The Hall County Board of Commissioners approves the rezoning for a medical office condominium at the intersection of Jesse Jewell Parkway and Branch Street with the condition of a camera inspection of the property's old terracotta drainage pipes.
The rezoning request from Sosebee & Britt Holdings for three office buildings intended for medical and dental use was previously recommended for approval by the Hall County Planning Commission, but Commissioner Jeff Stowe felt it prudent to mandate this inspection as these pipes are expected to take on more water flow.
"As part of the conditions (Sosebee & Britt) will camera that to make sure it's clean and hasn't collapsed," Stowe said.
To make matters a little more complicated, the terracotta pipes to be used by Sosebee & Britt on their three-acre property travel through property owned by Milliken & Co on their way to the retention pond behind the Milliken & Co manufacturing facility.
This was cause for concern to Commissioner Scott Gibbs who wondered what kind of liability the commission would have should the pipes collapse.
The applicant, Ed Myers, assured the commission that Sosebee & Britt had signed an easement agreement with Milliken & Co stating that if they pipes should fail, whoever was responsible for the failure would pay for the repairs. County Attorney Bill Blalock confirmed this to the committee noting that none of the land is county owned, so the commission would hold no responsibility in the matter.
"(Milliken & Co.) is responsible by their easement agreement," Blalock said. "They made themselves responsible under the language of their agreement."
With commission satisfied with that explanation, it was unanimously voted to approve the request.
