Whetstone Academy expansion denied

A school that serves troubled boys in Mountain Rest lost its bid Tuesday night on an exception to Oconee County’s zoning rules to construct a new dormitory allowing Whetstone Academy to enroll as many as 32 boys. Sister station WGOG reports that the Oconee County Board of Zoning Appeals needed two and a half hours to reach the 5-1 decision in what was the board’s third meeting on the matter since July. Much of the discussion centered on an attempt by Gary Littlefield to amend the board’s original 2011 vote to limit Whetstone Academy to 22 full-time students. Nevertheless, after a series of questions, Littlefield offered to withdraw his amendment. That led to the night’s final vote, which was a victory for neighbors of Whetstone Academy who lodged various complaints about traffic, noise, vulgar language, and the fear that some day a student might run away and cause trouble in the community.