GAINESVILLE – The Gainesville City Council gave unanimous first reading approval to a rezoning request from the Gainesville Housing Authority for a project that will replace the 60-plus year old Atlanta Street Apartments.
(A mandatory second reading and vote will happen at the council’s next meeting before final rezoning approval is complete.)
“In June of 1978 my family and I moved to Gainesville from Provo, Utah,” Councilman George Wangemann said just before voting.
“We came by way of Highway 129,” Wangemann continued, referring to the entry route into Gainesville that passes the Atlanta Street Apartments. “And I saw these apartments, the Atlanta Street Apartments, and I thought, ‘Oh, what am I moving to here?’”
“They were old back then in 1978…so it’s high time that a change be made here. The new replacing the old will definitely make a major difference.”
Other council members echoed Wangemann’s sentiment. “I’m almost embarrassed - I realize this is part of the process- but this was one of the biggest slam-dunks,” Sam Couvillon said. “I can’t even believe that we have to vote on this.”
“This is a really exciting day, it’s been a long time coming,” Councilwoman Ruth Bruner added. “We’re real excited that we have come to this point.”
No one spoke against the project or the rezoning during the Public Comment portion of the meeting. Second reading and a final vote on the rezoning request is scheduled for May 17th.
APPLAUDING OUR HEROS
Four Gainesville police officers were publicly commended for heroic actions taken recently in the line of duty.
Police Chief Carol Martin recognized Officers Carlos Gilovanni and Cory Cummings, as well as negotiator/ Officer Charlie Champion, for their efforts on March 14th in talking a suicidal man out of jumping from Thompson Bridge.
Martin said the near tragedy had a happy ending. “The next week his life turned around completely, he found a job and his life turned out great.”
Martin announced that Champion will be among those receiving the annual John W. Jacobs, Sr. Memorial Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement presented by the Kiwanis Club.
She also honored Corporal Erik Ellis for de-escalating a situation on February 12th involving a man who had taken his estranged wife and daughter hostage at an area hotel.
“It was quite a scene out there,” Martin said describing the life-or-death incident. “It can turn very deadly in an instant…but his (Ellis) actions preserved officers’ lives and the wife and the husband.”
NEW ONE WAY STREET
First reading approval was given to making Airport Parkway a counter-clockwise one-way street. The road is the primary route through the Airport Industrial Park off West Ridge Road.
Assistant Public Works Director Chris Rotalsky said, “This will improve the safety of that roadway and the accessibility, especially during heavy traffic times.”
