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

James Garland (Republican) - District 1

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? YES
   "I feel that the current zoning ordinance is adequate for the county and is as universally acceptable to various elements of the community as any we are likely to achieve."
2. Would you support implementation of a Transferable Development Rights program to protect open space and direct growth? YES
   "I am not opposed to TDRs if such a program is structured in a reasonable manner. I would not support a plan, through which an area's existing development rights were 'down zoned,' only to be 'up zoned' at a later date back to their previous level by virtue of a fictitious transfer of development rights from another area. In such a case, I feel that no transfer of rights has occurred in any meaningful sense."
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? NO
   "One of the objectives for Clarke County is to retain or add to the local stock of affordable housing. Naturally, one of the ways to accomplish this is to lessen the bureaucratic restrictions on developments designed for lower income families. Tree canopy requirements already exist for most future development which will occur in the county. I think that an additional tree canopy ordinance would add to the cost of lower income residential developments. Incorporating conservation easements into residential developments may accomplish much the same goal, without the negative effects of having yet another government mandate."
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
   "Sidewalk improvements and extensions should be included whenever street work is undertaken. Though not appropriate for all roads, I am open to the inclusion of bike lanes in areas where they may make sense. While I support the concept of public transit in theory, I have doubts as to the viability of our current bus system. Alternatives may be a park and ride system that transports commuters from the periphery of the county to the downtown and UGA areas, as well as the utilizaion of smaller buses or vans to transport riders within town."
5. Do you think that protecting greenspace helps or harms our local economy? NEITHER / BOTH
   "In and of itself, protecting greenspace does neither. Publicly funded greenspace can detract from the tax digest, thereby increasing property taxes and encouraging residents and businesses to leave the county. On the other hand, privately funded greenspace, in the forms of conservation easements and conservation subdivisions for example, may increase the quality of life in a given area without necessitating a corresponding increase in the property tax burden."

What else might local government do to combat sprawl?

N/A

---

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
   "Our dependency on electricity is not likely to lessen anytime soon, therefore additional generating capacity will be needed in the future. Your question states that Athens has a 'confluence of natural gas and electric transmission lines,' thus implicitly acknowledging Athens as a logical site for such a plant. As the county budget continues to rise and property tax assessments increase on an annual basis, any industry that adds to the tax base should be considered."
2. Would you support such a proposal? YES
3. Do you believe that protecting environmental quality is incompatible with protecting jobs and tax revenue? NO
   "However, this assumes that environmental standards are reasonable, as opposed to doctrinaire, and that they take economic realities into consideration."
4. Would you support development of a long-term water management plan for Athens-Clarke County? YES
   "Again, this assumes that the resulting standards are reasonable and not doctrinaire in nature."

---

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? NO
   "While student housing does not appear to be an issue, especially with UGA planning to increase its on campus dormitory capacity, a lack of affordable housing for non-student residents does. I feel that over the years county government has zoned much 'affordable' housing out of existence by virtue of the restrictions placed on home and lot sizes, density, and particularly the virtual exclusion of mobile homes from the county."
2. Do you believe that Athens has plenty of low-income housing? NO
3. Is preserving low-income residents' access to affordable housing a priority of yours? YES
   "Quite frankly, I feel that the best way to accomplish this goal is for government to get out of the way. We should encourage the private sector to develop more lower income housing by reconsidering the zoning ordinances that affect that segment of the housing market."
4. Is growth management a priority of yours? NO
   "I feel that the current zoning ordinances, along with the ability to adapt them to various circumstances as provided by the rezoning process, are adequate to accomplish this goal."
5. Do you think that preserving affordable housing and growth management are incompatible goals? NO
   "It must be recognized, however, that decreasing density and incresing regulation will have the effect of making any housing development more expensive."

What might local government do to increase affordable housing options?

N/A

---

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
   "This is because I believe that the current regulations are too inflexible."
2. Do you believe that Athens-Clarke County's environmental regulations are at odds with business development? YES
   "This is also because I believe that the current regulations are too inflexible."

---

Biographical Sketch

Civic: Secretary, Clarke County Republican Committee

Professional: Various classified staff positions, UGA, prior to 1997; Research Assistant, Sink & Associates, since 1997.

Government: No previous governmental experience

Education: B.S.Ed., Social Science Education UGA; B.A., History, UGA; Graduate credit, History, Georgia St. University; Graduated, Athens-Clarke County Citizen Police Academy.