The Athens‑Clarke County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a straight rezone for 180 and 190 Pinecrest Drive, advancing a developer concept for seven attached townhomes and 21 bedrooms. Staff described the proposal as an incremental infill change from RM‑1 to RM‑2 that aligns with the 2023 comprehensive plan and the neighborhood’s existing mix of housing types.

Staff told the commission the conceptual plan proposes rear‑loaded parking under the building footprint, approximately 62% green space, and a new sidewalk along Northview frontage. The presentation noted existing environmental buffers along a stream to the north and emphasized the concept avoids construction within those buffers. Staff recommended approval, saying the site’s context — adjacent to Foley Field and near the 5 Points corridor — made modest added density appropriate.

Applicant Ed Lane of SPG Planners and Engineers argued the RM‑2 designation would allow a coherent redevelopment aimed at producing for‑sale townhomes and higher‑quality units that better engage the street. Lane said the site constraints (stream buffer, sewer easements and power‑line setbacks) push the buildings to the corner and that the conceptual design’s additional bedrooms are modest compared with what ad‑hoc infill could produce under the existing zoning. He estimated net traffic impact at about 22 additional daily trips and two extra peak‑hour trips.

Public comment split. Supporters, including development partners who said they intended to build for‑sale homes rather than student rentals, said the project would add homeownership opportunities and tidy up an aging site. Opponents raised concerns about setting a precedent for spot rezonings, the increase in density and effects on neighborhood character and on Barrow Elementary School nearby. Several speakers pressed for protections related to buffers, sidewalks, on‑site parking and fire department aerial access.

Commission discussion focused on context: several members said the parcel sits next to Foley Field and other multifamily developments, and that RM‑2 here could act as a transition rather than an abrupt change. Commissioners asked staff and the applicant about fire department access, rooftop terraces versus pitched roofs (and code constraints for subdivided single‑family townhomes), and whether the homeownership market would support the product.

On roll call the commission recommended approval and will forward its recommendation and staff report to the Mayor and Commission for final action. The Planning Commission’s recommendation passed 6–1.