Commission reviews downtown special-use and rezone proposals for bars, housing and parking

Athens-Clarke County planning staff brought four Planning Commission recommendations to the Feb. 17 agenda-setting meeting, including three downtown land-use requests the commission signaled it will consider at the voting meeting.

At 166 W. Clayton Street, staff described a dual food-truck court and interior event space whose occupancies each exceed 100 people; because that occupancy threshold triggers special-use review for bar operations, the applicant requested a special-use approval. Planning recommended approval, citing compatibility with downtown goals and adaptive reuse of a historic structure.

At 458 E. Clayton Street, the applicant asked to allow multifamily residential on the ground floor of a commercially zoned building and requested a variance lowering the required minimum commercial frontage from 50% to 11%. Planning staff and the Planning Commission recommended approval, saying the development preserves an active commercial frontage along Clayton while making the project financially viable. Owner representative Brett Thurman described the property’s long vacancy on the Clayton frontage and said the conversion includes apartment-style units with multiple bedrooms; he added an off-site parking agreement has been reviewed and meets ordinance requirements.

The commission also reviewed a rezone request for 295 Doherty Street from commercial downtown to Government (G) to facilitate structured parking as part of a larger development plan. Planning found that rezone compatible with the future land-use map and recommended approval.

Commissioner comments were largely supportive. Commissioner Link and others praised the food-truck court concept as long-awaited for downtown, and Commissioner Fisher asked detailed questions about bedroom counts, parking arrangements and unit types for the 458 E. Clayton conversion. Staff said off-site parking locations are already identified and would be secured during plans review.

Next step: These items will move forward toward the March voting meeting; staff indicated more detailed plans and permit review will follow Planning Commission and commission action.