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Athens-Clarke County Commission denies special-use permit for 728 Cobb Street
Summary
The commission voted to deny a special-use permit that would have converted the long-standing nonconforming commercial use at 728 Cobb Street into a formally conforming professional-office use, after neighbors and several commissioners said the request was not allowed under the zoning use table.
The Athens-Clarke County Commission on March 4 denied a special-use permit request for 728 Cobb Street, a property long used for business in the historic Cobham neighborhood. The applicant, who sought formal recognition of a professional-office use, argued the permit was needed to secure renovation financing and tax credits; neighborhood leaders and several commissioners said the requested use is not a permitted special use in the RS-8 district.
The vote to deny the permit was made by Commissioner Link and seconded by Commissioner Myers; the denial was approved by voice vote. The action keeps the property in its current legal nonconforming status rather than reclassifying it as a conforming commercial use.
The applicant, Brad Spare, described the property as a “turn-of-the-century Victorian home” and said he intended to renovate it and use it as his law office. “I purchased 728 Cobb Street to use as my law office,” Spare told the commission, saying he has a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation commission and that renovation work would be extensive. He told commissioners he sought the special-use permit because he feared future…
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