The timeline

One of the primary questions I've had regarding the Jittery Joe's parking situation is how, exactly, did Athens-Clarke County staff identify this property as one that wasn't in compliance? Particularly since the tasting room has been in operation for more than three years, and Jittery Joe's has been in operation at that location since 2002.

According to various internal documents, it turns out that a series of events, beginning with the desire of Dexter Weaver to increase the parking options for his popular restaurant, Weaver D's, ultimately led to impending shuttering of the Jittery Joe's lot and the possible showdown between Athens-Clarke County Commissioners and local staff officials, including Mayor Heidi Davison.

In early February, Weaver, along with the owner of a lot of land adjacent to his property, spoke with Brad Griffin, the planning director for Athens-Clarke County regarding the requirements for obtaining a demolition permit and establishing a commercial surface lot. On February 6, a demolition permit was granted to remove the structure at that lot, and the site was inspected and approved by staff on April 6.

On July 22, staff met with Weaver concerning his 'un-permitted use' of the adjacent, and now vacant, lot. While the restaurant owner had obtained the demolition permit, he never acquired the appropriate permit to utilize the site for commercial parking. Weaver, as well as the lot's owner, told staff they would seek a Land Disturbance Activity permit and seek the approval of a new commercial lot by August 21.

The lot's owner had submitted the complete plans review to staff, as well as the LDA permit and a final plat, on August 18. Athens-Clarke County staff is currently finalizing its review of those documents and, according to internal documents, is close to approving them.

The mild confusion surrounding the desired uses of the property owners, and how those desired uses contrasted with existing zoning, led to a staff meeting on August 19. Various businesses, including Jittery Joe's, were using informal lots for commercial parking without the appropriate permits and approvals. The properties reviewed at the meeting included Jittery Joe's and its adjacent lot (780 and 790 E. Broad Street), the Dixie Cannery (786 E. Broad Street) and the former CSX property acquired by the local government for future use, as well numerous other properties on 'the north side of the section of East Broad Street between the rail crossing and the river.'

It was determined that staff would notify those various property owners that they had to stop any sort of un-permitted parking use and to help them achieve compliance, presumably through the acquisition of a special-use permit or similar device. The first steps were taken the following week, as SPLOST staff members sent letters to property owners adjacent to the former CSX property that notifying them that the area would be fenced off (which it was).

This leads us to September 16, which is when the first letter was sent to Don Bennett regarding the un-permitted parking at his lot, which is adjacent to Jittery Joe's. On September 17, Bennett met with staff officials who explaind the violation, discussed the process on obtaining a special use permit and asked him to close the lot no later than October 2.

On September 30, staff sent a second letter to Bennett reminding him of the ultimatum, and then conducted a site visit at Jittery Joe's to notify them that the lot would close on October 2.