BellaVino issue raises question; what kind of city do we want?

To the Editor:

The thing that struck me about BellaVino is how immediately better the space got, once Lili took over. One Stop was a dark and sad little place. It was the kind of place where people who should not be drinking would go to buy booze. BellaVino, in contrast, was exponentially better in a "Soul of Athens" kind of way (and full disclosure, I worked there for a time.) It's unfortunate to see it go.

And now to the debate, about the desirability of more student apartments, and over an historic building whose most significant historical achievement has been to stay standing for 100 years. Then there's the code: is parking really commercial space? So it appears. What a great object lesson on the debate between strict construction and a "living" city code. What, pray tell, did the Athens Founding Fathers mean when they said "commercial"?

Actually, there's a larger question at hand, one that is being answered in a most unfortunate way. The question is what kind of city Athens should be. The answer appears to be, unquestionably, one with a lot more cars. Over the last 25 years, Athens has become increasingly less walkable. Back in my day (yes, I know that when anyone says "back in my day" the ONLY response is "oh here we go"), the campus area had Bob's Supermarket on Stimson; it had retailers like Woolworth and Marting's on Court. There was the surprisingly useful Oasis on University Terrace. I lived on and near campus for five years, and I never needed a car.

Oh how times they have-a-changed. With the exception of West Siders, who have foot access to the most agreeable Seaman's, if you live in Athens, you need a car. How did it get this way? Well, there's OU and its relentless pursuit of more students, driving the need for "luxury" accommodations. Developers take note and turn places like Bob's and Woolworth into, respectively, "luxury" apartments and a big, brown, empty box, containing apartments, somewhere, apparently. And of course, there is city leadership, which seems to view parking as commerce.

Yowza. Athens is quick to the cause when the risk is to green space, but not nearly so effective when it comes to urban planning. (I know, the word "urban" and Athens don't quite mesh; it's the only word I could think of during the Wikipedia blackout.) Athens suffers from a lack of action when it comes to planning, allowing dubious outfits like Three-Wide Entertainment to do the work instead. Yowza, yowza, yowza.

So the questions being asked are the wrong ones: it isn't where to buy craft beer and cool wines (you still have Seaman's) or what to do with a 100-year-old stable. It isn't even whether stripping is free speech. My dear Athens, the question is, what kind of city do you really want?

Tom Strodtbeck
Liverpool, England
Formerly of Athens