UPDATE 5/6/25: Commissioners have rejected the development in a 3-7 vote, with Link, Wright and Myers voting in favor.
UPDATE 4/1/25: Commissioners have delayed a vote on this development by 40 days so the developer can perform a traffic study.
Commissioners have strong objections to a proposal by W&A Engineering for 69 townhomes on Gaines School Road which all but ensure the project’s denial if a vote takes place in April as scheduled.
The project consists mostly of densely-packed townhomes but also includes nearly 10,000 square feet of commercial space and ten one-bedroom accessory dwelling units. The townhomes are proposed to be “fee-simple” units, which means the owners will have full rights to them without limitation. The townhomes will sell between $300,000 and $400,000.
Commissioner Patrick Davenport lambasted the proposal with such passion that at one point, he had to be cut off by Mayor Kelly Girtz. Davenport said he was concerned with traffic safety issues, the height of the proposed buildings and the increase in property taxes that he feels nearby residents will have to pay if the construction is allowed.
“This is not going to do anything but increase the property taxes on [nearby homeowners], period,” Davenport said, adding that it could “destroy” the neighborhood.
These comments echo an idea frequently cited by Commissioner Tiffany Taylor that is not supported by most economists, which is that new construction often causes a general increase in property values and rents which can displace nearby residents. Instead, recent evidence shows that construction of new housing tends to stabilize nearby rents by increasing the housing supply.
Davenport’s biggest objection to the development was that the parcel falls within the airport overlay zone, which is a potential safety concern. In fact, this site at 450 and 460 Gaines School Road was rejected as a location for the eastside public library because of this very concern.
“We [were told that we] can’t use that land [for the eastside library] because it is on the landing zone for the airport,” Davenport said. “That makes me so mad…This would have been a perfect place for a library.”
Commissioner Dexter Fisher, Melissa Link, Carol Myers and Ovita Thornton also wondered why the project was approved by planning staff since it falls within the airport’s overlay zone.
The ACC Airport Authority approved the development on the condition that it use “non-glare roofing materials and fully-shielded amber lighting systems.”
ACC Planning Director Bruce Lonnee told commissioners that the eastside library was not approved for this site because its layout “congregated the occupancy into one single spot.”
Several residents from the nearby Cedar Creek neighborhood came out to this meeting to oppose the project. Kenneth Portier, President of the Cedar Creek Civic Association, said that the concept was “unsafe as currently planned” and that he wanted to see a traffic light included in the design. He also wanted the development to have fewer townhomes that are less densely-packed with more green space.
W&A Engineering replied that the density is necessary to overcome the cost of extending sewer access to the property and to upgrade inadequate stormwater infrastructure in the area.
Commissioner Allison Wright was the only commissioner to express support for the project.
The ACC Planning Commission had already supported the zoning request in a 6-1 vote, saying that it would increase supply of a type of “missing middle” housing that’s not common on the eastside.
Yet, despite their zoning expertise, the planning commission has become increasingly irrelevant in recent years. Their opinions are regularly overturned by ACC Commissioners. Not long ago, the ACC Commission even pondered disbanding the planning commission entirely so they could re-create it to address what they perceived as a minor rebellion.
Facing strong disapproval from Davenport, Thornton and presumably Taylor as well, since she has been objecting to nearly every rezoning request in recent months, this proposal faces an uphill battle for approval on April 1.
W&A Engineering says that they may ask to delay the vote so that they can perform a traffic study as requested by nearby residents.
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One thought on “Proposed Gaines School Road townhomes face uphill battle for approval”
As a longtime resident of Athens, I am amazed at the number of apartments being.built in our once beautiful city. First, the rent on luxury apartments is totally out of reach for people who want to make Athens their permanent home. We have become a town of student housing. Athens needs families & families with children. We need more modest houses with yards for these children. The type of people that send their children to public schools. People who will invest their time & money to make Athens a good place to live. Apartments are for temporary residents who graduate from UGA & move to other cities to raise their children. Commissioners please encourage permanent housing in the future for Athenians future.