Athens City Council at-large elections are Tuesday, with five potential candidates vying for three spots. Incumbent Jim Sands and candidate Elahu Gosney talked with The Post about Halloween, Richland Avenue and the preservation of green space. Incumbent Amy Flowers and candidates Troy Gregorino and Cindy Johnson shared their views about these topics via e-mail.
The Post: What would you do to help preserve the green space that concerns so many Athens residents?
Amy Flowers: We must continue to ensure that only safe and necessary development occurs in our community and continue to utilize empty building space and continue to occupy land that has already been developed.
Elahu Gosney: It's essential that we really work to maintain the character of Athens. Green space and the rolling hills (are a major part of that). Green space improves the quality of life.
Troy Gregorino: We can no longer afford the option of complacency. In addition to providing vital natural habitat, our hills define the very essence of this community. We need clear and rigorous restrictions against overdevelopment.
Cindy Johnson: I am opposed to development that occurs at the expense of the community and the quality of life.
Jim Sands: We only have influence over the land within city limits. Athens is a pretty old city so it's pretty well developed. Still, I'd like to see stronger protection over the few pockets of greenery.
Post: What do you think can be done to make the Richland Avenue project move quicker and smoother? What can be done to make the project less expensive? What are your personal concerns for the area?
Flowers: You cannot rush safety, so in terms of what can push this project along is to ensure that we are cautiously making the right decisions at every turn. Moving smoother would involve an abundant amount of public input. We like to hear what the people want because in turn everyone is satisfied. Again, projects of this size can be costly but you cannot put a price on safety.
Gosney: We need to look at what the professionals say. Cross signals could work (between campus and West Green.) Also the development of bike lanes (similar to the one by Lindley). Richland is kind of backwards. It's really a hazard right now.
Gregorino: It strikes me as absurd to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars just to have people study what are clearly problematic traffic patterns. I've personally volunteered to help assemble a team of area residents and experts to determine for free what would be our best and most cost-efficient solution on Richland Avenue. Additionally, the mock walk that crosses Richland near Porter Hall is a danger to pedestrians and motorists alike.
Johnson: The Richland Avenue bridge needs to be addressed and corrected immediately. The sidewalk, beginning opposite the graffiti wall, and ending at the entrance to Carriage Hill Apartments, needs to be fenced in, because this is a heavy pedestrian area. Also, a bridge safety fence is much needed. Fixing Richland Avenue should be high on the cities' to-do list. Columbus Road is another sore spot in the city.
Sands: It's a problem because West Green is on one side and the rest of campus is on the other. We could have some kind of elevated walkway. Reworking stoplights is also a priority. The task force is the first step.
Post: What do you feel the city could do differently for Halloween? Can anything be done to make the event more profitable?
Flowers: Halloween needs to be revamped and reworked as a community event. Using the Columbus Community Festival as a model is very important and cannot be expressed enough. We must continue to use events similar to ours as models for improvements and successes.
Gosney: I really like the idea of a haunted house as a way to make Halloween more attractive to our community. It'd be a good way to make cash and shift focus away from the student party. I also liked the idea of a part-time planner.
Gregorino: Like any event of its magnitude, Halloween in Athens involves some inherent risks. But the party needs to remain a party. That said, I view the event as an opportunity both for local business and for the city. I'd like to see us initiate annual fundraisers around Halloween, either in collaboration with local businesses or independently, to generate resources for some designated areas of need.
Johnson: No, there are more important issues facing the city.
Sands: I am not opposed to having a party planner. I voted against it at the time because it was too close to Halloween and would have been ineffective. Nobody (in city government) has time in the winter to start working on Halloween. We need to identify a person to do that. The planner could work towards a beer garden to please the police or a haunted house in a safe manner. They would also work towards a safe Halloween like we had this year.
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Brigitta Burks
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Party affiliation:Democrat Age: 21 Job: Student Elected: currently serving first term on City Council Education: bachelor's degree in political science, working on master's degree in public administration at OU
