Augusta recently got a new Italian villa-style events venue for weddings, corporate events and more. The problem is the venue is a residential home in the middle of the luxury Barrington neighborhood in Martinez.
The 6,400-square-foot mansion was bought last year by Augusta University cyber college Associate Dean Gursimran Walia, who has been marketing the property as Villa La Dolce Vita, an ideal place for weddings and other events with prices ranging from $1,500 for an overnight stay to $5,000 for an event rental.
Residents have been complaining to Columbia County’s code enforcement since February.
“We want him out!” said one neighbor, who asked that his name be kept anonymous.
Using the home at 3526 Lakestone Court as a rental violates Barrington’s HOA rules, while using it as an event facility violates Columbia County’s zoning laws.
Records obtained by The Augusta Press show that code enforcement has asked Walia to remove the ads for the villa and to stop using the property for events, but he hasn’t complied.
“We are at an impasse, which appears to only be able to be resolved in court,” code enforcement manager Dana Rhodes wrote in a report.
At a hearing on Wednesday that was attended by several neighbors, Walia pleaded not guilty. A trial date has been set for July 25.
Walia did not respond to a request for an interview.
His attorney, Jeffrey Peil, called the accusations against Walia “absurd” and said that “well-connected” Barrington residents forced Columbia County public servants to issue Walia an ordinance violation. It’s not a crime for a homeowner, or his lawful tenant, to host a party, he said.
“The charge stems from a sorry group of truculent NIMBYs in the subdivision who are upset that one of Dr. Walia’s AirBNB guests hosted a tasteful, non-disruptive party,” Peil said. “Perhaps they were upset about not being invited.”
Augusta University did not respond to a request for comment.
Walia, who was named associate dean of academic affairs in the Augusta University School of Computer and Cyber Sciences in January 2022, bought the six-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath property in April 2022, according to Columbia County property tax records.
He registered The Villa at Barrington LLC with the Georgia Secretary of State in October, according to records obtained from Columbia County code enforcement. The business has no local Columbia County business license.
The home, built in 1999, features “Italian Old-World elegance” with its stucco roof and eight-foot antique heart pine and glass front door, according to the Zillow listing. Inside, the foyer boasts a 22-foot ceiling while both the indoor and outdoor areas feature a commercial kitchen. The backyard also has a heated pool, jacuzzi, fireplace and pizza oven.
The first sign of trouble at the villa came on Feb. 6 when a neighbor called code enforcement about the property being used as an event venue, according to records obtained by The Augusta Press. This would be the first of many calls in February, May and June.
Later that day, Rhodes sent an email to Walia informing him that his use of the residence as an event venue was a violation of Columbia County’s zoning ordinance. Walia asked to set up a meeting with the county’s planning manager, Will Butler.
On Feb. 7, Barrington’s HOA sent Walia an email saying neighborhood rules state that each lot should be used as a single-family residence and nothing else unless it’s a Masters-related rental. Rules prohibit AirBnB and similar types of rentals, regardless of the length of stay, as well as businesses that require customer or client traffic.
On Feb. 9, Walia sent a letter to Butler following their meeting saying that no events had been held at the villa yet and that he would be installing cameras “to avoid any false complaints in the future.”
Walia also sent a copy of the villa’s policies, which said events must not exceed 125 persons and no more than 10 vehicles may be parked at the residence. No street parking is allowed, except for loading and unloading, and outdoor music must stop at 10 p.m.
On Feb. 13, the HOA called code enforcement about the residence being operated as an event venue.
On Feb. 15 Walia emailed Butler that he had removed the villa’s Facebook page and asked about a rezoning application for the property. Rhodes responded saying she had looked over the updated Villa website and it looked ok.
“As long as you’re careful to stay away from ‘event’ type verbiage it will minimize the risk of violating the zoning ordinance,” she wrote.
Rhodes thanked Walia for addressing the issues, seeming to end the ordeal.
But a few weeks later on Feb. 21, Rhodes emailed Walia that his Google profile still indicated that the space was an event venue. Walia responded that the description was automatically generated by Google and said he reached out to have it removed from the search engine.
About three months later on May 30, Barrington HOA reported to code enforcement that the property was still being used as an event venue.
Walia lists the villa’s official planning services partner as Allgood Hospitality, which is run by Thomas Allgood III, the son of Thomas Allgood Jr., a prominent Augusta lawyer who was killed in 2017 when he collided with another boat on Thurmond Lake. He’s also the grandson of Thomas Allgood, a lawyer and former member of the Georgia Senate who died in a plane crash near Daniel Field in 2000. Allgood Hall at AU’s Summerville Campus is named in his honor.
A marketing video from Allgood Hospitality gives a full tour of the property.
On June 1, Rhodes issued Walia an ordinance citation for a zoning code violation for operating a special event facility in a residential zoning district.
“It’s a small, very quiet subdivision,” said neighbor Eugene Renno. “There’s not a lot of traffic except those that live here, so it’s very obvious and not hard to pick up on.”
Rhodes noted in her report that she tried to negotiate with Walia and his attorney but to no avail.
The villa’s official website shows the property is still open for bookings. It’s also listed on AirBnB for $1,545 per night and on VRBO for $1,433 per night.
“It is clear Dr. Walia has continued and will continue operating as an event venue in clear violation of our zoning ordinance,” Rhodes wrote in a report.
