Over the protests of several residents from Fortson Drive and Fortson Circle, the Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of a request that will bring 40 new units to a Baxter Street apartment complex. Known as University Garden Apartments, the housing development includes a collection of townhouses and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in different buildings. Some of them were constructed in 1965; others in 1978.
In 2012, a fire destroyed a 24-unit apartment building in the complex. The next year, the 18-acre property was purchased for $8.7 million by 125 Baxter LLC, whose agent is in Dunwoody. According to its website, Stonemark, an Atlanta third-party property management company, takes care of University Garden Apartments.
The Fortson homeowners said they feared the rezoning would give the owners of University Garden access to Fortson Drive, which would increase the already substantial amount of traffic in their neighborhood. Prompted by planning commission member Lucy Rowland, staff members assured the audience that wasn’t the case, and the apartment complex won’t have access to Fortson Drive.
Richard Warner, who lives on Springdale Street near its intersection with Fortson Drive, said traffic near him is a major problem. James Burns, whose Fortson Drive home is near Dudley Drive, decried the lack of sidewalks in Athens. He recounted how he broke both his ankle and his shoulder while encountering two cars on a walk.
After noting that “the streets in Athens suck as it is,” Fortson Drive resident Steve Everett also told planning commissioners there was too much traffic on his street. He later interrupted the proceedings by asking commissioners to define “walkable.” Vice chairman Matt Hall, who was moderating the meeting, told Everett he was out of order and said he would speak with Everett after the meeting.
By a 5-0 vote, the planning commission approved rezoning the property currently zoned RM-2 to RM-3. This lets the owner replace the burned building by constructing new units. There is sewer capacity for 40 units, but not for the hundreds feared by opponents.
In other business, the planning commission approved a rezoning request from petitioner Mark Campbell along West Broad Street that will allow a Marriott hotel to be built on six and a half acres adjacent to county-owned Beechwood property.
All the recommendations of the planning commission will go to the mayor and commission for final approval. Since the ACC Commission doesn’t have a voting meeting in July, these matters will be discussed during the August meeting.
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