Plans for property the county owns in the town of Clermont are up in the air following the Hall County Board of Commissioners’ decision to build the North Hall library on Nopone Road.
On Thursday, the commission voted to build a North Hall library on the same property as the North Hall park and community center.
Many Clermont officials and residents opposed the idea, preferring the library be built on a 40-plus acre tract in Clermont that the county purchased in 2007 as a potential library site.
County officials say there is no direction yet for the property, which is located north of downtown Clermont at Main Street and Oxford Road.
County officials purchased the property for about $1.1 million from SPLOST V park funds.
“There was no master plan for it,” Assistant County Administrator Phil Sutton said. “There was not a lot of specificity around it.”
Sutton said it is uncommon for the county to own land with no dedicated purpose.
Sutton said it is uncommon for the county to own land with no dedicated purpose.
“I can’t explain it to you,” he said.
Commissioner Bobby Banks met with Clermont Mayor James Nix on Monday to discuss possible uses for the property, though no decision has been made. Commissioners say they have no immediate plans to discuss the future of the Clermont tract.
“Talk to the grand pooh-bah,” said Steve Gailey, referring to Chairman Tom Oliver, who spearheaded the idea of building the library on Nopone Road. “I have no clue as to what ... he’s going to try to do with it. None.”
Oliver said there are no immediate plans.
“I have not thought about it at this time,” Oliver said. “We would hope as we move forward we would be able to utilize the 41 acres ... as other opportunities will present themselves.”