Sunday, June 17, 2007

Isn't that convenient

As we see here, Billy Ramsbottom finally decided to adhere to the community's suggestion that his development along Oconee Street follow the Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

So, good.

It is a tad ridiculous, I must confess. While assembling what was a very promising proposal that needed a little bit of tweaking and a little bit of compromise, Ramsbottom and his associates argued that including commerical space on the lower level of his proposed development wasn't feasible, wasn't viable and wouldn't make any money. Ultimately, after refusing to budge on any of the requests from the Athens-Clarke County Commission, his original plan was voted down and he has, apparently, found a new developer and gone back to the drawing board.

This new plan does feature a full slate of commercial space along the lower level. So why is it OK now, but not OK then when the commission was striving to find a workable compromise with Ramsbottom? Why is it all of a sudden a 'happy ending' when just a few short months ago, it was something which couldn't even be considered?

Who knows. Still, it will be quite a large development, but is the next piece in the puzzle for the redevelopment of areas like Oconee Street, which is ultimately good.

Of course, the condos will probably cost $245,000, so there's that.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, the ACC Commissioners really kicked his butt.

Now he's increased the number of kiddie condo's by 25% (at 2 to 3 bedrooms each), and if he's really lucky he can add another 10 bedrooms or so. Of course with all those extra units, he's required to provide more parking, which means more impervious surface and more runoff in a sensitive river corridor.

Of course Oconee Street is so underutilized that it needs all the extra traffic.

But the county did get a whooping 2000 sq. feet of retail space out it.

The real silver lining is that we don't have to listen to the great minds of the ACC commission agonize over how tacky a retaining wall on private property is, and how lovely they would build it if only it were theirs and their money

11:45 AM  

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