The Demorest City Council is considering a possible variance to its ordinance requiring one water meter per unit for multi-unit buildings after a developer appealed for a change.
Local developer and real estate agent Wade Rhodes asked the council to scale back its ordinance, saying requiring developers to install multiple meters on industrial property is a “discouraging economic factor.”
“I’d like to have just one water meter and let me provide water for these tenants because there’s no retail, the water usage is minimal,” Rhodes told the council. “I just think a $12,000 investment in water meters just economically doesn’t make any sense to me in these kinds of situations.”
Executive Director of Partnership Habersham Charlie Fiveash backed up Rhodes’ comments. Relying on his years of industrial development experience in the metro Atlanta area, Fiveash said single meters are “pretty common” for low-impact water users across North Georgia and the metro area.
Fiveash pointed to neighboring Baldwin as an example, saying it’s more commonplace for an industrial building there to have only one meter.
He said limiting industrial properties to one meter puts the city in the position where it only has to collect one meter and doesn’t have to go through the collection process of multiple meters. For larger water users, the city could install separate submeters, he said.
“The reality is, nobody’s in there taking showers. Nobody’s doing any cooking. It’s typically the modest water users in these industrial buildings,” said Fiveash.
Demorest charges meter installation and relocation fees.
Mayor Jerry Harkness told Rhodes the council still has “some digging” to do to research the matter. They’ll revisit the issue at their January meeting.
