Athens County Commissioners hold votes on future land use and zoning for Gaines School Road

The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission held a special called and regular session on April 1, 2025, addressing several key agenda items, including discussions on zoning and land use changes.

The meeting began with a focus on the airport overlay zones, where a commissioner highlighted new information received from the Airport Authority. This update indicated a shift in the Authority's stance, suggesting they would now approve a property that had previously been under strict interpretation. The commissioner expressed regret for not advocating more strongly for the property two years prior, which could have influenced the Authority's earlier decision.

Following this discussion, the commission reviewed a report related to the airport authority's comments on zoning for multifamily developments. The planning director confirmed that the relevant information was included in the materials distributed prior to the meeting.

The commission then moved to formalize actions regarding the future land use map and zoning ordinances. Two ordinances were presented: one to amend the future land use map for approximately 7.07 acres at 450 Gaines School Road, and another to rezone two parcels totaling about 7.9 acres at 450 and 460 Gaines School Road. The proposed changes would shift the land designation from Main Street business and traditional neighborhood to a mixed-use designation.

A motion was made to hold the vote on the rezoning for 40 days, pending further study. The motion received unanimous support from the commissioners, indicating a collaborative approach to the ongoing development discussions.

The meeting concluded with plans to revisit these topics in the following month, ensuring continued engagement with community concerns and development strategies.