Council approves rezoning to preserve historic Higgs House; councilor recuses herself

Greenville City Council voted on Jan. 8 to rezone the property known as the JW Hicks (Higgs) house at the northeastern corner of Dickinson Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue from CDF (Downtown Commercial Fringe) to CD (Downtown Commercial), enabling use as a private event center and limited lodging.

City planner Chris Kelly described the 0.8231‑acre site, noting the proposed zoning would raise estimated daily trips from about 10 to 24 (a net +14 trips) and that stormwater rules would require detention and nutrient reduction if triggered. Kelly said the property lies within the West Greenville revitalization plan and that staff recommended approval; he also reported the Planning & Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval on Dec. 16, 2025.

Before the hearing, Council member Erin Scully asked to be recused because of a stated financial interest; the council voted to recuse her from the matter. After recusal, Erin Scully and business partner Catherine Ross presented the project as a historic rehabilitation to create an event space and four rentable bedrooms, stressing community outreach and preservation goals. No opposition speakers were recorded during the hearing.

Councilmember Willis moved to approve the rezoning; Councilmember Robinson seconded. The council approved the ordinance. The transcript’s final tally line for the vote is unclear (recorded as "Motion passes 6 5 0" in the transcript) and could not be confirmed from the audio text; minutes should be consulted for the official roll call.

Council members said they were excited to save a landmark building and noted the project will proceed to design and permitting steps consistent with the city’s historic‑preservation and development rules. Planning staff will continue review during site‑plan and building permit processes.