The Augusta Board of Zoning Appeals approved the expansion of a 19th century property in the Summerville Historic District during its meeting, Monday.
Elizabeth McGee, of Augusta firm Cheatham Fletcher Scott Architects, submitted a variance request for a 1.07-acre parcel at 946 Milledge Road, on behalf of its owners Woody and Janie Kay.
A 3,646 square foot home, built in 1885, sits on the property, alongside three historic accessory buildings totaling 2,510 square feet.
The county’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance limits the total gross floor area of accessory structures on residential lots to a maximum of 1,200 total square feet, if the total lot area is 10,000 square feet or more.
Planning staff noted that since all the buildings on the property predate the zoning ordinance, the county currently considers them legal nonconformities.
The applicants, however, had petitioned to approve raising the maximum total gross floor area for the property’s accessory buildings from 1,200 to 2,700 square feet. This is to accommodate a proposed 170-square foot addition to a 446-square foot cottage, the smallest of the accessory buildings on the property.
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This new construction would increase the total area of the accessory structures to more than 2,600 square feet, effectively nullifying their legal nonconformity, staff stated.
“We’re so well under the coverage because it’s just a proportionally large lot, and we’re already over the accessory limit since this property predates the zoning ordinance,” McGee said to the board members. “The only reason that we’re adding to this building… is to make the building symmetrical, to fit the property and fit the strong design axis that it’s on.”
In November of 2023, McGee and the Kays petitioned the Historic Preservation Commission for a certificate of appropriateness. That request was to allow for the construction of a new rear porch wrapping around the side entrance, and to restore and relocate two of the accessory structures.
The commission determined that the buildings’ legal nonconformity would remain provided they were relocated rather than expanded.
“The Kays are taking an extreme measure to preserve this building and the other buildings on site,” said McGee to the board. “It’s notable what they’re doing to preserve these properties.”
Planning staff recommended denial of the variance request, but also recommended conditions if the board voted to approve, including that the accessory structures not be used as residential properties, nor have separate electrical service, nor have any facilities for sleeping, cooking or use as a home office.
Responding to a question from Vice-chair Sean Mooney, McGee assure the board members that the expanded building was only to be used as a pool house, and that most of the buildings, save for one that had once been used as a rental unit, were not separately metered.
Mooney motioned to approve the variance request. The board unanimously voted in favor.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
