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

Ed Vaughan (Green Party) - District 7

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
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
5. Do you think that protecting greenspace helps or harms our local economy? HELPS
   "It helps our local economy by preserving quality of life."
   

What else might local government do to combat sprawl?

"I support restoring the Greenbelt. This is done by having 1 house per 5 acres in the AR zones that surround the county. Also, the Greenbelt will be preserved and sprawl reduced by implementing Transferable Development Rights to facilitate infill development in the interior of the county.

I also support a strong tree canopy ordinance that includes impact fees for every old-growth tree removed. Also supported are escalating impact fees for new development that escalate based on the environmental and infrastructure impact of the development. Also, alternative transportation, including Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans and ordinances will combat sprawl by reducing sprawl-generating auto-centered transportation. In addition to the above, I will vote for changing the Land Use Plan in every way necessary to restore the Greenbelt."

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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
   "Placing a power plant in ACC is globalization at its ugliest - at our local level. The present Mayor and Commission pushing for a new company to do this plant after both Enron and Dynegy went belly up is a blatant prioritizing of the needs of non-voting corporate citizens above the needs of voting human citizens. If an average Athenian cannot wash her car or water her garden when she needs to, we do not need a power plant that will evaporate a third of our river."
2. Would you support such a proposal? NO
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
   "Not allowing ANY large withdrawal of water by industry while residents are under water restrictions must be the foundation of any new ACC water management plan."
   

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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?

"I will vote for transferring the funds from the ACC Development Authority back to the ACC HED (Human and Economic Development) Department. Doc Eldridge took the majority of HED affordable housing funding to set up the Development Authority. This authority does nothing but facilitate bond issues to improve UGA facilities using the full faith and credit of we, the taxpayers of ACC. Restoring these funds to HED will be money that can be spent to issue bonds to the Athens Housing Authority to build or buy additional affordable housing. I will also vote to give occupants of low-income communities the right of first refusal to keep their homes from being gentrified from under them. The present ACC Mayor and Commission have, with the exception of Commissioners Barrow and Jordan, done nothing to facilitate affordable housing in ACC except in the face of intense protest (e.g. Garden Springs). I will vote to preserve existing low-income housing from gentrification. I will also vote to focus HED funding and ACC bond issuance on providing additional low-income housing. I will consult with the Housing Authority and low-income citizens to determine where the new affordable housing needs to be and what types of affordable housing are needed."

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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
   "In my opinion, the people of ACC and the Georgia EPD would have been succesful in preserving the Malcolm Branch area if our Mayor had not appealed to the Administrative Law Judge to allow the creek to be piped. The Mayor argued that new jobs would be created, when the jobs already existed at the old Target store. This is another blatant example of our present Mayor and Commission placing the needs of corporate citizens above the needs of voting ACC citizens. We voted for greenspace, our elected officials deliver us more mall sprawl."
2. Do you believe that Athens-Clarke County's environmental regulations are at odds with business development? NO
   "Our environmental regulations are not at odds with business development. However, our present elected officials are at odds with both ACC environmental regulations and with the people of our county."

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Biographical Sketch

Civic: Volunteer, Athens Human Rights Festival, 9 years; boardmember, Athens Land Trust.

Professional: U. S. Army, active duty in several locations, including Grenada and the White House; city planner, Toccoa, 1991-1995; contract planner for several small GA cities 1995-1998; government contracts administrator, 1998-2000; manager, Earthfare Market, 2000 - present.

Government: no prior governmental service.

Education: B.A., 1990, University of Georgia; Masters of Public Administration, 1993, University of Georgia