1 - Ivan Allen, Jr. Digital Collection - Georgia Institute of Technology

REVIEW BODYZoning BoardAction Delayed3'/~/?.;By JIM MERRlNERAtlanta's zoning processesremained in limbo Wednesdayas the City Council DevelopmentCommittee, respondingto demands for more citizenparticipation. delayed action00 proposed zoning reviewboanI.Committee Clainnan Richar d Gulhman warned that"we will be in the middle ofnowhere" in zoning mattersunless the review board iscreated by the full councilMonday. The committeeagreed to meet early Mondayto decide its recommendationabout the review board to thecouncil.A moratorium on rezoningapplications has been in effectsince November to give thecity time to work out newzoning and planning proceduresunder the new citycharter,Also, Gov. Carter will ~nsign a law abolishing the citycountyJoint Planning Board,w b i c h reviews zoning requests,Guthman said. Thecitizen review board, mandatedWldcr the new charter, isnecessary to provide legalmeans to enact new zoninglal'os. he said.During a two-hour pUblicheanng on the proposed reviewboard. representalives ofseveral civic groups arguedthat it would not involve adquatecitizen patricipation andmight be open to C1)nflicts ofinterest.Under Guthman's 0 r d i­nance the review board wouldinclud~ a chainnan appointedby the City Council president,plus six members named bye dtA-sn~the council from each at-largecouncil post. Members couldnot be public employes or officeholders and would be Wl'paid.Robert L, Schwind of thePine HillS Civic Club recalledthat many COWlciimen duringthe election campaign endorsedholding zoning meetings atnight and in the neighborhoodsto be affected.The ordinance called formeetings in City Hall, but thecommittee agreed to lea\'e themeeting times and places upto the board.Schwind also said the JointPlanning Board saw manyC1)nfliets of interest and urgedthat the new board excludereal estate men. developers,real estate lawyers and otherwith "vested interests.""Unless you are a hermit"you might be open to confl ~ ctsof interest, Guthman replied."The home o",ner has a conflictof interest. perhaps morethan an,body else" in zoningrequesls near his property, hesaid.The city-wide League ofNeighborhoods ,preser1ted ~aiternalive ordmance of ItsO'ot'O, providing for speci..ficmeans of citizen participationand for certifying neighborhoodgroups. in addition t~ thereview board. 'fbe colllfJutteesaid it would consider theordinance before its specialmeeting Monday.A motion to amend Gulliman'sbill to grant the mayorpol'o-er to appoint one of theboard members l os t whenGuthman voted to create a 3-3,;,. ~At present, rezoning oroinanct>Scan be proposed onlybv individual councilmen. Onthe first such proposal in the jnew administration, the com- Imittee rejected a move to ,eliminate a 75-foot buffer zonenear Piedmont Road Wednesdoy.About 20 residents protestedthe abolition of the wood~buller between west ShaodwlawnAverue and PiedmontRoad commercial property.Former Alderman CecilTurner spoke for Ule develOperWoodale Investment Co. ,argwng that the comp~nyleased property for a shoppmgcenter in the belief that the Ibuffer had already been takenout. The proposal failed on a3-2 \'ote and will be consideredby the full council ~londa y.City Council DueZoning ProposalBy HANK EZELLA proposa]. {o r handling"ITf"'zonlng bearings in Atlanta Isexpected kI go to the CityQancjJ for a vote Monday.The ]X'OpOSa1 itself will notbe In fmal shape befure Moodaymorning, a few hours beforeit is 5Cheduled to go beforethe council.'!be council's devetopnentcommittee, meeting Wedne.day, put off its rec0mmendationtill lloOOay after bearingtestimony from a number ofDei.gtb)r-bood activists.A variety of civic assoeia­!;on _ IDciud' RaLani er 0( th e ~'Wid~League 01 Neigbbor!lOOds, appearedto preeerrt a broadrange ol pro-resldenlial sug_gestions.Councilman Rieharo Guthman,development committeechairman and author of a pro­JXI