Gathering Place huts draw public attention; council to consider site-specific permission and a restricted code change

Solvay Spellnus, chair of the Athens City Affordable Housing Commission, briefed members on recent council debate over the Gathering Place proposal to place Conestoga huts on the Gathering Place parking lot for emergency housing. Spellnus said the council meeting was packed and that the proposal drew “tense moments” among attendees.

She said council has considered two related items: a site-specific approval that would allow the Gathering Place to proceed with its project and a separate code amendment that could allow similar temporary structures elsewhere in the city under very restricted circumstances. The code-change language under discussion would require that any such structure be supervised and overseen by an organization with protocols similar to the Gathering Place; Spellnus said the restriction would effectively prevent unsupervised or backyard deployments.

Rob Delich, who also serves on zoning appeals, said the Board of Zoning Appeals and the service safety director play roles in assessing location suitability and operational capacity. He said the director assesses whether a site meets requirements and whether facilities are available to support the proposed use; the BZA then holds a hearing to consider community input and appropriate conditions.

Commissioners and staff emphasized multiple review layers—council approval, director assessment and BZA hearing—and noted that the proposed broader ordinance would include strict conditions intended to limit deployments to organizations with demonstrated operational capacity. No formal recommendation or vote was taken by the Affordable Housing Commission; Spellnus said she planned to share ordinance language with commission members for review.