Planning commission backs zoning change to allow temporary housing shelters in R‑3 and B‑3 with conditions

Athens City Planning Commission members voted unanimously June 4 to recommend that City Council amend Title 23 to permit temporary housing shelters in R‑3 residential and B‑3 general business zones, with review by the Board of Zoning Appeals and annual reapproval by the city’s service safety director.

The change, filed as case 25‑05, would list temporary housing shelters as a conditionally permitted use in the cited sections of the zoning code rather than as an administratively approved accessory use. Miss Jennings, a planning staff member, told the commission the proposed language moves the use to conditional status so “any application for this type of use will have to go to the VZA for review and approval, which does include a public hearing and public notification,” and that the service safety director would also review applications and reapprove them annually.

The move drew discussion about how…