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PHOTO BY BRAD AARON CITY PA GES STREET WORK MAKES ‘SUCKY SITUATION’ Downtown infrastructure upgrades are proving to be more than an inconvenience for several businesses. The stretch of Pulaski Street between College Avenue and Broad Street had already been closed more than once this year before private contractors moved in to install a new SPLOST-funded storm water line. The latest closing has blocked the main entrance to the Phoenix Market/Music Exchange building for over two months, making it difficult for cus tomers to make their wav in and out. “It’s hurt traffic obviously, because people think our parking lot is closed,” says Dave Herndon, owner of Music Exchange. Herndon says the situation is especially frus trating because city officials ha\e been unre sponsive. “They said the street would be closed for two weeks, maybe three at the outside," Herndon says. “Nobody can tell me anything about when it should actually be completed. I’ve tried to call people with the city; they don’t return my phone calls. It’s just a pretty sucky situation all around." that a lot of the utilities are underground, you can’t really see exactly how things are laid out. We have a new design worked out now, so we think we’re finally over the hurdle of how to get it done." Around the corner on West Clayton Street, Georgia bar co-owner Alexander Hannon has seen his sidewalk demolished, repoured, then torn up again. “They don’t know where stuff is under the ground exactly." Hannon says. “It just seems like they're stumbling over it. They’re apolo gizing and being nice about it. but they say it’ll be done in two weeks and two weeks later they say it's four weeks more." Hannon says the construction has slowed his business, and that he can “barely" get deliveries, “not to mention the mess with all the dirt blowing everywhere.” Those clouds of dirt are suspected to have clogged up an air conditioning unit on the roof of the Globe, at the corner of East Clayton and Lumpkin Streets. “We had to have [it] replaced," says Globe manager Jennifer Lang. “Then there was one day when they took a backhoe and cut our power lines outside. And now they're basically having to put in a new sewer line for us because the city doesn't know where ours comes out. r~ * * • * -N L o’ . -: . ** 1 -J i' ■ i \ The Georgia Bar is one of many downtown businesses disrupted by the protracted street and sidewalk work. Carter Gillies, a manager at Phoenix Market, says business has decreased since the street was closed, though it’s difficult to tell how much. “On one hand it’s almost better that they’re doing this in the summer, since the traffic is down," Gillies says. “There’s still definitely a lot of foot traffic from downtown and from campus. But as far as car traffic goes, that’s a tough one." Since Pulaski was blocked off, the only access to the Phoenix/Music Exchange parking lot has been from Broad Street. With no traffic light. Gillies says, customers are having to make a dangerous left-hand turn onto Broad. Vendors delivering goods to Phoenix must park as far away as Georgia Theatre, then wheel their handtrucks down the block to the store. SPLOST project manager Kevin Hamby was away on vacation at press time. His interim replacement, Jeff Stoutamyer, says that section of Pulaski will be closed “another thiee to four weeks” in order to Install two additional water lines. Stoutamyer says plans have been redrawn several times due to unanticipated problems with existing infrastructure. “Being “I don’t really blame the contractor on this one. I think it’s the city’s fault," says Herndon. “We’re not ready to close the doors by any means. We’re just ready for them to get the hell out of here so we can continue business as normal." (BA) “I’M FOR CLEAN WATER, BUT...” On July 11, the Aihens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission convened for what was supposed to be the last work session before an August vote on the county’s new development ordinance. But as afternoon dragged into evening. Mayor Doc Eldridge and the majority of the Commissioners agreed not to commit to the ordinance, now over two years in the making, for at least another month. A Commission vote on the regulations— intended to back up the new comprehensive land use plan—was originally set for April. The vote has been postponed several times, K3 FLAGPOLE JULY 19, 2000 due in part to last-minute protests from busi nesses. developers and rural property owners who fear the regulations will infringe upon their property rights. Unlike the June 7 work session, which drew only a handful oi spectators, those who oppose the ordinance in its current form were a presence this time, some wearing stickers reading. “Delay the vote!" Less than two hours into the meeting, most of them were gone, but they had appar ently made their point. After a rela tively smooth start settling spot zoning requests and less contentious policy issues, debate on environmental buffers and “green- belt" densities devolved into a repe titious cycle of tired arguments punctuated by bursts of thinly- veiled hostility. The initial regulations called for develop ment buffers of 75 to 2(H) feet on waterways. The Commission was unhappy with these numbers, and has since been presented with options ranging from 50 to 100 feet. The ACC Planning Commission has recommended a 50-foot minimum with a maximum of 50 addi tional feet based on the slope of a stream’s bank. This option is also recom mended by the University of Georgia Institute of Ecology. Still, ACC Attorney Ernie DePascale com plained cf a lack of sci entific basis for any buffer over 25 feet on perennial streams and 100 feet on large rivers, as required by Georgia law. Commissioner Hugh Logan agreed. “We all want to pro tect our waters, but at the same time, I’m concerned about the rights of private property owners," said ordinance steering committee member and landscape architect Rex Gonnsen. Developer Brian Kemp, another committee member, said the committee was concerned about the poten tial expense on developers. Commissioners John Barrow and Ken Jordan noted that the state could soon crack down on municipalities for not keeping pol lutants in check, and that lax regulations would cost the county in the future. “I agree we need clean water, but I think ‘B’ [the option calling for a 50-foot maximum buffer] is sufficient," said Commissioner Charles Carter. Eventually, the Commission decided that buffers would be voted on as a separate issue whenever the ordinance as a whole comes to a vote. Tree conservation areas and clear-cutting regula tions were next on the agenda, but discus sion on those items was postponed. The Mayor and Commission moved on to greenbelt densities. The original land use regulations called for an AR-10 greenbelt zone—meaning there could only be one unit [house] per 10 acres of land. Fearing rural property values would fall under that stan dard, the county raised the density to one "Keep your damn mouth shut, John, and let somebody else talk!" DELAY the VOTE! "This county is going to be one giant one- acre subdivision." unit per five acres. Many residents say higher rural densities would encourage sprawl and degrade what’s left of ihe county’s green space. Mayor Eidridge said he “feels very strongly" about having transferable develoj>- ment rights (TDRs) [See City Pages. June 14. onJine at flagpole.com] as an option after they are “cleaned up” by the state legisla ture. Barrow and Jordan suggested incorpo rating TDRs into the development regula tions as they are for anyone w ho may want to use them. “We’re not trying to do anything but put the state law in [to the ordinance]." Jordan said. Talk then turned to clustering bonuses, w hich would increase total development densities in exchange for building homes closer together and reserving some land for green space. Carter expressed doubts about rural landowners handing over control of a portion of their property to the county or to a land trust. When Barrow started to remind Carter that the land could still be used, but not developed. Carter yelled: “Keep your damn mouth shut. John, and let somebody else talk!" Barrow' apologized for inter rupting, and finished making his point, to which Carter later responded: “I don’t have to have Mr. Barrow to tell me what a conserva tion easement is.” Logan called rural development restrictions “confis cation without com pensation," and said, “When it comes down to protecting our pre cious natural resources. I’ll be the champion of that, but changing things at this point in the ball game could be quite drastic." Commissioner Linda Ford commented that the Commission had approved “only" three subdivisions in the last 18 months. Commissioner Marilyn Farmer said the lack of city water and sewer will discourage sprawl. She claimed higher in-town densities will lead to more gridlock, but she did not explain how unrestricted rural development would reduce gridlock. “What we’re dealing with is what the future is going to look like," said Barrow. “This county is going to be one giant one-acre subdi vision. Sprawl is going to cost this community a lot more than we’re going to get for it." Jordan called for a vote, “and let the chips fall where they may." Carter countered that the commission was being “pressured" into an August vote. Finally, Mayor Eldridge decided the den sity issue would be voted on separately as well, and put off a decision on the ordinance until September. Due to the urging of DePascale and Farmer, there will be at least one more public input session. A date had not been set at press time. (Brad Aaron)