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1 Land Use, Planning and Zoning.
In 2000 the Commission passed a zoning ordinance that allowed suburban
development at one unit per acre in the AR zone. In 2003 the Zoning
and Development Standards were revised to change the AR zoning to
1 unit per 10 acres, and to remove some loopholes from the Conservation
Subdivision regulations.
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| AGGC |
McCarter (D, I) |
Nelson (R) |
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| 1.a Do you believe that with these revisions
the current zoning ordinance is adequate to protect Athens-Clarke
County from sprawl? |
| N |
Y - I am satisfied with what we have in place. |
N |
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| 1.b If not, what else can and should local
government do to curb sprawl? |
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N/A |
Our citizens, local government and planners need to recognize that
ACC is an urban county. Long range planning needs to recognize that
we are not only developing out from the center of downtown Athens,
but that residential growth is pushing from Atlanta and that our
residential growth patterns are being influenced by the retail activity
taking place in both Jackson and Oconee Counties. To prevent the
low density unplanned development that is labeled “SPRAWL”,
ACC, its citizens and leaders should:
1. Encourage and promote non-student
oriented residential development in the downtown core. This will
require the revision of the current permitting process to facilitate
and encourage businesses such as grocery marts which are in walking
distance of those residencies.
2. Require all residential developments
to set aside space for neighborhood parks and recreation areas.
There should be open areas, ball field and play grounds in all neighborhoods
that are in walking distance of the persons who live in such neighborhoods.
These do not have to be expensive developed areas which require
high maintenance. They just need to be open areas where people can
meet and interact and play together.
3. Promote mixed land uses and offer
incentives to small locally owned businesses to locate in areas
which are readily accessible to neighborhoods by walking of by bicycle.
4. Reexamine the Land Use Plan in
light of the long range economic pressures that are on the horizon
to pressure development as our population expands.
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| 1.c The new conservation subdivision regulations
contain requirements for identification and protection of significant
natural areas. Do you support extending these requirements to other
types of development? |
| Y |
Y - Yes, where practical and possible. Also,
one of my campaign emphasis statements reads as follows “Continue
to insist on responsible and desirable, needed development with new
emphasis on restrictions on clear cutting and mass grading on residential
construction sites”. |
Y |
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| 1.d Do you support adding
an Urban Planner position to the Planning Department? |
| Y |
Y/N - Yes, as long as it done in an orderly fashion
with clear objectives in mind. I don’t think that was the case
this year. Also, budgetary restrictions must always be considered
as many consider this to be a “nice to have” position rather
than a position that is “essential”. Of course, others consider
it essential. The commission must always balance such views with the
need to consider budgetary matters. |
Y |
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| 1.e Do you support implementing
a Neighborhood Planning Unit program? |
| Y |
Y - I have long been an advocate of NPUs and
even wrote a recent letter to the editor supporting the idea (which,
by the way, brought only a couple of favorable comments). Our Guiding
Principles call for such units as I pointed out in the letter. However,
our Guiding Principles are conveniently ignored although they were
passed unanimously by a commission. Maybe we should have a another
vote to commit the current commission to them? About three years ago,
Burt Sparer, Rex Gonnsen, Bruce Lonnee (who is an “expert”
on NPUs) and I met with the objective of trying to start a NPU program.
Unfortunately, the effort never got off the ground because of the
lack of interest among management and the then commission. During
the recent discussion relative to the merits of the Urban Planner
(one role being NPU involvement) one commissioner told me that he
had strong reservations about creating NPUs. It will be interesting
to see how he responds to this question. |
Y |
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| 1.f What other
suggestions, if any, do you have for improving the process of neighborhood
input? |
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In my district we have a sort of organized (even without
NPUs) system for involving neighborhood folks when new developments
come forward. Basically, I, as a commissioner, make sure that developers
and affected neighborhood folks meet early on to try to come to some
terms. Look at the results. Several major developments (Cedar Pointe,
Tower Place, Ansonborough, and the large Dekle development) in the
8th District have been approved without one person coming down to
the commission chamber to speak against them. The same is expected
to be true for Athens East Offices(by the Chevron Station at the end
of College Station Road), the Clarke Credit Union on Lexington Road,
and the Chuck Galis townhouse development on Research road, all soon
to come before Planning Commission and the Commission. Early involvement
of neighborhood pays off. |
1. Make the Zoning Notice Signs more
readable.
2. Revise the hearing process so public input is given at or
prior to the Commission’s work sessions. |
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2 Natural Resources.
The Commission recently voted to temporarily extend 75-foot riparian
buffer protection to all perennial streams in ACC. Acting under state
and federal requirements, the Commission also adopted new erosion
and sedimentation and stormwater management ordinances that are meant
to protect water quality.
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| AGGC |
McCarter (D, I) |
Nelson (R) |
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| 2.a Are you in favor
of permanently extending 75-foot riparian buffer protection to all
perennial streams in ACC? |
| Y |
Y - I voted for the temporary measure and would
support making it permanent. However, we need an acceptable variance
procedure in place to deal with unusual and hardship cases. |
Y/N - This is an issue which
is too complex to answer Yes or No. The problem needs more study.
Allowable intrusions negate the protections afforded by stream buffers.
The issue is not the width of the buffer but the restrictions on allowable
intrusions into the buffer. |
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| 2.b Do you support the
creation of a stormwater utility to fund stormwater management? |
| Y |
Y - Yes. I don’t think we really have any
other choice considering the Federal NPDES mandate and our financial
limited resources. I do believe that we need a thorough education
program (to bring the general public up to speed relative to the need
for it) before we go forward. Six months is simply not enough time. |
N |
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| 2.c Do you think ACC
needs to do more to enhance alternative transportation options? |
| Y |
Y - However, we must promote their use more or
we will get a “backlash” over time. |
Y |
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| 2.d Do you support the
rail-to-trail project, including the bridges which will provide a
level connection from the Greenway to the Multi-Modal center? |
| Y |
N - My position is clear on this. I have written
about my position in the local newspaper. I am in total support of
the east segment (from the theater to Dudley Park) that was the emphasis
(and only consideration) during my tenure as Chair of the R-T Committee.
This is all we talked about for 1 ½ years. I worked hard to
make it happen. The idea for building the western segment arose only
when there was a possibility of funding from Washington. I do not
believe that the general public supports the large expenditure required
to rebuild the trestle and bridges for the western segment if local
funds are involved and neither do I. I have proved by my own test
that one can travel by bike from Dudley Park to the entrance to the
multi-modal center in less than 3 minutes even without bike lanes
on East Broad Street. Walking will take a little longer. The marked
incline up East Broad Street occurs after the entrance point. The
initial portion is relatively flat. |
Y |
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| 2.e ACC’s tree canopy
has declined significantly during the last 20 years, and the rate
of decline is accelerating. Do you support adopting a tree protection
ordinance to prevent clear-cutting for development? |
| Y |
Y |
Y |
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| 2.f Do you support the
SPLOST 2005 proposals for funding the protection of greenspace? |
| Y |
N/A - I do not wish to comment on this until the full
commission has had a chance to review all the projects recommended
by the SPLOST Advisory Committee, and I have had time to consider
their recommendations. |
Y |
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| 2.g What else can ACC
do to protect greenspace? |
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I believe that we are now doing a pretty good job. Hopefully,
the state will see fit to put more money back into the Greenspace
program |
Set reasonable and enforceable requirements
on allowable development. The current requirements will delay but
not ultimately prevent development of green space. ACC needs to utilize
the current tools available to plan for development and require set
aside green space to be subject to conservation easements. Conservation
easements permanently protect green space. Current zoning does not
protect green space, it is only delaying inevitable development. |
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3 Affordable Housing.
Affordable housing has been a topic of debate for several years. Mobile
home parks and low-priced apartment buildings continue to be converted
to other uses, and the value of land close to downtown (and accessible
to services) is rising dramatically, leading to the frequent displacement
of low-income families and individuals. Much of the housing that is
affordable to low-income residents is in substandard condition, and
/or located far from access to services.
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| AGGC |
McCarter (D, I) |
Nelson (R) |
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| 3.a Is preserving low-income residents'
access to safe, decent, accessible affordable housing a priority of
yours? |
| Y |
Y - Yes. In December of 2001 I received a call
from an ABH reporter asking me (and other commissioners in turn) what
we considered the most daunting task facing the commission in the
new year. The record will show that my answer was “how to provide
affordable housing”. It still is. The Affordable Housing Roundtable
is no longer meeting. Why not? I attended regularly when it was meeting. |
Y |
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| 3.b Should it be a priority of local
government? |
| Y |
Y |
Y |
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| 3.c What will you do to increase safe,
decent, accessible affordable housing options in ACC? |
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First, we must make sure we don’t lose what we
have. Government support (through CDBG funds) should continue to support
projects like Habitat’s Dorsey Village and the People of Hope.
The Athens Housing Authority has some ideas about creative financing
that we should explore. In-fill building as promoted by the Athens
Land Trust and others should be explored more. Manufactured housing
opportunities should also be explored (although this is not very popular
with most elected officials). We would be naïve if we failed
to recognize that manufactured housing (mobile homes) is an important
and only housing choice for many in Georgia. |
Try to find ways to provide incentives
to those persons or entities who would build or develop affordable
housing. |
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| 3.d Some communities in Georgia, such
as Americus and Valdosta, have affordable housing goals that include
having no substandard housing within their communities. Do you think
Athens should adopt such a goal? |
| Y |
Y - I could see no harm in adopting such a goal.
However, more importantly, how would we accomplish it?
At one time we had an Affordable Housing Roundtable group meeting
on a regular basis. I attended almost every session. It
has not met in months now. I was hopeful that they would come
forward with some recommendations. Perhaps we should try to
determine what happened to that effort. |
N/A - ACC already has such provisions
in its existing ordinances. |
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4 Business and the Environment.
There has recently been much debate over whether government
decisions that provide environmental protection (riparian buffers,
revisions to the conservation subdivision regulations, etc.) are
“unfriendly” to business.
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| AGGC |
McCarter (D, I) |
Nelson (R) |
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| 4.a Do you believe that Athens-Clarke
County's environmental regulations are at odds with business development?
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| N |
N - No. Progressive businesses often want
to locate in areas that are interested in protecting the environment
and promoting quality of life issues (as long as expectations are
reasonable at the local level). These things are
often very important to their own employees who may re-locate with
the businesses. |
N |
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| 4.b What kinds of businesses should
Athens try to attract? |
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The Chamber of Commerce asked a similar question.
I will give the answer that I gave them. In my 2000 campaign
brochure I stated "Experts believe that Athens-Clarke County
is potentially a major center for high-tech, biotech, and informational-age
businesses that are environmentally clean, have low infrastructure
requirements, and will create high-paying jobs". I sill
believe that this concept applies. Still, I believe there is
a need to attract other kinds of industries for those not equipped
or do not have the aptitude for the "high tech" world.
In other words good-paying jobs for those who do not have high tech
skills." |
1. Clean safe non-polluting industry.
2. Provide incentives for small locally businesses. Much of the current
permitting process is a detriment to beginning a new small business.
The permitting process can be streamlined without a reduction in the
protections for which it is designed. |
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