State Senate

District 46:
Haines
Kemp

District 1:
Carter
Garland

District 3:
Maxwell
Robinson

District 5:
Logan
Lynn

District 7:
Bushnell
Hoard
Vaughan

District 9:
Chasteen

Mayor:
Davison

Doc Eldridge (Democrat, Incumbent) - Mayor

Candidate Questionnaire

Please note that the opinions expressed in this section are not those of Athens Grow Green Coalition, Inc., but are those of the candidate to whom they are attributed.

1. In 1999, the Commission unanimously approved our anti-sprawl Comprehensive Land Use Plan, a document created with widespread community support. This plan calls for preservation of the environment, responsible development, alternatives to automobile transportation, and the prevention of sprawl. It designates the outer fringe of the county as a greenbelt, with only low-density residential development allowed there. In 2000, however, the Commission passed a zoning ordinance that allowed suburban development at one unit per acre in the greenbelt, despite public outcry for an ordinance that more closely followed the Land Use Plan. Many agree that it is now even more important to address the impacts of sprawl development, such as declining air quality, rapid loss of forested land, and poor water quality, all of which have figured prominently in ACC news reports in recent months.

1. Do you believe the current zoning ordinance adequately protects Athens-Clarke County from sprawl? NO/YES
   "Not completely. That is why I vetoed the plan, as I did not feel it gave enough protection to the agricultural areas. Some of those provisions have been improved since then however."
   
2. Would you support implementation of a Transferable Development Rights program to protect open space and direct growth? YES/NO
   "I would be receptive if there was a willingness by all of our in town districts to be considered as a receiving zone and a willingness to discuss."
3. Do you think trees need stronger protection in ACC? Would you support a tree canopy protection ordinance to prevent clear-cutting of lots for development? YES
   "The biggest waste is when property is clear-cut for 'potential' development. This clearly should be avoided."
   
4. Do you think ACC needs to do more to enhance alternative transportation options - such as more and improved sidewalks, bike lanes, public transit - to reduce traffic congestion? YES
   "We should do everything possible within our means. Of utmost importance is the development of a network of bike paths within a 2-mile radius of downtown."
5. Do you think that protecting greenspace helps or harms our local economy? HELPS

What else might local government do to combat sprawl?

N/A

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2. Over a year ago, Enron Corp. proposed building a natural gas-fired power plant in Athens. While it is highly unlikely that Enron will be able to undertake such a project, other energy companies may be interested in the location because of its confluence of natural gas and electric transmission lines. Many citizens have raised concerns about the potential environmental impacts of such a project, including degraded air and water quality, and a projected doubling of ACC's consumptive water use. Proponents of the proposal touted a positive impact on our tax base (an increase of about 1.5%)

1. Do you think a natural gas-fired power plant would be good for Athens? Would the benefits outweigh the costs? YES/NO
   "The issues raised in A and B are far too complex to be answered with a simple yes or no answer. The final answer would, however, be totally dependent on environmental impact and the impact to our water supply."
   
2. Would you support such a proposal? see comment above
   
3. Do you believe that protecting environmental quality is incompatible with protecting jobs and tax revenue? NO
   
4. Would you support development of a long-term water management plan for Athens-Clarke County? YES

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3. The eviction of nearly 500 Garden Springs residents focused attention on the issue of affordable housing in Athens. Athens-Clarke County has large low-income and student populations, presenting very different housing challenges to our community.

1. Do you think that current planning and development in the county adequately address the housing needs of these two populations? YES/NO
   "I was closely involved in working with the residents of Garden Springs, Georgia Legal Services, the Athens Land Trust, and representatives of the landowners in arriving at a solution that was the best for all concerned. I was also able to raise a substantial amount of money to assist the residents through the private and public sectors.
   
   Garden Springs put the affordable housing issue on our radar. It is a difficult topic, which is why we formed the Affordable Housing Roundtable, which consists of individuals and agencies in the business to help us look for solutions."
   
2. Do you believe that Athens has plenty of low-income housing? see comment above
3. Is preserving low-income residents' access to affordable housing a priority of yours? YES
4. Is growth management a priority of yours? YES
5. Do you think that preserving affordable housing and growth management are incompatible goals? NO

What might local government do to increase affordable housing options?

N/A

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4. Sembler Corp. recently sued the Georgia EPD to be allowed to pipe a stream on a piece of property it plans to develop for a new Target store, in direct conflict with Athens-Clarke County's 75-foot stream buffer ordinance. Those who supported Sembler's lawsuit argued that Athens-Clarke County cannot afford to lose a business that might choose to locate elsewhere if required to conform to our environmental regulations. Others contend that many communities have held developers to strict standards without losing businesses, and that these standards ultimately protect the economy as well as the environment of our community.

1. Are you willing to risk losing a business or development in order to protect the health of our local streams, rivers and drinking water supply? NO
   "I think most of your readers know that I advocated for the variance to be given. I hope that they will also recall that I cast the tie-breaking vote to increase the buffers by 75 feet on both sides of our major waterways.
   
   The reason I supported the design is simple. An expert in the field of environmental protection designed it and it fixed a serious problem in that area with storm water runoff. There was much more to it than keeping a business here.
   
   We ended up with a 'win-win' situation. We fixed a major problem with storm water runoff and were able to keep another major retailer from leaving for a surrounding county. There has to be a balance."
   
2. Do you believe that Athens-Clarke County's environmental regulations are at odds with business development? NO

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Voting Record

The Mayor only votes to break a tie, so we looked at other activities as well.

Votes

75' Riparian Buffer
Motion to apply 75-foot buffers to perennial lakes and streams. Some Commissioners wanted 25 foot buffers - the least allowed by state law. Mayor Eldridge cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of 75' buffers (note: this vote was to extend the buffers by 50' for a total of 75', not to extend them by 75' for a total of 100')

AR Zoning Option A
Allowed an average density of one unit per acre development throughout the county's AR zone as part of the ACC zoning ordinance, in spite of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan's call for 1 unit per 5 - 10 acres in AR zones. Mayor Eldridge vetoed the entire zoning ordinance (the veto was later overridden by the Commission.)

Other

TDR Committee
At the request of the Mayor and Commission, our legislative delegation succeeded in streamlining the state's Transferable Development Rights legislation in March 2001, at which point Mayor Eldridge vowed that he would appoint a citizen's committee to study the feasibility of implementing a TDR program in Athens. In January 2002 the Mayor again promised to name a TDR committee. Then, in March 2002, he announced that he would not, after all, appoint a TDR committee.

Malcolm Branch Riparian Buffer Variance
In May 2002, Sembler Corp, an Atlanta developer, won a case against the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. EPD had denied Sembler's request to violate the state's 25' riparian buffer requirement, and Sembler sued to have this ruling overturned. (The ACC 75' buffer ordinance does not apply to Malcolm Branch and many other perennial streams; only streams highlighted on the ACC Environmental Areas Map receive the 75' buffer protection. Despite multiple requests to update the map, the Mayor has not placed this item on the Commission agenda.) Sembler sought to pipe and bury 1500' of Malcolm Branch, a perennial stream, in order to build a new strip mall, anchored by a Target Superstore, on the Atlanta Highway (Target will therefore eventually vacate its current location near the mall). Mayor Eldridge advocated on behalf of Sembler Corp., in a case which could have harmful effects on riparian protection statewide, claiming that "I certainly am no expert on these matters, but have personally inspected the site. Why it is called a creek is beyond me, as it appears to primarily serve as a drainage ditch for runoff water during times of heavy rains.". (Notes: The Upper Oconee Watershed Association disputes the Mayor's assessment of Malcolm Branch as a drainage ditch. View UOWN's report "Comments on Stream Buffer Variance Application".(pdf) Also, Malcolm Branch has not been identified as a stormwater problem area in the ACC SPLOST Stormwater Drainage Improvement Project or through ACC's planning efforts related to federal stormwater management requirements.) We believe that the mayor would have better served Athens by encouraging Sembler to produce a different development plan that would have met the standards set forth by the state and ACC for buffer protection.

Garden Springs
The mayor assisted in fundraising, for instance requesting money from the governor's office to help cover moving expenses for the residents; he also spoke out against the proposed building permit moratorium; and he referred to the Garden Springs neighborhood as an embarrassment at the Commission Retreat in March 2002. ("It's embarrassing that half a mile from City Hall that type of environment existed."- quoted in Flagpole Magazine)

Alternative Transportation
Mayor Eldridge spoke in favor of keeping Prince Avenue in the Bicycle Master Plan. He also proposed a FY03 budget that required significant cuts in the Athens Transit operating budget. According to the Athens-Banner Herald, Athens Transit staff was required to come up with options for service cuts, considering each route's ridership and cost. Three routes were proposed to be cut, including that which services agencies such as the Homeless Shelter and Food Bank. After a public outcry, Mayor Eldridge recommended that the Manager's office put the proposed cuts on hold until the potential availability of alternate funding sources could be researched.