What is a family?

The answers might be many and varied depending on one’s perspective one, but the question has practical application when a city must rule how many people can reside in a single dwelling.

Rod Huffman, chairman of the Athens Planning Commission, clarified the meaning Monday of “family” in the writing of a draft zoning ordinance to go to the City Council for approval.

The commission held a hearing on the draft ordinance in recent months, but some residents said they wanted the matter clarified of how many unrelated people could reside in the same house and still call themselves a family.

One of those residents, Lawson Lee, said his property values and those of some of his neighbors in north Athens are being compromised by what appears to be multiple families living in nearby rental houses.

“An individual or two or more related by blood or legal status, but no more than five unrelated people can live together as a family,” said Huffman. “The maximum is five if they are unrelated, but if they are related by blood or legal status, the number is unlimited.”

Planning Commission member Gina Garth pointed out that college towns have similar ordinances, so the rules are not directed at any ethnic group.

After the hearing of several weeks ago, Huffman said he sent the draft ordinance—containing the first revisions in 23 years—to a consultant for review. The document came back with six areas that the consultant recommended be clarified.

“We are going to recommend the ordinance to the council for adoption, but we are saying they need to further consider the six staff recommendations, and it will be incumbent on them to make the changes,” said Huffman.

Among the six areas are:

• Removal of the terms “accessory dwellings” which are not allowed under the ordinance.

• More public input on the location and establishment of cemeteries.

• Removal of all mention of pigs and swine, because those farm animals are not permitted by the animal control ordinance.

• Remove hotels from multi-family residential.

• Allow flexibility in parking for businesses as long as they meet sufficient access and circulation space.