Plans have been submitted for an apartment complex on the site of the parking lot behind the Bottleworks.
The development would consist of a four-story parking deck serving both residents and Bottleworks businesses, surrounded by four five-story apartment buildings with 69 units totaling 159 bedrooms. According to Athens-Clarke County planners, the inclusion of a bathroom for each bedroom indicates that the apartments will likely be student-oriented.
Local firm E+E Architecture is seeking a waiver of a law requiring commercial space on the ground floor of downtown developments. The proposal includes 4,300 square feet of commercial space, but much of the first floor would be garden-style and walk-up apartments. The 244-space deck would replace the current 93 parking spots in the existing surface lot.
The ACC Planning Commission will consider the request at its July 7 meeting. Planning staff recommended tabling the request so that the applicant can explain why they’re requesting more parking than is required, and answer questions about bike parking, sidewalks, trees, fire department access, and water and sewer connections.
Unlike previous proposals for that parcel, the plans do not include the Camak House next door. Other proposals have treated the entire block bordered by Meigs, Finley, Hancock and Newton as a single parcel. But the Camak House property is protected by covenants, and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation has so far blocked any development there.
Also on the agenda for July 7 Planning Commission meeting: more revisions to a high-rise residential tower at 155 Mitchell St. near downtown and the UGA campus. The “Oconee View” development was approved in 2017 as a 10-story, 123-unit tower of gameday condos catering to seniors. However, Chicago-based developer Core Spaces now says that model is not financially viable due to lack of demand, and instead wants to build 163 units of student housing with 381 bedrooms, taking advantage of a recent ordinance allowing additional density in exchange for affordable housing. The maximum number of bedrooms allowed under the zoning code is 340.
Planners recommended denial due to concerns about overbuilding—15,000 multifamily bedrooms have been built or are under review over the past four years—as well as a lack of commercial space.
In addition, the planning commission will consider a request to demolish and replace a rear addition to a historic house currently serving as an office building at 347 W. Hancock St. to convert it into a fraternity.
Energy Plan Up for Comment
Athens-Clarke County will host two virtual meetings July 12 to take public comment on a proposed clean energy plan.
The plan, funded by $15.8 million in sales tax revenue from SPLOST 2020, lays out a map for transitioning the ACC government to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2035 and the entire community by 2050. Priorities identified by the plan include electrifying the Athens Transit fleet and expanding transit service, reducing parking mandates, targeting heat islands in low-income communities, education programs, rebates for green construction, a clean energy revolving loan fund, auditing buildings’ energy use and divesting fossil fuels from the ACC pension fund. Other potential ideas include increased density around transit stops, carbon offsets, carpooling incentives, natural gas and solar, graywater reuse, electric vehicle incentives and starting a bike-share program.
The plan, as well as a June 14 commission work session presentation, is available at accgov.com/green. Comments will be accepted through July 22. A commission vote on the plan is scheduled for Aug. 2.
ACC Releases Water Report
Testing of Athens drinking water showed that it met state and federal standards for all but one of more than 90 pollutants last year.
The only substance that exceeded the limit was trihalomethanes. THMs are a byproduct of chlorine reacting with organic matter in water and are associated with cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes, according to the National Institute of Health. The ACC Public Utilities Department took steps to bring THMs back into compliance in November.
Other substances found that were within EPA limits included copper, lead, fluoride, fertilizer runoff, soil runoff and chlorine. The level of lead was 7.5 parts per billion, half the EPA limit of 15 ppb.
An annual report on water safety is sent to customers each June and published on the ACC Public Utilities website.
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