The Main Street parking deck in downtown Gainesville could soon offer electric vehicle charging stations, pending a vote Tuesday night by the Gainesville City Council.
The council will vote on whether or not to authorize a resolution accepting more than $158,000 from Georgia Power as part of the company’s Make Ready Program. The funding will be used to build the electric chargers on all four levels of the parking deck.
According to documents on the city’s website, there are four charging stations proposed for each of the first three levels of the parking deck. Assistant City Manager Angela Sheppard said during the meeting the city plans to start with four charging stations and add on later.
An additional 16 stations are planned for the deck’s fourth level.
A third party, working with Georgia Power, will be responsible for building and maintaining the charging stations.
In addition, the city council will vote Tuesday night on an ordinance amending the city’s Unified Land Development Code as it pertains to short-term rentals.
Specifically, the ordinance proposes adding the term “short-term rentals” to the code, defined as “the occupancy of all or a portion of a residential structure, rented to the public for a fee for the purpose of overnight lodging for a period not more than 15 days.”
The new definition would include short-term rentals through websites like Airbnb and Vrbo.
“We’re not changing what we’re doing, we’re clarifying what we’re doing,” said Rusty Ligon, community and economic developer for the City of Gainesville, during the council work session Thursday.
The current ULDC code uses the term “lodging service” to refer to a short-term rental. Lodging services are not allowed in residential zoning districts, only commercial zoning districts.
Short-term rentals, as defined by the proposed ordinance, would be prohibited in residential zoning districts. They would be allowed in the residential and office district, located along Green Street and small portions of Candler Street, North Avenue and Forrest Avenue, according to information provided by Ligon.
Short-term rentals would also be allowed in commercial zoning districts, which include downtown and midtown Gainesville.
The Gainesville City Council meets Tuesday night at 5:30 p.m. in the Public Safety Complex.
