Athens City Schools now have more flexibility when finding a buyer for a piece of school property for sale near the new high school.

A change in zoning made it possible.

Athens City Council members voted 5-0 during their regular meeting Monday to approve the school system’s request to rezone 2.43 acres at the southwest corner of Pryor Street and U.S. 31 North from B-2 General Business to Traditional Business District.

During a public hearing held prior to the council’s vote, no one spoke for or against the rezoning request.

In October, the Athens Planning Commission held a public hearing on the rezoning request. Trey Holladay, Athens City Schools superintendent, told the Planning Commission the change in zoning was being sought because the property is close to residential areas and the new zoning would give it “more of a neighborhood feel.”

The rezoning will do more than that. It will give the school system more ability to attract buyers because it will let prospective buyers sell alcoholic beverages as long as they are 50 feet from a school or church. Without the rezoning, alcohol sales were banned within 500 feet of a school or church.

“This opens it up more to market the property for sale,” Mayor Ronnie Marks told The News Courier before the meeting. “… It gives them (the current property owners) the opportunity to have options for the sale (of the land).”

The Planning Commission voted in October to refer the rezoning request to the Athens City Council so the council could hold a public hearing, which is what the council did Monday before voting on the rezoning request.