Newman City Council approves demolition of deteriorated house at 51 Jackson Street after heated public hearing

The Newman City Council voted to allow the owner to demolish a deteriorated house at 51 Jackson Street after a public hearing in which the owner emphasized public‑safety risks and preservation advocates urged alternatives.

The decision came after the property owner told the council that a structural engineer and contractor estimated roughly $500,000 would be required to bring the building to present code and that the structure could not be safely secured. “We respectfully ask the city to apply the ordinance and allow us to remove the unsafe structure from 51 Jackson Street,” the owner said, urging demolition and saying the site would be landscaped afterward.

Why it matters: the house sits inside a city historic district and was included in an early‑1990s historic survey. Preservation advocates, including a cochair of the Newnan Urban Redevelopment Authority, told the council the building contributes to downtown’s character and that tools such as a vacant‑property ordinance could help protect similar structures. The cochair said the house is about 126 years old and urged the council to seek solutions before allowing demolition.

Councilors split on the outcome. Several members said the house is a dilapidated, unsafe structure that would impose unreasonable rehabilitation costs and ongoing liability if forced to remain standing. “It’s just unsafe,” one council member said, arguing the owner should be allowed to remove the hazard. Other members pressed staff to explore options such as subdividing the parking area from the house, conditioning demolition so future replacement would be residential in a style compatible with the district, or requiring a site survey to resolve parking‑lot boundaries.

The motion to approve demolition passed after a roll‑call vote produced a tie that the mayor broke in favor of removal. As a temporary safety measure the mayor asked the owner to close the driveway entrance from Jackson Street; the owner agreed to do so while any follow‑up steps are considered.

What the council recorded: staff noted a long municipal enforcement history for the property, including a failed final inspection in 2009 and evidence of substandard‑housing enforcement dating back to 1995. The owner told the council he had maintained the grounds for years and that, after purchase, inspections revealed broader structural failure — a new foundation and replacement work would be major undertakings likely to raise the initial cost estimate. The owner also said the lot has functioned as parking in parts since at least the 1950s and that maintaining employee parking was a factor in his purchase.

Next steps: the council-approved demolition allows the owner to proceed under applicable city ordinance and any required permits; the council asked staff to follow up on site boundaries and to consider options that could limit future nonresidential uses of the parcel if appropriate.