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Politics & Government

Corridor Studies Continue Gathering Input

Some concerned about proposed rules and regulations.


Citizens gathered at the Doughery Street Governmental Building for the second week in a row to voice their concerns and questions about the ACC Planning Department's twin studies of Prince Avenue and the Oak-Oconee Streets. 

Senior Planner Bruce Lonnee began the evening by explaining the history of the Corridor Studies. The Athens-Clarke County Planning Department began them in 2008 to examine the nature and needs of the two streets as they continue to evolve against the backdrop of new structures like the new Health Sciences Campus.

Lonnee said the study quickly branched out into amenities such as lighting fixtures, local business and adjacent communities that inevitably affect and interact with the streets.

"It's the spine of the organism we're trying to study," Lonnee said.

However, the Corridor Studies go further in recommending new policies and modifications to the streets that aim to nurture future development while maintaining the preexisting character valued by the Athens community. 

John Marsh, who lives off Prince Avenue, was not entirely receptive to the new ideas, which include new zoning regulations. He said that the freedom of unregulated growth and experimentation for the last 100 years created the sense of history and entrepreneurship that is now part and parcel of the two corridors.

"That freedom provides a sense of opportunity and change," he said. "You put all these regulations on there, and it's another hoop for someone to jump through. It just doesn't work."

Land developer Edward R. Nichols said he was concerned with the zoning suggestion to limit medical facilities to 10,000 square feet, saying that the typical practice group now averages 12,000 to 15,000 square feet for its structures.

If these zoning regulations go through as they are now, Nichols said, they could hamper the future development of businesses that would otherwise enjoy a healthy relationship with the Health Sciences Campus.

Lonnee assured the commentators that study's recommendations were not set in stone.

"Just as we are trying to avoid a one-size-fits-all solution, we don't  want to create a one-size-fits-all problem," Lonnee said.

Another issue that came to the forefront was the question of what to do about pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Tim Beynart, a cyclist who lives on Hill Street, said the fundamental problem with Athens's bicycle culture is that it isn't effectively woven into the fabric of the roadways. Beynart used the Alps Road bike lane as an example, referring to it as a "lip service" paid to bikers.

"Who in their right mind would feel safe there?" he asked.

Just as pertinent as the subject of bikes lanes was their potential threat to the communities in which they would be installed.

Retired University of Georgia math professor Clint McCrory said he was concerned about the Transportation Special Purpose Local Control Option Sales Tax, better known as T-SPLOST. It includes a vote on whether or not the city should install 5-foot bike lanes on both sides of Prince Avenue, potentially cutting into sidewalks and green spaces.

"We're going to vote on this next summer, and I don't think it makes any sense," he said. "Having bike lanes on three of the major arteries into Athens looks good on paper, but I don't think it's feasible."

Over the course of the discussion, Lonnee encouraged participants to continue to voice their concerns and fill our response forms available near the door.

He also said he wanted to see even more feedback from the community as the plans continue to move ahead with a Planning Commission Meeting scheduled for November 3.

"We value what this could become, and we think it's important enough that we want to get it right," he said.

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