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Commission approves rezoning for 293 Hoyt Street and designates part of Lay Park as historic landmark
Summary
The commission approved a future land-use change and rezoning for 293 Hoyt Street (1.53 acres) and adopted a separate special-session resolution to designate a portion of Lay Park as an historic landmark. Votes on the rezone package passed 6–4; the landmark resolution passed with one abstention.
Athens-Clarke County commissioners on Jan. 6 approved a pair of planning actions affecting downtown property at 293 Hoyt Street, and separately adopted a historic landmark resolution for a portion of Lay Park (Leipark).
In a special called session earlier in the evening, the commission took public comment on the Lay Park landmark resolution. Mary Quintana Smith Maddox praised the park’s historical role and thanked commissioners for supporting the resolution. Commissioner Thornton moved to accept the resolution; the commission carried the motion with an abstention recorded by Commissioner Johnson.
Later in the regular session the commission considered a request to change the parcel’s future land-use designation and to rezone approximately 1.53 acres at 293 Hoyt Street from park (government-owned) to Commercial Downtown (CD), including the downtown design overlay. Ed Lane of SPG Planners and Engineers described the rezone as compatible with the 2023 comprehensive plan, downtown design goals and the Greenway network plan, and noted staff and the planning commission recommended approval. "It is consistent with the Greenway network plan," Lane said in his presentation, and he stressed the county would retain ownership of the parcel.
Commissioners split 6–4 on both votes (first the future land-use amendment, then the rezoning that incorporates the downtown design overlay). Commissioners who opposed the measures said they felt the process had been rushed or inadequately transparent, questioned promises about "provisions" for park parking during construction, and raised ADA and planning concerns. Supporters said the planning commission and staff work supported approval and emphasized the project’s alignment with downtown planning goals.
The two decisions move the parcel’s map designation and zoning forward; staff said those approvals do not bind the commission on subsequent site-level decisions and that technical plan review and plan-review processes remain ahead.
