Subcommittee recommends six zoning tweaks to boost homeownership in Athens-Clarke County

Matthew Hall, a University of Georgia law instructor who spoke for the subcommittee, told the commission that Athens-Clarke County's zoning code has historically outlawed many smaller, more affordable housing types (townhomes, duplexes, small-lot homes), an outcome he said emerged from mid-20th-century land-use changes that had exclusionary effects. He argued that modest code changes could restore missing housing types and help address the county's supply-and-price imbalance.

Danielle Gilmer, a subcommittee member, presented a six-item package described as "low-hanging fruit" to expand housing options: 1) allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) with kitchens across all single-family (RS) zones; 2) permit townhomes/attached single-family units on smaller sites and allow up to three units per typical lot; 3) remove minimum square-footage barriers and direct staff to consider modern manufactured homes in all residential zones; 4) enable subdivision through reduced street frontage or flag-lot provisions to create buildable infill lots; 5) encourage starter-home product types through small-lot subdivisions and incentives; and 6) reduce parking minimums where feasible to lower development costs.

Wyakia Lawson, who addressed income tiers, recommended either "income banding" (grouping household sizes into broader bands) or adding a moderate-income tier (suggested at about 115% of AMI) so households just above the current 80% cutoff can access local assistance programs. Lawson noted federal funds (HUD) require HUD-defined tiers, but county-directed funds can adopt locally chosen bands.

Commissioners and staff discussed implementation issues: developers said zoning is a major barrier to building smaller homes and that interest exists if zoning allows product types that are profitable; concerns were raised about neighborhood impacts (parking, stormwater, student housing). Planning Director Bruce Lani and staff said the planning department already has these strategies in its work program and the future land use map revision (coming in January'February) is intended to set the stage for implementation. The mayor said he will place a resolution assigning the questions to appropriate departments for review and planning-commission processes.

Next steps: resolution to assign departmental review, planning-commission review, and return to mayor and commission for further action.