Athens City Hall

Citing concerns over installing more bulb-outs in downtown Athens, the City Council on Monday tabled a plan to improve the intersection of Green and Marion streets.

Public Works Director James Rich said the intersection was one of 19 surveyed by a traffic engineer several years ago. He said the intersection was one identified as being suitable for a four-way stop sign as opposed to the current traffic signal.

Installing the signs, however, requires a need to protect pedestrian traffic and any vehicles parked on the side of the street. Rich said that is the primary purpose of the bulb-outs, which were installed around The Square as part of an ambitious improvement project.

Council President Harold Wales said he had heard enough criticism about the bulb-outs around The Square, and he had no intention of voting for more. District 5 Councilman Wayne Harper echoed Wales’ concerns, though both men said they would support changing the intersection to a four-way stop.

After hearing council members’ concerns, Rich asked them to delay voting on the measure until he could meet with them individually and discuss alternatives for the intersection.

“You need a place to put a stop sign, and you have to protect pedestrian traffic,” Rich told the council. “We have to make sure we meet federal traffic-control plans.”

The council will vote on the intersection improvement plan at its Nov. 25 meeting.

Park meetings

Elsewhere Monday, Mayor Ronnie Marks encouraged the public to attend upcoming meetings devoted to the design of a park on the former Pilgrim’s Pride property on Pryor Street.

The first public meeting is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, at Athens City Hall on Hobbs Street. A work session is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, with another from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6. The meetings are described as being “open all day for community input.”

A final closing presentation and pinup review is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. It will also be a public meeting.

Marks, however, wanted the council to ensure the moving of Jimmy Gill Park on West Sanderfer Road remains a priority. The park was closed to make way for the new Toyota Boshoku project.

Marks reminded the council that the city has $300,000 from Toyota Boshoku devoted to moving Jimmy Gill Park to the former Woodland Golf Course, which the city purchased for $1 million.

“I don’t want the hype of Pilgrim’s Pride to overtake what we’re going to do with Jimmy Gill Park,” he said.

Funding plea

The council also heard from Bill Perkins, a member of the Athens Boys & Girls Club board of directors. He requested $35,000 from the council to assist with its programs and for roof repairs.

“The Boys & Girls Club exists to build responsible citizens of our community, break the cycle of generational poverty and give students a better way of life,” Perkins told the council.

The club offers mentoring services and tutoring help for students who need it.

Perkins said money received by the city is matched by the Office of Juvenile Justice. He added the agency has two full-time and six part-time staff members.

There are currently 48 students in grades kindergarten through eighth enrolled at the club, and 15 to 20 teens. The tuition is $35 per week and includes food.

New water services manager

Finally, Marks told the council new water services manager Jimmy Junkin would be in the office beginning Monday, Nov. 4. He said Junkin recently participated in a meeting with Krebs Engineering that focused on sewer expansion in the southeastern part of the city.

Marks and members of the council also took time to offer thanks to Betty Kiep, who has helmed the water services department since the resignation of Frank Eskridge in February. She is retiring at the end of the week.

Other business

In other business Monday, the council:

• Heard from resident Ralph Diggins about what Diggins referred to as poor mail service within the city limits. He said he had talked to other residents and business owners who expressed the same concerns. Diggins wanted Marks and the council to ask the Athens postmaster to address city leaders about the quality of service and explain how the post office would accommodate serving future homes within the city limits;

• Heard from resident and Athens Zoning Board of Adjustments member Greg Skipworth, who expressed concern about smaller lot sizes. He said the Athens Planning Commission had approved high-density zoning plans in parts of the city that are contrary to the city’s master plan. He urged council members to pay attention to the zoning plans as they come before the council;

• Heard from resident David Malone, who asked why there had not been any paving projects performed in District 3. He specifically said Somerest and Booker drives and Lucas Street were roads in need of attention;

• Held a public hearing and then rezoned property for Watercress Preserve LLC from a single-family low-density residential district to single-family medium density residential district. The development is located to the north of the Springs at Watercress, west of Lucas Ferry Road;

• Accepted the resignation of Wales from the Planning Commission. Wales said he had been on the commission for 10 years and that it was “time for me to get off and move on to other things”;

• Granted a special-use permit to T-Mobile to modify equipment at 107 Stewart Drive;

• Set a public hearing for Nov. 25 to review the request of Edna R. Bailey and Keith Rowe to rezone property at 13617 Cambridge Lane and surrounding property from and estate agricultural district to single-family low-density residential district;

• Set a public hearing for Nov. 25 to review the request of Linton Road LLC to rezone property east of 22345 Nick Davis Road from estate residential and agricultural district to conventional planned-unit development district, and adopt an amended Henderson Estates development plan to include the rezoned property;

• Approved the purchase of a 2019 Ford F-150 for the cemetery parks and recreation department at a cost not to exceed $25,138. Money for the purchase will come from the 2018 general fund surplus.

The council will meet again Monday, Nov. 4, at City Hall.