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Owner seeks special‑use approval to formalize long‑standing office at 728 Cobbs Street in Cobham Historic District
Summary
An owner asked Athens‑Clarke County commissioners for a special‑use approval to formalize a decades‑old office at 728 Cobbs Street in the Cobham Local Historic District, citing extensive foundation and ADA work and the need to secure financing and historic preservation tax credits.
The Mayor and Commission reviewed a special‑use application for 728 Cobbs Street — a property in the Cobham Local Historic District that has operated as a doctor’s office and other commercial uses for decades but remains zoned single‑family RS‑8.
Planning staff explained the request was narrowly targeted: the applicant seeks a special‑use approval to render the existing office use conforming (rather than rely on legal nonconforming status) while making only ADA-related accessibility upgrades already approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. Bruce Lani told the Commission the Planning Commission found the special use compatible with the future land use and zoning maps and recommended approval with a single condition: removal and revegetation of an unpermitted, graveled parking area at the property rear.
The owner, identifying himself as Brad Spur, said he had operated the property as an office for about 50 years and is seeking the special use primarily for certainty as he invests in costly structural repairs, elevation of the foundation and to qualify for historic preservation tax credits and financing. “The purpose of the special use permit is just, for me, certainty,” Spur said during public comment, adding the approved special use would not prevent the property from reverting to a residence in the future.
Commissioners asked about prior use, parking and the timeline for renovation. Lani confirmed the earlier medical use predated current code and that the applicant had obtained a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission for the proposed exterior accessibility work, which does not constitute a review of use. Commissioner Link and others said they supported the Planning Commission recommendation given the property’s long commercial history, observed parking, and the applicant’s stated intent to restore the building. Several commissioners emphasized the special use would pause the 12‑month abandonment clock while the owner undertakes multi‑month repairs.
The Commission did not take a final zoning vote during the agenda‑setting session; the item was presented for discussion and will return on a future agenda for a formal decision.
