Augusta may consider lifting or loosening historic preservation requirements after a troubled downtown property hit roadblocks to being demolished.
Two commissioners said the Historic Preservation Commission is using a heavy hand on approving some construction projects.
It appears the appointed commission is “driving the train on some of the development” downtown, Commissioner Sean Frantom said at a committee meeting last week.
The commission’s purpose is limited to approvals of projects in Augusta’s three official historic districts: Downtown, Olde Town and Summerville.
The property in question, a former bazaar in the 1200 block of Broad Street, has been slated for demolition since 2021.
It has encountered resistance, in part, because the owner hasn’t properly submitted a plan for its future use.
Planning Director Carla DeLaney said owners sometimes race against the clock waiting on rulings as their buildings further destabilize.
The commission’s members are volunteers and no city staff are dedicated to historic preservation, she said.
Commissioner Brandon Garrett said the commission and some of its members individually have made unusual requests to building owners.
Delaney said Augusta could look at other cities’ historic preservation commissions for comparison.
A vote to do that and possibly revise the group’s bylaws goes before the Augusta Commission for approval Tuesday.
Other cities, such as Savannah, have strict historic preservation laws to keep historic buildings and districts from being demolished and replaced haphazardly.
The cities, including Augusta, require developers to apply to the commission to make changes based on building code requirements.
Savannah’s demolition checklist, for example, asks if an owner knew if a property was historic at the time of purchase. Augusta’s form was last revised in 2002.
