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nlvenity of Georgia Wednesday, October 18, 1978 Volume 8s, Number 15 "Georgia's only collegiate dally newspaper" News 542-3441 Advertising 542-3414
FOR NORTH AYE. WIDENING
DOT will fund construction costs
By NITA BIRMINGHAM
Assistant city editor
A recommendation that North Avenue be widened to four lanes from the by-pass to
Water St. was made to Athens City Council by the finance committee Tuesday night.
The recommendation includes a 64-foot right of way acquisition. It will be voted on
by Council Nov. 7 at the next regular council session.
Department of Transportation officials recommended widening North Avenue to
our or five lanes. Four lanes with additional turn lanes at major intersections would
be constructed by DOT; but, if the city later decided to construct additional lanes, it
would be at the city’s expense.
DOT will fund construction costs of widening provided the city bears the cost of
right of way acquisition and relocates utilities on North Avenue. However, DOT will
not fund construction costs if the city decides to build fewer than four lanes.
BRUCE NICHOLSON, DOT engineer, told council that projected figures of 1990
show traffic can be smoothly handled in five lanes He said four lanes reduces the
capacity of one lane which is used for a left-hand tarn. He added a fifth lane acts as a
median between the two opposing lanes of traffic.
Bobby Snipes, director of traffic engineering for Athens and Clarke County, said
that a 24 hour traffic count conducted on North Avenue last week showed figures close
to those predicted by DOT counts.
Nicholson gave a dailv vehicle count on North Avenue as 10,000 cars in 1972, as
compared to 12,000 in 1977. But, he said the 1977 count was “unrealistic” because it
was conducted in July, when University of Georgia students are not in session.
Nicholson said it is projected »n 10 years 25,000 cars will travel on North Avenue daily.
Nicholson also presented accidental data collected on North Avenue from Water St.
to Northcrest Drive.
ACCORDING TO Nicholson’s data, rear end collisions are the most common type of
Zoning
Development regulated
by Commission
By MATT PRICHARD
Staff writer
Editor's Note: This article is the second in a three-part series on zoning in Athens and
Clarke County. The series will deal with recent zoning issues, what zoning is all about
and how it affects students.
To anyone who has seen the boom of business signs along Prince Avenue or Baxtei
Street, it might seem that that type of development is totally unrestricted and depends
only on the proprietor’s financial ability to advertise his wares in the most gaudy
manner possible. However, the fact that that type of commercial development is more
or less limited to those main thorouahfares and others like them shows that some
forethought was given years ago to what today’s Athens would be like.
The logical expression for the forethought is a zoning ordinance. “A zoning
ordinance is nothing more than a tool for the implementation of plans for development
of the county,” according to Harry Hayes, assistant director of the Athens-Clarke
County Planning Commission.
“YOU HAVE TO have some idea of the kind of development you want before you
have an ordinance. The master plan has to be a broad document,” he adds
So how do you decide where to place zoning districts and what to call those
districts? The answer, according to Hayes, is “common sense.” Let’s look at how
some of the zones are developed.
It’s apparent that the type of commercial development on Prince Avenue or Baxter
Street is predictable for major intersections and in strips along the major
thoroughfares. But before these areas can be zoned commercial, public facilities such
as sewer, water, police and fire service have to be available.
But even along a road where all the qualifications are met, some planning has to be
applied. If a whole undeveloped road is zoned commercial, development is likely to be
spotty and without a logical sequence. So sometimes it’s better to only let the
intersections be developed first, which is known as the "nodal approach." County
planners use a combination of both approaches, according to Hayes.
ZONING EVEN affects your home sweet home, since it probably determines how
close your neighbor’s house is ttf yours or how many apartments can be put in any
particular complex. Usually, the closer you live to downtown Athens, the more
“dense” your neighborhood will be
Zoning regulations can have an immediate effect on anyone living in the county.
But it'a impossible to do anything about how it will affect you if you don’t know an
“O-I” zone from an "R-5” zone, and what they mean.
A Greek house can’t just be put anywhere, according to Hayes They are primarily
found in the “Office-Institutional" zone, such as along parts of Milledge Avenue, or
the R-5, Multi-Family Housing zone.
If you've ever thought about getting a bunch of friends together to live in a house in
the city limits, you might have to forget your plans, according to the city zoning
ordinance. “The city zoning ordinance restricts the number of unrelated individuals
who can live together in one house, in many zones It is not more than four, or eight in
a duplex,” Hayes said.
BUT THE COUNTY has no limits, so "ten students can live together in the best
house around if they can raise the rent,” he added
But before you get fed up with all the restrictions on houses and decide to live in a
mobile home, you should know that they have to meet certain conditions too They are
a “conditional use” in most residential districts, which means the Board of Zoning
Appeals has to determine if they would be in character with the surrounding
neighborhood
But a great deal of the zoning ordinance is to protect the place you live. For
example, most people would object to having a factory in their back yard So. there is
an "Industrial’’ zone. "Residential areas are separated from locations used for the
manufacture of flammable materials, since there would be more of a chance of a
holocaust if they were in close proximity or joined together,” according to Athens
Fire Chief Tom Eberhart.
After getting a picture of how zoning works, it's a good idea to look at what the
planners predict as to the future development of Athens and Clarke County This will
be the subject of the next and final article in this series on zoning
Staff photo ■ Charlie Register
HOMECOMING WEDDING
Happy couple is doing it ‘for the memories’
By RUSS GREER
Features editor
A Marietta couple to be married during the halftime of Saturday’s
Georgia-Vanderbilt football game say they are doing it "for the memories "
“I wanted to do it from the first minute I heard about it," said 19-year-old Derrick
Day. "It hit me right and she was all excited about it.”
"We'll remember it forever,” said his bride-to-be. 20-year-old Deborah Cowart.
The wedding w‘11 be performed in three minutes by the couple's own minister in
front of about 65,000 fans. The double ring ceremony will be highlighted when the
couple will climb to the top of an eight foot wedding cake float on the field and greet
the crowd.
BOTH BRIDE and groom attend the same church in Marietta where they graduated
from high school together Derrick works in a refrigerator warehouse and "Debi”
works In a Marietta laboratory.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better couple," said Redcoat Band Administrative
Assistant Herb Gilmore. “They’re a real down-to-earth couple."
The pair first met in junior high school and began dating two years ago. Derrick
said They were planning a fall wedding when they first heard about the halftime
wedding through a strange series of events, said Roger Danes, Band Director
After an article about the wedding appeared in an Atlanta magazine. Danes said he
received five letters from persons interested in the wedding
Two of the five couples decided not to wait for fall and got married, Danes said
HOWEVER. WHEN he contacted a "third" prospect, the man said he had changed
his mind and wasn't interested
A twist to the story came when Dancz said he contacted the "fourth" prospect and
discovered she was engaged to the man who had just said he wasn’t interested.
Neither knew the other had written him. Danes said
"And when the girl was told he (her fiance) didn't want to do it, her reaction was
like 'he said what!"’ said Gilmore with a laugh.
ANOTHER COUPLE told Danes they wanted the wedding and went to a Marietta
jewelry store to buy the wedding ring
At the store they met Derrick, who was a jewelry salesman then and a friend of one
of the couple.
When they told me about it, I said if you back out. we'd like to do it," Derrick
said.
Two days later the couple decided not to go through with the wedding and called
Derrick He talked to Deborah and within 30 minutes Danes called. Derrick said
See W EDDING, p.5
traffic accidents on North Avenue. He said there were 18 accidents in 1973, but 51
accidents in 1977. Accidents which currently occur on North Avenue cost Athens
citizens approximately $50,000 a year, according to Nicholson.
Nicholson presented the committee with three proposals: (1) five lanes tapering to
three lanes; (2) four lanes tapering to three lanes and (3) four lanes expanding into
turn lanes at major intersections
Snipes also presented the committee with a history of the North Avenue proposals.
Snipes concentrated on a 1972 transportation study conducted by the Athens-Clarke
County Planning Commission. He stressed the study was made without the benefit of
socio-economic data now available to the city.
The 1972 study suggested the extension of College Avenue and the relocation of
North Avenue Snipes said it was thought this proposal would be inexpensive, partly
because the land involved was already owned by the city. But, Snipes said the plan
was more expensive than the current North Avenue proposals
Proposed bus changes
accepted by Council
By KATHY STANFORD
Assistant city editor
After hearing the results of the second
ridership survey, the Athens City Council
agreed to make the changes on the
Athens Transit System proposed by the
McDonald Association, a consulting firm
from Texas.
The Dallas firm has been studying the
route and schedules of the transit system
in order to make the present system
more realistic. Athens Transit has been
operating under a $325,000 deficit due to
lack of ridership and a larger than
needed service.
In the recent ridership survey, the
count revealed some buses were running
with one body or less a day. Charles
Haas of the transit system explained that
a bus cannot continue to operate
efficiently with less than three and a half
bodies a day.
Haas also said the system was too
large when it first began “We should
have started low and then built it up.
Once the people got used to them (the
buses), then we could add new service as
it was needed," he added.
The transit system did not start out
small, and now reductions are being used
to make the system more realistic. “The
cutbacks are to get us on the right
roads," Haas said.
Gary Wolfe, consultant, explained they
have been studying the routes and
schedules of the busses. “We have been
evaluating this for some time and have
proposed changes on September 5 and
September 19. On the 19th, residents of
the community suggested certain
changes be made in the Forest Heights.
Spring Valley and Five-Points areas We
have considered these suggestions," he
added
One suggestion was an increase in
ridership would occur now that the
University is in full swing. Wolfe said
there was an increase on the main lines
due to the University, but the other lines
were operating with one or less rider.
“The reductions proposed will create a
20 percent reduction in bus hours, 30
percent reduction in mileage and earn
$100,000 annual savings,” Wolfe added
“The proposed modifications should be
made at the earliest possible date, and
we will be ready to take effect on
November 1.”
The proposed changes are:
-The North Avenue route will be reduced
from 18 to 12 times daily, with service
offered at 60 minutes instead of 30
-The East Athens will be increased from
11 to 18, including the Spring Valley area
-Milledge route will be decreased from 18
to 6 times, with 60 minute service instead
of 30.
-Five Points-Glenwood route will be
reduced from eight to four times with a
loop added
-Beechwood-Baxter will be reduced from
18 to 17, but will have more service due
to the addition of loops
-Harbor-Chase will be redecreased from
17 to 12 with service every 60 minutes
instead of 30.
UGA Today
Committee leaves senate
The Senate ad hoc committee on the core curriculum voted Tuesday to
withdraw from the Senate. The committee is now an independent student
organization called the Core Curriculum Research Group, according to
chairman David Shelledy
The group was formed by the senate last year to study a proposal from
University Chancellor George Simpson to institute a system-wide core
curriculum At the last senate meeting. Shelledy asked the senate to endorse his
request to speak before the Board of Regents and was turned down
The committee was scheduled to report to the senate Wednesday night, and
the now independent group will go ahead with this plan.
For a preview of the senate meeting, see the story on page 2
^a^isfac^on^u^ran^eed^
Vlnnlc Pap«ldrr«. city editor
Does the price tag on liquor put your
wallet in post-party doldrums 0 Want to find
a way to keep your firewater and your
money, too? Help is here In his column
“Satisfaction Guaranteed,” city editor
Vinnie Papsidero shows how to cushion the
high price of nocturnal enjoyment in a
biweekly liquor store shopping basket
survey. So check out the prices and savings
on page 3.
Special report and Donna Summer
Parents and parents-to-be should be
interested in a Channel 2 special
report, “Have You Failed Your Kid
Today 0 ” The report airs today at 6
p m during the station’s evening news
and gives tips on how to help your
children get ahead
Disco fans ought to catch "Dick
Clark's Live Wednesday" today at 8
pm. on Channel 2 Donna Summer
and her hits Last Dance and
MacArthur Park are featured
Windom tickets on sale
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Last year William Windom performed his one-man show on James Thurber,
creator of the fictional character Walter Mitty, and got a standing ovation from
the capacity crowd gathered in the Memorial Hall Ballroom. On Oct. 28 at 8
pm Windom, who starred in the television series "My World and Welcome to
It,” returns to the University with "Thurber II."
Student tickets are free and may be picked up starting today at the Memorial
Hall Information Booth General-admission tickets are $2 and are available at
the Memorial Hall Business Office