A couple quick things before we get the bottle rockets poppin’!
First off, we have released our request for proposals (RFP) for Phase I of American Rescue Plan Affordable Housing Funding! The RFP and more information on meetings and deadlines are available here. To most swiftly address urgent housing needs, we are looking for “shovel ready” projects that can get underway by next year.
Also on housing, on July 7th the Planning Commission will review a proposal for a Planned Development at 515 Olympic Drive, near the loop on Peter Street. You can view the agenda here. I encourage you to give public comment at the meeting or via the Planning Commission’s public comment form. You may also contact the petitioner, Michael Canady, directly at MCanady@MCRTrust.com.
One underutilized avenue to ensure community benefit is a community benefits agreement, where the developer enters into a legally-binding agreement with a neighborhood group about certain outcomes they would like to see in exchange for support for a project. The Mayor & Commission can make approval of the rezone conditional upon that agreement being signed.
This is a somewhat unprecedented strategy for Athens but, hey, it’s never too late. If you are interested in working toward such an agreement, don’t hesitate to reach out!
On housing, I also encourage folks to check out ACCGov’s Missing Middle housing report which we received last month. Many aspects of our existing zoning code have origins in racism and classism; in preventing duplexes, triplexes, and other modest multifamily housing from being built, the codes were originally (though latently) aimed to keep out lower-wealth families (often people of color) out of single-family neighborhoods. In the coming months, the planning department and Mayor & Commission will consider the report and how best to implement some of its recommendations to support the development of more affordable housing.
Pivoting to jobs and the environment: residents are invited to review and comment on the proposed Clean and Renewable Energy Plan for Athens-Clarke County through July 22, 2022. Most promising, in my view, is the goal of expanding clean energy workforce training and development so that workers in low-income jobs can move into higher paying jobs in the energy sector as the government brings our clean energy transition into great focus. You can read the plan and provide feedback here (scroll to the bottom). As well, a virtual meeting on the plan will be held July 12 at 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM. Click here to register.
Lastly, I have co-signed a statement with Athens Area Democratic Socialists of America, Economic Justice Coalition, Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement, the Athens Reproductive Justice Collective, and others condemning recent Supreme Court decisions that imperil the environment, worker’s rights, Indigenous people’s sovereignty, our Miranda rights, and, most obviously, women’s health. The statement, which calls for solidarity across issues, can be found here.
Be smart with your sparklers this weekend!
Heck yeah! Can't wait to see what new zoning ordinances we can come up with / do away with! Thanks for the update :)