Politics & Government

The ACC Commission Holds Its Regular Meeting

Parking, zoning and development are taking up most of the meeting.

 

9:03 p.m.: There's a meetng tomorrow night at Covenant Presbyterian with Andy Herod and the ACC Police to talk about crime prevention techniques. Kathy Hoard thanked the police for crossing the street at the Grit and issuing tickets. Athens has received a recognition from the League of American Bicyclists, a bronze designation, as a bicycle friendly community.

Hamby asks about .how soon do we have to have the Sunday alcohol sales on the ballot? It needs to be discussed in July.

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Robinson reminds folks that the arts council is asking for the decorative designs on the parkng deck. 

Kinman said she constantly hears discussions about making Baldwin a street restricted for students, bikes and buses during school hours. We don't have the capacity to close Baldwin Street during those hours. Wonders if it's a good time to revisit that traffic study. How much would a study like this cost? Kathy Hoard wondered if UGA would want to help with the traffic study.

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Girtz---there's a public input session on the 17th on the Classic Center. And other sessions as well.

Lowry--May 21 is the Marigold Festival in Winterville. It's back for its second year. May 28 is the veterans celebration in Winterville. Moving it to Memorial Day weekend. At 9:12, he recommended adjournment. It passed.

 

8:46 p.m.: Whistleberry North. Kim Patton presenting the request for changing the North Avenue development. There will be more trees. Nice landscaping. Asked for approval of an amended special use permit. Jim Wallace, the owner, wants to blend what we have with some new ideas. We want to mingle them all together and come up with an aesthetic front.  The Commission passed it.

8: 45. Scott Haynes with Williams. 

8:43 p.m.: Special use approval. Decided to send it back.

8:40 p.m.: Alice Kinman wants to send the motion back to planning. She's unhappy that this was brought to us. She agrees with Girtz that a lot of what the town is about is education. Sees it as an opportunity to come up with something better for the neighborhood.

8:36 p.m.: Kelly Girtz says there should be two lots and not three. Two single family five-bedroom home would be more attractive than a 10-bedroom duplex.

8:23 p.m.: Maxine Easom says her concerns about China Street are minor compared to her concerns about plans for Oconee Street. Folks, this horse is not out of the barn. The Oconee Street project is the same kind of gerrymandering  that came through on Oconee Street. A developer moved the houses to the back of the lots. If you approve this project, it will be a developer-owned project. Residents have to look through another's windows to see the street. Airport authority recommended it be denied and the planning department recommended it be denied. There were those who thought if we make enough rules, we can prevent people from doing what should not be done. I wasn't one of those. Builders can always find a way to get around the rules. I don't want to avoid the elephant in the room tonight. It seems to be the developer appears to believe I can do anything I want on Oconee Street, who lives there anyway? People without a lot of means and students. Those people are the people who keep things going. It matters to people and it matters to me what happens on Oconee Street. 

8:22 p.m.: Says he will listen to the Commission.

8:15 p.m.: Ed Robinson says it doesn't fit with what we planned for Carr's Hill.Alice Kinman wasn't to be the project on hold for 40 days. Andy Herod wants to look at the issues surrounding the project---traffic, density, quality of life. The project is in the airport overlay. Commission votes to look at the issues next month.

8:12 p.m.: Kathy Hoard says that for 30 years, I've been running from bad development. I'm very concerned about this project not meeting the standards of our comprehensive plan. The design doesn't respect the character of our community, said Jared Bailey. I think it negatively impacts the quality of life. He's concerned about traffic and density and increased parking pressure. And it doesn't fit our comprehensive plan.

8:10 p.m.: Harry Sims wants to know why all the rooms have a bathroom and there's another bathroom? Why do they need a fourth bathroom?

8:07 p.m.: Andy Herod says he doesn't like it when someone says, "Trust me." He prefers things to be in writing.  If we feel what's being proposed doesn't live up to the 2008 Comprehensive Plan, that's sufficient for denying the request?

7:56 p.m.: Ed Robinson. Mentions going to arbitration if the Commission denies the developer's request. 

7:54 p.m.: Alice Kinman: we have a neighborhood that's now zoned multi-family. Its proximity to UGA means it will be a neighborhood where mostly students live. What I'm unhappy about is that Mr. S is held to a higher standard. 

7:42: Maxine Easom owns property on Oconee Street. It's her parent's house and where she grew up. Her property is within 400 feet of the lot to be developed. She's concerned about the two requests coming to the commission. Special use permit for four detached swelling. The developer wants to put four houses on .46 acres. Not even half an acre. They are building four houses on a lot that had one house. The small tiny lots and dense construction is like nothing that what was there. The same developer was proposing a development on Poplar Street. Bought the land on April 13. While most of us were focused on the Poplar Street request, the owner was quickly dividing the property into more lots. The subdivision of lots now has to come to the planning commission. He didn't have to prior to the moratorium. The density allows 2.5 bedrooms per house. But the dimensions of the lot means there's not enough room to build 12 bedrooms.

The main street is Oconee Street. China Street was a dirt road all her life, says Maxine Easom. By positioning the houses at 200 china Street, someone passing on Oconee Street will see the side of a house. Why not build three houses? One facing Oconee Street and two facing China? The plans shows a lack of respect for the neighborhood. The property is already divided. Easom asks the commission to please stand by your opinions that caused you to establish a moratorium. We have something that would not meet the regulations. I'm asking for you not just to put the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law, and the heart of the law, into effect.

7:39 p.m.: Jeff Shirey. Owner and potential developer of property on China Street. Says he's not an expert in urban planning. Property has been zoned RM-2. Bordered on two sides by apartment complexes. Carr's Hill has only 5 percent owner occupied. Nothing is on the lots he wants to build on. His designs meet codes. His houses will be built on crawl spaces and will have more windows. 

7:38 p.m.: The Commission moves to zoning issues.

7:37 p.m.: Commissioner Maxwell asks whether extended hours means extended hours for workers patrolling the parking spaces. The Commission votes to put the parking issue on hold.

7:31 p.m.: Kathy Hoard. Asks Hamby if the parking will extend from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and how it will help service the debt service. And even Sunday rates may come into use. Commissioner Hoard says we are blessed to have the downtown we have. She says she will feel uncomfortable paying $2 an hour to park downtown. Predicts serious repercussions to the businesses downtown. 

7:19 p.m.: Mayor Denson wants to make a decision on the parking rate on the deck to service the debt on the deck. Wants to send the metered parking to a committee. Commissioner Girtz agrees it's important to think about the vitality of downtown. There are communities across the state that would kill for our downtown. "The comments on extending hours are apt," he says. He wants to consider parking rates, on-street rates and extended hours. Modest increase in street parking and extending the hours.

Commissioner Kinman says the inventory of downtown parking needs to be considered as a whole. Need to discuss it more fully. Supports holding it for a month. The deck is expected to open in September? Yes, says the manager. Kinman says we don't need to drag our feet on this.

Commissioner Robinson thanks Hamby for working with the Athens Downtown Development Authority, saying it's a thankless task. Thinks Andy Herod's idea to look at parking as a holistic issue is a good one. 

7:14 p.m.: Back to the subject of parking downtown. Commissioner Mike Hamby talks about the issue of raising parking rates. He's a member of the Downtown Development Authority and says there needs to be more time before raising the parking rates. DDA meets next week. Says there will be "something before you, come June." What we have to do is to meet our debt service. He wants people to use the new deck. Investigating  extending the time for meters.

7:09 p.m.: The commission voted to close Hancock, 9 to 1.

7:08 p.m.: No one spoke on the closing of Hancock Avenue.

7:07 p.m.: The consent agenda includes parking restrictions on Pound Street; providing funding for the BEar Creek Reservoir recreation opportunities; using 2005 SPLOST funds to help renovate Police headquarters.

7:06 p.m.: There will be bike trails in Southeast Athens Clarke Park, thanks to the efforts of volunteers.

7:00 p.m.: The meeting begins.


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