Couple of things

- I'll be absolutely honest, the 'McMansion' proposal brought up by David Lynn has me conflicted. On one hand, I'd be somewhat upset if someone told me I couldn't build my house on my property how I wanted it, primarily because my neighbors weren't crazy about its aesthetics. However, on the other hand, as the story notes this is a problem that is statewide. My grandmother lives in an older neighborhood near the front gates of the Augusta National Golf Club, and the house directly across from hers was bulldozed and replaced with a four-story plantation-style structure whose only purpose is to host clients during Masters week. Not only is it an eyesore, but, as others in the neighborhood follow suit due to a lack of proper regulatory oversight, it is unnecessarily altering several things over there, including property taxes, land use dynamics, etc. So I see both sides of this thing, and let's hope we can get a good policy in place which accommodates design freedom, but also protects the neighborhoods.

- Hopefully, we're progressing on this Sunday Sales thing. I'm not alone in my optimism as the Athens Banner-Herald says the same thing.

- One of the rumors going around regarding States McCarter's resignation, and mentioned in Blake's story, is that Tuesday's 9-1 vote by the Athens-Clarke County Commission to table a request for a developer to turn a few parcels of land at the front of Green Acres into an office park was the tipping point. McCarter was the lone dissenter of the bunch, and at a previous meeting, had argued that the office park plan wasn't perfect by any means, but was the best plan available. That, if the park plan wasn't approved, there was a very real chance the next proposal to come their way would be one that would drop a mini-subdivision in that slot. So I think two things to come away with from that specific issue ... first, the vote was tabled, so it isn't officially dead or anything; second, I think McCarter, actually, might be kinda right on this (and I don't say that a heckuva lot) in the sense that, comparing the two with the logistics and realities of the situation over there, an office is the default 'less worse' option. It isn't the job of the commission to play developer, something noted by several of them during these discussions, but to see if the proposed plans warrant appropriate zoning changes, if they fit the neighborhood and environment and if this suits the long-term land use plan. Arguably, this plan is somewhat lacking, but the substantially worse earlier plans for a 19-house subdivision and the fact such a similar proposal might snake its way back toward them if the park is shot down for good are not better alternatives. It's a weird, frustrating situation for all parties involved, but it might become very necessary to ponder the pros and cons of this thing, and, again, go with the 'less worse' one.

- Yesterday, I had Andy Herod's announcement, and today I received word that David Hamilton has a blog. He's got a little bio information and announcement statement up, so check that out. I say again ... it's a shame we won't have a longer time for this campaign because it's two solid candidates for District Eight.

- The caveat is that spot zoning is bad as a long-term land use objective, but sometimes necessary on a case-by-case basis (hence the moniker I suppose). Still, I agree with Peter Goerig in the sense that it would be useful to take a look at some earlier problems that have resulted from the rezoning efforts over there (I remember having a conversation with Kelly Girtz that was something to this effect).

- Stanicek has his baseball preview up for Georgia - Part One and Part Two.

- You're darn right we need more frequent leaf-and-limb pickup. See, this is the beauty of local politics. The fact that something like attention to the details can pay off so much.