Big Don with his hand in the pot again. Imagine that, sold them the land and then cast the deciding vote. The good ole boy system hard at work again!
With the city attorney's blessing, Augusta Commissioner Don Grantham cast a vote Wednesday approving a short-game practice area that the Augusta Country Club already built, despite that he's a club member and was involved in land sales that made the project possible.
Two of his colleagues and fellow club members took opposite positions. Mayor Deke Copenhaver said before the vote that, if called in to break a tie, he would abstain. Commissioner Joe Bowles said he doesn't dispute Mr. Grantham's decision to vote, which came after attorney Chiquita Johnson told him it's OK so long as he has no financial stake, but he stayed out of it.
"I think the appearance of a conflict of interest in and of itself makes it a conflict of interest," Mr. Bowles said after the meeting.
The commission voted 8-0, Mr. Bowles abstaining, to give the country club a "special exception" to build a chipping area and practice putting green on residentially zoned land near the corner of Milledge and Overton roads. The club sought the exception with work on the project mostly complete, its engineers saying the oversight was unintentional.
The Planning Commission recommended approval Oct. 6, but when the matter first went before the Augusta Commission last month, a group of neighboring homeowners said they fear the altered landscape puts them at risk for flooding.
The neighbors told commissioners Wednesday that, despite meeting with the club's engineers last week, they're still worried about their driveways and basements. Commissioner Betty Beard moved to send the issue back to Planning & Zoning, but didn't get a second.
"I can tell you it meets our rules and regulations," Planning Commission Executive Director George Patty said. "I cannot tell you it's not going to flood this afternoon."
Staff Writer Sylvia Cooper contributed to this article.
Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
Big Don with his hand in the pot again. Imagine that, sold them the land and then cast the deciding vote. The good ole boy system hard at work again!
If I made improvements without the proper permits, would I get a free pass?????
The Augusta Commission gets to decide zoning on a whim. Why wouldn't they adjust the area to fit the club so many belong to? The fact that some residents are worried about their basements flooding more because of the expansion strikes me as strange. If the weather changes to a rain cycle, their basement is going to flood more, even without any landscaping. This is Augusta, a basement is a bad idea.
If personal property should flood, a lawsuit will likely bring in much more money than the costs for loss of property. It's a lose-win situation. The property owners are merely posturing "just in case".
No big surprise here....old Augusta money talks. Grantham, as usual, with his hand in the pot and twisting rules to fit his agenda. Say hi to your old pal Ashby Krouse, two crooked peas in a pod.
Karmakills123, the story is NOT about the Augusta National, it's about the Augusta Country Club.
Money talks BS Walks. Although not having lived in Augusta for a number of years, I can see that the "I scratch your back and you stab my back" is still thriving in Augusta after all these years.
so once the rain came off of the roof of the houses that were torn down, where did it go then? seems logically that more
surface area to absorb the rain the dryer it would be.
The neighbors are acting foolish. The land all along Overton Rd already belongs to the club and has another road between it and Overton Rd. The only houses are across the street and only one or two sit on sloping land that slopes toward Morningside Dr. After those all land slopes up hill from back towards front. The only houses that are on the same side of the road as club property start at Terrace Road which is half a mile away from the area in question. All water on the street runs into big culverts that run to the bottom of Morningside Dr. and into a wet weather creek that goes to Lake Olmstead . No flooding ever in Country Club Hills. I grew up there.
O.K. Who paid off who? Or is that: Whom paid off whom? UgHHHHHHH !
I just hope all the people in residential zoned areas wanting to get them rezoned to light commercial, get them to the commission for approval (send them to D.G. personally because he really cares about your desires) ASAP. The commission is having a signing month I guess! I think I now know who took Williams place on the commission. Now didn't we have an investigation concerning a Drag Strip and something to do with an appearance of Conflict of Interest, but then I am probably thinking of something else!!
Dissman you are completely wrong in your ideas. The club is owned and paid for by the members and their dues. They get no money from the city. The drag strip would have been financed by the city and Mr Williams and his son in law would have benifited at the expense of the taxpayer. I know you can understand that can"t you?
Levi IV, have u got permitting for your $2.0 million legacy summer, oops, funhouse? Guess you would get a pass too.
This passed 8-0 there were no "deciding votes" except the 5th, did Grantham cast that vote?
ww1949, I don't care who owns it, it was built in a "RESIDENTIAL ZONE", which by the way would be like your neighbor building a gas station next door. The D--- golf driving range is a commercial establishment!! And like I said whats good for the Goose is good for the Gander, and anyone who wants a gas station in the neighborhood should start building and get approval from Mr. Bowles later!!!
Oh I almost forgot, we don't have people getting a "pass", rather, we have rules for all to follow and I assume the rule dosen't apply anymore or else we are just a Good Old Boy network in our government and we are to show favoritism to those with money!
Dissman, Try and get the facts straight! 1.I did not vote on this issue. 2.The neighborhood was built around the golf course. But I guess the facts don't matter to you.
Is anyone surprised? Dissman, your class envy is showing as usual. Joe you did the right thing.
disssman, this doesn't concern you or justis. Go play and let the movers and shakers sort this out.
much ado over nothing
It's the mentality of people like Grantham, that gives rise to the obamas
if don grantham had abstained what would the verdict have been? since it was 8-0 what difference does it make that he voted? would any of the other 7 who voted for it have changed their vote if don had not voted? i don't think so. people let it alone. unless you live over there what difference does it really make to you?
Unfortunately, planning and zoning issues are ignored by individuals, institutions and businesses every day, some by mistake, some intentionally. ghtty, you are right, it is much ado over nothing.
Have to admit, sure does look better than those dilapidated houses the club bought and let run down.....can't imagine the neighbors don't like the improvement in view and probably property values.
Dissman, you certainly do not know much about Country Club Hills. I do because I lived there 21 years. All of Country Club Hills was built on land owned by the club hince the name Country Club Hills. I moved there when it was dirt roads. The land all the way from Milledge to the bottom of Overton Rd was all golf course called the Lake Course and The Hill Course. The Lake Course was sold to the developers and all the houses were built around the golf course. My grandfathers home backed up to club property where the construction is going on and it was always a driving range with the tee next to Overton Rd. Nothing has changed except that it looks better. Two of the houses that looked delapidated were let run down by the owners before the club purchased them-one owned by The Cranford family of theJewelers Bench and the other by a doctors widow whom I can not recall. The grey one was owned by my grandfather who had a beautiful yard until sold to the Wells who owned an auto parts store who let it run down. The other one by the Strozier family. CC Hills was a premier area in its day. Know your history before you and justus spout off about what you do not know.
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