CLARKESVILLE — The Clarkesville Downtown Development Authority is looking to neighboring communities for ideas as it continues early planning for redevelopment of the Old Courthouse property at 555 Monroe St., including the potential for a downtown hotel.
During its regular meeting Thursday, board members discussed a recent site visit to downtown Clayton, where they toured projects and met with city officials to explore strategies that could be applied in Clarkesville.
Economic Development Director Yvonne Marinelli said one of the most notable takeaways was the scale and success of Clayton’s Bridge Creek Inn, a three-story, 40-room hotel built on a relatively small footprint.
“It’s a 40-room establishment, three stories, and when we walked in, it’s just a big, very open lobby and a little coffee bar tucked away in the corner, with local art on the walls,” Marinelli said. “We asked how many rooms were there, and she said 40 — it just seemed like a lot in that space.”
Marinelli said the hotel appears to be performing well despite Clayton having significantly lower traffic counts than Clarkesville.
“They said they seem to be doing well, and their traffic count is several thousand less than what ours is,” she said. “Their traffic count is about 9,000 on their main drag, and we have about 13,000 on a weekday, closer to 17,000 on a weekend.”
She added that Clarkesville’s available property could allow for even greater flexibility in development.
“With our property here, we have a lot more room to work with,” Marinelli said. “That space was on three-quarters of an acre. We have not all of two and a half acres, but we have a lot more wiggle room to create a space like that.”
Board member Rope Roberts said Clayton’s approach showed how a hotel project could be adapted to a constrained downtown site through flexibility and incentives.
“This is a vast improvement of what used to be there,” Roberts said. “They had a very narrow lot, but they made it work.”
Roberts pointed to features including a full-service restaurant next door, indoor and outdoor event space and accommodations for site limitations.
“What I really liked about it was there’s a meeting space that extends out to an open grass area where they can host weddings and events,” he said.
“It’s something we don’t have like that here.”
He also noted the city worked with the developer to meet specific needs, including parking and tax incentives.
“What it shows is that whatever the person needs is what you work with to make that work,” Roberts said.
Marinelli said the Clayton visit also sparked ideas such as creating a central business district and offering targeted incentives to attract development.
“Some maybe like the implementation of a central business district, which would allow a little bit more flexibility on certain ordinances due to the close proximity of property lines in a downtown,” she said. “And then some possible tax incentives that we might could offer some businesses, such as a hotel or a historic inn to come in.”
She said adopting a similar approach could open up redevelopment opportunities beyond the Monroe Street site.
“Because that — if we could adopt that — that will open up so many possibilities for the old funeral home lot,” Marinelli said. “It would make it more attractive for someone who wants to come in and build something, maybe an extension of a local vineyard tasting room or a brew pub or something of that nature.”
Vice Chair Spencer Carr said any changes to zoning or development rules could still face community debate, particularly around existing ordinances and proximity to churches and schools.
“I know there was when the coffee shop opened down there … there was a big hubbub of how close was that store to the church,” Carr said, recalling past discussions over alcohol sales and distance requirements.
Carr said those types of concerns would likely resurface regardless of whether the city adopts a central business district or amends its current code.
“You’re going to be fighting the same battle if you get to that same result,” he said. “Trying to balance those business opportunities with local politics … can often be hard.”
Roberts said one key difference between the two cities is Clarkesville’s established historic district, which could shape how development is approached.
“The advantage of going and talking to Trudy was that she’s been here,” Roberts said. “She knew what we had. When she was talking about Clayton, they didn’t have the historic preservation that we have going down Washington Street.”
He said that difference makes it important to better understand how tools like a central business district could be used locally.
“I’d like to know more about what the advantages would be if we were to adopt that,” Roberts said.
The discussion comes as the DDA continues preliminary work on the 555 Monroe St. site, which remains its primary focus.
“What we have so far is the topo,” Marinelli said. “From my understanding, what the next steps are going to be getting those renderings done and kind of what our vision is before we can put it out for bid.”
Marinelli also confirmed that the Clarkesville City Council has not held a meeting or workshop on the site since its last discussion.
The board is planning another site visit in June to the city of Hartwell, where members will meet with Economic and Community Development Director Jason Ford to review additional projects and strategies.
“He is excited to show us around and kind of show us what works for them,” Marinelli said. “We can kind of bounce some ideas off of him.”
In other business, the authority approved updated bylaws without discussion, formalizing board structure and procedures. The board also appointed Calvin Wilbanks to the DDA without objection.
No formal action was taken on the Monroe Street project as planning and design work continues.
