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

Eric Krasle (Democrat) - 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
   "I grew up in nearby Gwinnett County and see prevention of the sprawl death that I watched occur there as a major mission of the mayor, in stark contrast to the current administration."
   
2. Would you support implementation of a Transferable Development Rights program to protect open space and direct growth? YES
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
   
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
   "I strongly support alternative transportation, especially multi-use trails, such as our current green way trail.

   I have been a competing mountain biker for over a decade, and a big bike use proponent, but I fear using the roads for bicycle use because of the unfriendly infrastructure for that purpose. I firmly believe that bicycles should maintain the right to use the roads in coexistence with cars, however, despite any additional measures which may complement these rights.

   Some ten years ago, I was in a dispute with our county attorney regarding whether SPLOST funds could be used for bicycle trails. The county's position was that funds could not be used for that purpose, but I argued that the definition of 'roads and bridges' for which the money was raised, included bicycle trails, unlike the term 'highways.'

   Despite the county's adoption of the anti-bicycle position, the state legislature afterwards specifically passed a statute indicating that my position was not only correct, but that it was always correct (and not a change of the law) for the definition of roads and bridges to include bicycle paths.

   I know the difficulty of dealing with CSX over apparently abandoned lines, as I had dealt with CSX representatives in an attempt to discern the possibility of a bicycle corridor over existing unused lines over ten years ago. I support rails to trails projects and hate to see the continued pitting of trail/greenway interests against historical preservation. I believe we are missing grant-like opportunities for state and federal funding. I was very disheartened when CSX came and began removing well maintained trestles which would be very expensive to rebuild, which could have served a bicycle trail out to Winterville, which could have provided economic advancement for the depressed neighborhoods along the way, as well as alternate transportation, physical fitness, reduction in pollution, and other benefits.

   I am in favor or maintaining and even expanding our bus service, but in a less expensive way. I would like to see the older, larger, buses replaced by more efficient and smaller buses which better suit the low amount of usage on some of the routes. I would like to see that usage increased, however, by discouragement of automobile use, rather than automobile accomodation.

   Back in the late 1970s, I was on the forefront of alternative fuel technology and conversion of automobiles to natural gas use. I used a natural gas driven automobile exclusively throughout my high school years. Unfortunately, natural gas prices are not as attractive, and the key to solving the automobile problems would appear to lie elsewhere. I see multi-use trails in other cities as an attraction which we should be embarrassed not to have extensively provided by this tme. I would like to see support for various airport projects which may hold promise in reducing traffic between Athens and the Atlanta Airport and long drive cities in an economical fashion. I would like to see local car pool incentives such that car pooling is easily accepted, but am hesitant to support some proposals which are well intentioned but ultimately contribute to sprawl. I would like to see a more European type community for Downtown Athens, where cross sections fo the community live above retail businesses. I support a multi-modal transportation center. I would like to see more accomodation for motorcycle parking and bicycle protection, including a downtown supervised daytime bicycle storage area."

5. Do you think that protecting greenspace helps or harms our local economy? HELPS
   "Athens must seize this unique opportunity to divert its course away from the urban sprawl which enveloped the nearby sprawl area where I was born.

   I disagree with the current Mayor that Athens has been designated as one of the top urban sprawl targets of our state by accident. I am disenchanted with the retreat from our development plans which had optimistic and eager objectives with green space protection. I want to develop alternative transportation, particularly rails to trails programs. I am an avid biker and see the advantage of promoting bicycles for recreation as well as alternative transportation. I see it as a potential revenue source, by tourism, as well as a way of reducing traffic congestion, pollution, and health costs for our population thereby
   increasing the economic viability of our city, particularly in depressed neighborhoods. Such trails and common areaas promote cultural interaction and community. Much effort should go into coordinating with CSX, and pursing federal grant money for such projects.

   I believe in protecting our water ways with wide set backs. My home, on the Oconee River, is hardly visible from the river. I believe that the government should not unduly interfere with private property rights with burdensome regulations or penalties designed to allow government intrusion. Nor should one be taxed off their land. Tax incentives should entice property owners to cooperate with additional setbacks, tree protection, and participation in projects like the greenway. Transferrable development rights (TDR's) and other creative ideas should be implemented. Stately trees should be assigned a higher value than new seedlings. Unique and fragile ecosystems should be strongly protected and our greenway efforts should be coordinated with various state and national projects. We should never miss funding opportunities for these sorts of things."
   

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? NO
   
2. Would you support such a proposal? NO
   "Protection of our sensitive environment in Athens is a high priority. Already Athens rates on par with the worst parts of Atlanta in air quality. This is partially because of air currents carrying Atlanta smog to Athens, but this must be considered when addressing our tolerance for industrial waste.

   I am against deals such as the proposed Enron deal pursued by the current administration prior to the Enron collapse, which would draw off an unacceptable portion of water from our rivers and put it in our air, thus increasing the already stifling humidity.

   Air pollution from gas burn off including primarily CO2 is another concern. I have supported the River Rendezvous and other measures to measure our water quality. I have volunteered for green way cleanup (privet removal). My house is on the Oconee River, and I would like to be able to swim in this river just as I was able to swim in the Chattahoochee when I was little before it was forever poisoned."
   

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? NO
   
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
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?

"Our government could improve the situation in a number of ways. Of course, I heavily support Habitat for Humanity and have contributed much free legal work as well as other time and money to their mission. I would like to encourage the University to offer incentives for students to use high density (shared room) dorms on campus, through parking regulations and so forth, to encourage a reduction of student demand for off campus housing. I would not, however, want to see development of the Oconee Woods area on campus for student living quarters. I believe that with enrollment increases at the University, many increased their estimate of the need for student housing, but the actual demand outstripped the estimates because more affluent students tended not to share living space as they once did. I would like to see resistance to institutional and commercial expansion like with ARMC displacing single family residences. I believe that affordable housing must have bus service or be within close proximity to critical services. We should not, for instance, do away with Stonehenge service. We need to ease some of the local ordinances that now stand to prevent off site manufactured homes which are of high quality. We should/should have required a greater amount of notice before the change of use of affordable housing areas like Garden Springs."

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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? YES
   "I support setbacks from the river over the 75 foot buffer zone which already exists, and which much of the commission would have lowered to 50. I do not believe in easily giving large businesses exemptions allowing for them to pipe open creeks, such as the latitude recently promoted by our current mayor in order to attract the large retail store chain to another location within Clarke County. I would like to see a reduction in the urban sprawl type of development which leaves vacant buildings at one location in favor of building a new location over undeveloped land."
   
2. Do you believe that Athens-Clarke County's environmental regulations are at odds with business development? NO

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Biographical Sketch

Civic: Athens Bicentenial Recognition Committee, finance manager, Human Rights Festival, Western Circuit Bar Association, member, Board of Directors, Reef Ball Foundation environmental foundation, PTO, Girl Scouts

Professional: Legal Aid, prisoner counselling; Federal Court system, Atlanta; Athens and Clarke counties, indigent defense; private law practice, Krasle &Associates

Government: No previous governmental experience

Education: BBA, Management, concentration in Business Law, UGA; JD, University of Georgia, 1988