The last meeting of the Athens City Council saw five separate public hearings on the agenda.

The second was a request by Ozark Properties, LLC to rezone about 33 acres of land south of Elm Street and north of Market Street from a R-1-1 low-density single family district to R-1-3 high-density single family district. R-1-3 zoning allows for more houses to be built on smaller lots across a piece of land than R-1-1 allows.

While discussing the hearing, several members of the Council discussed issues and concerns they have when it comes to R-1-3 zoning and how it will factor in to the future of Athens and the growth the city is experiencing.

Council member Harold Wales said he has developed an attitude of being against R-1-3 zoning.

“It seems like every time I pick up a piece of paper or request coming through the City, evidently the developer is requesting R-1-3,” he said. “I’ve got to tell y’all, I’m seeing some of these R-1-3s. They’re small houses. I’m afraid what’s going to happen after I’m gone from being a part of this, our city is going to look like a square box almost.”

Wales went on to request that the Council have some work sessions in the future to study zoning and R-1-3s.

“It is probably OK in certain areas, but each day that I live I am further pushed away from (R-1-3) zoning,” he said. “I don’t want to see our city become that. I love our city, and I’ll do anything to protect it. I do not believe me sitting here voting for R-1-3s almost weekly is good for our city.”

James Rich, director of Public Works, discussed the issue with Wales and reminded him that some changes were made to the City’s R-1-3 zoning rules late last year to help ease some of those concerns.

Council member Wayne Harper said it does feel like the Council is voting on a lot of R-1-3 zoning requests.

“I’m not saying they’re all bad, but it seems like that’s all we’re getting,” Harper said.

He went on to say he felt that zoning format would be “fine” for the development in question.

Council member Dana Henry said some R-1-3 zoning proposals are developer driven, but she also said the format is more popular in the market right now because of younger buyers and their interests.

“Kids my son’s age don’t necessarily want a larger home,” she said. “They don’t necessarily want a yard. I don’t like the idea of squished neighborhoods —I drive through some, and everyone is parked all over the street and it looks awful. However, they choose to live there because that is what’s affordable to them.”

Council member Chris Seibert, while discussing the zoning issue with City Planner Matt Davidson, said he and his fellow members need to be aware if they are approving too many R-1-3 zoning proposals.

“We don’t want to be this neighborhood of tons of little tiny houses on little tiny lots,” he said.

Seibert also discussed with City Planner Matt Davidson whether or not the City was following its current land use plan until the new master plan is complete.

Council member Frank Travis said he agreed with everyone else but said he did not want to starve an area of growth because the Council feels a particular way about it.

“We have to find an intersection where both sides are comfortable,” Henry said. “On the surface, I don’t necessarily like it, but that’s what people are buying these days. Where the answer lies is somewhere in the middle.”

Wales said he agreed with that statement. Ultimately the Council voted unanimously to approve the request in question because it seemed to be a good fit in this instance.