Historic Preservation Districts, Community Gardens, Focus of Tuesday Meeting

The creation of the new Buena Vista Heights historic district was not an easy or pleasant process. 

Some neighborhood residents didn’t understand what the designation means or doesn’t mean. Others felt they were being overlooked or ignored. There was open hostility in public meetings. And the end result wasn’t what the proponents wanted or the opponents feared.

On Tuesday, at 5:30pm in City Hall, the Government Operations Committee of the Athens Clarke County Commission is going to take up the issue of the historic preservation process. The agenda item reads: “Review of the Mechanics and Requirements of the Historic District Designation Process to Make it More User Friendly.” 

It will be interesting to see what the committee decides.

The other item on the agenda is creating an ordinance to allow for community gardens. There are community gardens scattered throughout Athens---but technically, since the zoning code doesn’t provide for them, they shouldn’t be allowed. 

Commissioners have said they haven’t heard any complaints about these gardens.