneer will move toward ridding itself of other property in the Tugaloo Heights subdivision. It was there that Pioneer originally envisioned its treatment plant, but neighbors’ opposition convinced the district to look elsewhere. The board selected Clardy Real Estate to market one lot that would have accessed an intake in Lake Hartwell. And it agreed to seek an appraisal of all 14 acres Pioneer owns there.