Zoning board expected to consider demolition of Macon church

For the second time this month, Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning commissioners are expected to revisit several items deferred from previous meetings when they gather Monday.

One of those items caused a bit of a stir at a June 13 meeting.

The members of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church have filed a Certificate of Appropriateness to allow exterior modifications as well as demolition and reconstruction of an existing building at 957-989 Oglethorpe St. Members want to demolish the church, a portion of which was built in 1888, and also to move a separate building it uses as a church library to property it owns across Oglethorpe Street from the church.

A contractor hired by the church contacted a Macon structural consultant who inspected the church, and he said one wall was “obviously leaning” and that the foundation had settled. The engineer, Garry Kornegay at Kornegay Engineering, said in a letter than the repairs to make the building structurally sound would be more expensive than replacement costs.

The commission’s Design Review Board recommended demolition, but it deferred a decision about the design of the new church and other details to allow the applicant time to provide more information.

Ethiel Garlington, executive director of Historic Macon, said during the June 13 commission meeting he thought the application was incomplete and that he would like permission to walk through the building to look at the structural issues.

After some comments from church members and discussion by the commission, the board decided to defer the matter until all the commissioners could be present. At the time, Ashok Patel and Bryan Scott were absent.

Another item that has been deferred since May also is on the agenda.

The commission is expected to consider an amendment to its Comprehensive Land Development Resolution to improve the design review process for certificates of appropriateness in the historic zoning districts, and the commercial business districts.

The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. in the 10th floor conference room, Willie C. Hill Government Center Annex, 682 Cherry St.

Other items on the agenda are:

ITEMS DEFERRED FROM APRIL 25 MEETING:

3910 Arkwright Road: Conditional use to allow a convenience store with alcohol package-to-go sales, C-2 District. Jim Mitchelle, applicant.

ITEMS DEFERRED FROM JUNE 13 MEETING:

4371 Sardis Church Road: Request for rehearing of previously denied rezoning application. Stephen Fike, applicant.

912 Magnolia St.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval of exterior modifications, HR-3 District. Robert Barthelemy, applicant.

AMENDING PREVIOUSLY APPROVED COA:

314-318 Second Street: Certificate of Appropriateness to approve exterior modifications and rear addition, CBD-1. Leonard Hindsman Jr., applicant.

CONDITIONAL USES:

3920 Pio Nono Ave.: Conditional use to allow an automotive electrical repair shop, C-2 District. Juan Carlos Aranda Gonzalez, applicant.

5000 Bass Road: Conditional use to allow parking expansion for boat storage and conversion of existing storage to employee parking, PDE District. Stantec Consulting, Willard Neal, applicant.

2432 Vineville Ave.: Conditional use to allow a five-unit multifamily dwelling, HR-3 District. Lesley Clarke, applicant.

CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS:

182 Pierce Ave.: Certificate of Appropriateness to allow design approval to subdivide a lot, HR-3 District. Clifford Skelton, applicant.

VARIANCES:

4290 Pio Nono Ave.: Variance in screening requirements to not allow screen wall, C-4 District. Cannon Cory, Primax Properties, applicant.

685 Arlington Place: Variance to allow reduction in required screening buffer, HR-3 District. Michael Robinson, applicant.

This story was originally published June 25, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Zoning board expected to consider demolition of Macon church."