And then this one ...
These are renditions done by Rob Pierce, a student at the University of Georgia, that attempts to show the 'true' scale of the proposed Clayton Street parking deck when contrasted with the neighboring buildings. Arguably, it looks mighty big and, to be sure, the deck will be big.
The renditions, however, are grossly misleading and are being used primarily to agitate folks in advance of tonight's Athens-Clarke County Commission meeting.
The second photo, for instance, shows the perspective of the deck from Washington and Lumpkin Streets, with The Georgia Theater on its left. The problem with this perspective, obviously, is that it understates the impact of the proposed renovations to The Georgia Theater which is tacking on approximately 10 feet to its height through the addition of a rooftop level. In addition, both images fail to offer accurate perspectives that take into account the various churches in the community which feature similar heights or complete views looking toward the center of downtown which incorporate the larger structures in downtown's core.
Contrast that with the developer's drawings ...
Likewise, note the drawings submitted by The Georgia Theater to the Athens-Clarke County Historic Preservation Committee ...
Selective angles, sure, but I also think the scale is fairly appropriate from these various vantage point (though, to be fair, the Batson Cook sketch seems to understate the impact of the tower and minimizes the deck's horizontal influence on the skyline). However, the contrast with the renovated Georgia Theater seems to be more in line than the projections from Pierce.
Again, this isn't to say the building won't be big or alter the skyline, but it is to say that accusations of misleading schematic drawings go both ways here.
