The city will not construct a road connecting East Park Drive and Home Street any time soon.
At a City Council meeting Monday night, Mayor Steve Patterson announced the city had no plans to build the proposed connector due negative feedback from the community.
“We received (complaints from) several concerned citizens who did not like the idea at all,” Patterson said. “The city will not be moving forward with the connector.”
Patterson said that while the Home Street Connector is no longer a consideration, the city will look for ways to improve the traffic situation on East State Street in the future without affecting the city’s green space.
“Connecting East Park Drive, which is on the campus and Community Center Drive is a possibility, which will also help with traffic flow,” Patterson said.
In a previous Post article, Council Member Jennifer Cochran, D-At Large, was in stark opposition to the proposed connector.
“I think that putting in a connector there would have a negative impact on both the library and its patrons,” Cochran said.
After Monday night’s meeting, Cochran said she was relieved that the connector would not be moving forward, but supported further efforts to improve traffic in the East State Street area.
“What I would support is further safety measures on State Street and further traffic calming measures to slow folks down,” she said.
Council also passed a measure at Monday night’s meeting requiring local bed and breakfasts to charge a transient guest tax and redefining the areas in which bed and breakfasts can operate.
Council Member Chris Fahl, D-4th Ward, said the new tax also covers AirBnB since it is only a form of promotion.
“AirBnB isn’t a completely new idea, it’s a way of marketing,” Fahl said. “I think that code will go to talk about bed and breakfasts, not how they are marketed.”
The new code will allow bed and breakfasts only in R-3, or multi-family, and business zoning areas in the city.
The city also passed an ordinance allowing for a mutual agreement between the Athens and Ohio University to allow cooperation during “major instances and emergencies.” Current language only allows for cooperation during “major events.”
In addition, the city passed a resolution allowing the use of the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway to be used as part of a statewide system of bike paths organized by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
