Augusta Historic Preservation Commission approves multiple COAs, postpones several driveway and fence items

The Augusta Historic Preservation Commission on a February evening approved several certificates of appropriateness (COAs), postponed multiple agenda items for additional materials and elected Leon Maven as vice chair for the remainder of 2025.

Commission members approved a masonry wall between the Church of the Good Shepherd campus and the Appleby Library, exterior stairways and rehabilitation plans for Broad Street buildings pursuing historic tax credits, a driveway and patio alteration in the Somerville Historic District, an illuminated raceway sign conditioned to fit the building—s sign band, and a metal roof installed after recent storm damage.

The approvals and postponements matter because they determine whether proposed exterior changes in Augusta—s historic districts meet local design guidelines, affect tax-credit eligibility and in one case implement a lease provision that governs the shared property line between a church and a public library.

The commission began by approving staff requests to remove two agenda items from the schedule: the petition listed as COA 25-13 (251 Broad Street) and COA 25-14 (802 Green Street). Miss Delaney, planning staff, told the panel that the applicant for 251 Broad asked to withdraw the item and that the 802 Green Street petitioner had asked for a postponement, and the commission voted unanimously to remove both items from the month—s calendar.

Votes at a glance

- COA 25-07 (2248 & 2260 Walton Way): Approved. Petition by Kirby Yon on behalf of Episcopal Day School and the Augusta Richmond County Public Library to replace a roughly 4-foot wrought-iron fence with a 6-foot masonry wall along a leased portion of library property. Staff noted the parties amended their lease in September 2024, allowing the church to construct a masonry wall "consistent with the aesthetics of the masonry walls existing on the church's property and constructed at the sole expense of the church." The commission approved the COA as presented.

- COA 25-08…