Prospect of more student housing near downtown Athens raises concerns

From WUGA:

The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission held their agenda setting session on Tuesday. One of the main areas of concern was the development of more student housing and the impact it might have on the community.

Andy Seavoy, a representative for the developer looking to build apartments near Hoyt Street in downtown Athens, spoke at the meeting. Seavoy said the project would bring more housing and benefits to Athens such as plazas, playgrounds, and public spaces.

Some members of Athens-Clarke County raised concerns about the possible outcomes if this project was built. Micheal McClendon, a Clarke County resident, believed the development would be a future problem for areas like Lay Park.

“There are fundamental issues in here that need to be addressed ranging anywhere from it's going to increase the general fund budget requirement,” said McClendon. “It's going to decimate the use and operations of Lay Park for example.”

Melissa Link, Commissioner of District two, believes this project could possibly bring benefits for the community. She believes if this project doesn’t get made, other developers might not be so willing to work with them.