Commission Commits Funding and Approves Phase 3 Revision for North Downtown Master Plan

The Athens-Clarke County Commission approved funding commitments for the North Downtown Athens Phase 3 master plan revision, a project that commissioners said will deliver additional affordable bedrooms and new homes downtown. Commissioner Link thanked the housing authority for its work and noted the project’s scale and affordable-housing outcomes.

A housing authority representative (Miss Crisp) said the current application will be submitted at 92 units; she indicated that if the commission approves reducing required retail (commercial) space the project could add units within the construction budget. "Um currently the application will be submitted at 92 units and if this um commission here would approve that additional um um reducing the retail space that would be able to um input more units into the project," she said. Planning staff noted inclusionary zoning rules and that the housing authority and staff will continue to evaluate budgetary and spatial constraints while seeking to optimize unit counts.

Commissioners directed continued coordination with the housing authority and noted that any further variances would be returned to the commission for consideration.