Common Questions


What is zoning?
Can a local government zone property any way it wishes, or are there limits?
Why did Oconee County create a zoning program?
What does zoning mean for my property and me?
What is 'grandfathering', and how can I get it?
How does the zoning process work?
The word 'district' is often used in different ways in zoning…what does it mean?
What is an 'overlay district'?
How does the zoning process work in Oconee County?
Does my signature on a petition circulated to initiate a rezoning under the Small Area Method count as a vote for zoning?
If a rezoning petition requesting a particular zoning district is being circulated in my community, and I am opposed to the district, can I submit a separate petition requesting another zoning district?
I did not sign a petition for rezoning, but I received a letter in the mail stating a 'citizen-initiated request' is beginning and my property was included. What can I do about it?
How can my name be removed from a petition supporting a rezoning request once it has started?
I did not sign a petition for rezoning, but I received a letter in the mail stating a 'citizen-initiated request' is beginning and my property was included. What can I do about it?
How can my name be removed from a petition supporting a rezoning request once it has started?
How can property be added to or removed from a rezoning request once it has been initiated?
Some adjoining properties were rezoned through the Small Area Method of rezoning, but I did not join in at the time- as my property is contiguous, can I simply 'add on' to the completed area later?
How do I go about starting a petition to request rezoning through The Small Area Method in my area?
How do the area zoning techniques utilized through the Small Area Method help ensure a rezoning is not 'spot zoning'?
Where can I find information on the types of zoning districts available?
What role does the Board of Zoning Appeals have in zoning?
How does the role of the BZA differ from that of the Planning Commission?
What are the differences between variances, appeals of staff decisions, and Special Exceptions?
If a use is not specifically listed in a zoning district, does that mean I will not be allowed to do it?
What is Appendix A of the zoning regulations?
Will zoning clean up my area?
If I am currently zoned in the Control Free District, do I need to get a building permit to build a building?
I live in a municipality-do the Oconee County zoning regulations apply to me?
How are the vegetative buffer requirements enforced by Oconee County dealt with in the municipalities?
Can I get the zoning of my land changed?
What happens if a use allowed today is no longer allowed by a future change in the zoning regulations?
How does zoning affect my taxes?

Our Mission

It is the mission of Oconee County to provide our current and future citizens and visitors quality services while protecting our communities, heritage, environment and natural resources, in an ever-changing world.

Vision

Oconee County – A diverse, growing, safe, vibrant community guided by rural traditions and shaped by natural beauty; where employment, education and recreation offer a rich quality of life for all generations, both today and tomorrow.