Etowah Terrace On City’s Agenda

Redevelopment of an area in South Rome and a large section of East Rome will be foremost on the minds of the Rome City Commissioners tonight as the panel considers a controversial rezoning of South Rome for the second time, along with the designation of a large chunk of East Rome as a slum to pave the way for potential re-development.

The Etowah Terrace rezoning for the Mercy Senior Housing senior apartment complex will be up for another public hearing in the wake of legal action challenging the project. Citizens in the Mount Aventine community and preservationists across the city claim that the project is being done in opposition to the South Rome Redevelopment Corporation’s master plan for the area.

In East Rome, the city is seeking to declare a large area as a slum to facilitate approval of a massive re-development project that would be funded by federal grant money. The meeting gets underway at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

The City Commission voted to approve the rezoning at Etowah Terrace 6-1 months ago. That meeting drew crowds from both sides of the debate.