Commission Agenda-Setting Session Tuesday, June 18, 2002

Proposal to designate the center travel lanes of Clayton and Washington Streets downtown as loading zones for a six-month trial period beginning July 15. This was suggested by downtown businesses as a way to alleviate the problem of parked cars being blocked by delivery vehicles.

Project description for SPLOST-funded fire station reconstruction/relocation for Stations # 3 (Five Points,) #4 (Hawthorne Ave.) and #8 (Jefferson Road). Commissioner McCarter expressed concerns about Fire Station #8, a new station, because while there is SPLOST money available to build the station, there is no money in the budget to staff and operate it. He wondered if it made sense to build it knowing we can't operate it. Commissioner Kilpatrick suggested that by bidding out the design and construction of all three stations at once we would save money. Commissioner Barrow asked whether we could bid out Station #8 with the others, and then hold off on its construction; Manager Reddish said that was a possibility. Commissioner Barrow also questioned the entry/exit traffic flow pattern of Station #3. Fire Chief Wendell Faulkner said the Fire Department had tested the pattern and it worked well.

Changes to voting precincts/polling places. In accordance with redistricting, the Board of Elections has proposed changes to precincts and polling places. Several commissioners expressed concern that people who were used to voting in one location would now have to vote somewhere else, in some cases at locations not actually in their district. Supervisor of Elections Phyllis Wheeler explained the restrictions that govern the selection of polling places, which include ADA accessibility and now, with the new voting machines we will be receiving from the State, the availability of power and phone lines. She also pointed out that these changes will not incur a cost to ACC because the state will print updated voter registration cards.

Agreement between UGA and Athens Transit over fees for UGA student/faculty/staff use of The Bus. UGA has been paying a yearly fee to Athens Transit to cover the costs of student ridership. This fee is based on the last three years' level of ridership - the more students who use The Bus, the more UGA pays Athens Transit. This year, UGA is proposing to include faculty and staff Bus use in its fee. Commissioner McCarter expressed concern that the UGA student ridership had fallen significantly in 2000 and 2001. Transit Director Butch McDuffie explained that the seeming drop was the result of an undercount, not an actual drop in ridership, and that UGA agrees with this assessment. Commissioner Barrow asked whether we could renegotiate with UGA to use a five-year average, so that the undercount would not hurt us so badly financially. Mr. McDuffie said he would speak to UGA about this possibility.

Minimum Parking space requirements. Commissioner Ford spoke in favor of a change to the Zoning Code proposed by Commissioner Jordan. This would correct a mistake in the Code which allows more parking spaces than intended.

Downtown solid waste refuse collection system changes. This includes a pressure-washing service, funded by the Athens Downtown Development Authority, and higher fees for more frequent garbage removal.

Zoning Issues included:

Rezoning request for a church parking lot in RS-5 zone. Commissioner Jordan pointed out some deficiencies in the site plan: it didn't indicate that the lighting would be fully-shielded; it didn't indicate location of existing large trees; and it only contains a ten-foot buffer when our regulations call for a fifteen-foot buffer between uses.

Request for a special use in the airport overlay district for a restaurant on Oconee Street. Commissioner Logan stated that we need to make our procedures to make them more business-friendly, because it was his understanding that the owners had been trying to get this permit for over six months. Commissioner McCarter pointed out that in fact the requesters had failed to appear at several meetings, and that it was not the fault of the staff that it had taken so long.

Request by Wal-Mart for a variance to allow their garden section to be roofed. Commissioner Jordan expressed dismay at the state of the sidewalks - they are full of items on display, leaving no room to actually walk on them. This is allowed under the terms of the Planned Development agreement, according to Planner Bruce Lonnee, but all the terms of the PD can be revisited since Wal-Mart is requesting a change. Commissioner Sheats said that Wal-Mart should be able to do whatever they want with their sidewalks. Commissioner Chasteen said that these sidewalks weren't intended for use by pedestrians. Commissioner Carter expressed dismay about the trees Wal-Mart has planted and that are not surviving; he wondered if they even intended them to live. Commissioner Barrow pointed out that we can require sidewalks for public safety purposes.

Beth Gavrilles