The Athens-Clark County Mayor and Commission convened for a special called session focused on the College Square Pedestrian Plaza, followed by an agenda-setting session for upcoming planning and zoning items, the short-term rental text amendment, and various administrative reports. Key discussions included the approval of a $6 million pedestrian plaza, multiple redevelopment requests ranging from mixed-use apartments to self-storage, and significant debate regarding the allocation of ARPA funds and the impact of quarry operations on resident homes.
We're gathered here tonight for a special called session of the Athens Clark County Mayor and Commission, which will be immediately followed by our agenda setting session. Go ahead and begin with a roll call from our clerk. Here. Present. Johnson. Here. Call Paper. Here. My Thornton. Here. Ham. Here. We have all. All right. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I'll begin with our civility pledge from the Georgia Municipal Association. This indicates that the way we govern ourselves is important as the positions we take, that our collective decisions will be better when differing views have had the opportunity to be fully vetted and considered. All right. So for folks who are joining us tonight, whether in the chamber or across the globe online, um, we are gonna have a couple opportunities for public input. Uh we'll have one in front of our single item here uh on our special called session. And then when we move to our agenda setting session, uh we'll have an opportunity for public input on the consent agenda. We'll have an opportunity for public input on each of the eight planning and zoning items that we have, uh, and then we'll have an opportunity for public input on old and new business. Uh each opportunity tonight is a three-minute opportunity for public input. You see a light in front of the clerk. It will turn green when you begin speaking, where you provide your name and place of residence. It'll turn yellow when you have 30 seconds remaining, and then it will turn red when your three minutes has expired, and I'll thank you for your time with us tonight. Uh so uh we we are here just for the special called session at the moment. Is there anybody who would like to speak to that single item on the special called session, the College Square Pedestrian Plaza? All right, uh just uh name and place of residence. Uh my name is David Land, and I 226 Hill Street, Athens, Georgia. Um I have the pleasure of serving as co-director of the Athens Downtown Development Authority, and on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Downtown Development Authority, we uh express our thanks to the mayor and the board of commissioners for entering into this partnership to construct what undoubtedly will be one of the mayor of public spaces in Georgia. Uh this will be a heavily visited, heavily photographed, and produce a lot of memories for visitors and residents alike, and we appreciate your participation in this project. Uh we've assembled a dream team of designers, planners, engineers, managers, legal help, uh to assist us in this project. And uh we're here at answering questions you have, and we're excited to get moving. It's getting towards the finish line. And I'll leave you with a comment that's always struck me about downtown. Uh the mayor of Durham, North Carolina once uh spoke about the importance of downtowns and he said a downtown describes a community like a living room with uh defines a home. So we're building a great place for downtown and I play as a waste athletes deserves. So thank you so much for your help. Thank you, Mr. Lynn. Is there anyone else here to speak to our single item of new business on the special called session? All right, seeing none. Um this is uh item of new business, so we do need to consider under suspension of rules, can have a motion for suspension of rules, please. So move. All right, I've got a motion from Commissioner Thornton, second and second from Commissioner Hamby. All in favor, please say aye. Aye. Any posed. All right.