Council committee weighs Conestoga hut pilot at Gathering Place and broader zoning change amid split public comment

The Athens City Council planning and development committee on Sept. 8 heard a planning commission recommendation to allow temporary, non‑affixed housing shelters at 15 North Congress Street (the Gathering Place property) and considered a related ordinance to permit temporary housing structures in B‑3 and R‑3 zones citywide with administrative and Board of Zoning Appeals review.

Council member Alan Swank summarized the planning commission’s recommendation and the four conditions the commission attached: biennial review by the safety/service director; infrastructure limits of no more than three temporary shelters per available sink and toilet with those fixtures located within 200 feet; revocation authority for the service/safety director for serious safety or sanitation concerns; and automatic cessation of approval if the property transfers ownership.

The Gathering Place’s pilot proposal described to the committee would place up to three secured huts in the Gathering Place parking lot, lockable at night, paired with case management and mental health services. Ari Faber, representing United Campus Ministry, called the proposal “a limited, carefully managed pilot” and said the Gathering Place planned three huts with lockable doors and beds serving about 10 participants annually, staffed nights, with bathrooms and showers available within 200 feet and on‑site cameras and a gated lot. Faber said the pilot includes a one‑year outcomes report and a re‑evaluation of zoning after one year.

Public testimony was extensive and split. Supporters — including social work students, volunteers and people with lived experience of homelessness — said the pilot would provide safe overnight shelter, reduce unmanaged camping and connect people to services. Megan (identified as a social work student and Gathering Place intern) said, “I feel safer and more welcome by the individuals at the Gathering Place than I have around many of my peers at Ohio University.” Kent Lankes described his personal recovery and work as a peer support specialist and urged approval.

Opponents raised concerns about safety, nearby student housing, impacts on local businesses and precedent. A letter read into the record from student Kenneth Kennedy Masterson said the proposed site “is located in the very center of student housing and uptown activity” and expressed concern about student safety and neighborhood impacts. Others warned of a “slippery slope,” questioned enforcement of rules, and highlighted negative experiences with homeless individuals near downtown businesses.

Committee members and staff clarified process and next steps. The committee confirmed the planning commission’s site‑specific recommendation would be considered separately from the proposed code change to allow temporary housing in B‑3 and R‑3 zones. City staff and council members noted the Board of Zoning Appeals would review any permit under the proposed code change and that prior approval by the service/safety director would be required. Council announced a statutory public hearing will be published with a 30‑day notice and scheduled for the second business meeting in October (Oct. 20), after which first, second and third readings and further deliberation will follow.

No ordinance was adopted at the meeting. The committee asked the law director to advise whether the site‑specific approval and the separate code change raise legal issues related to “spot zoning” before further action.