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Ignite Augusta asks council to consider storage building in Garvin Park
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Summary
Ignite Augusta told the council it wants to build a modest storage building in Garvin Park to house four semi‑trailers used for its holiday light displays; council asked staff to research deed, FEMA and zoning constraints and to report back at the strategic retreat.
Ignite Augusta representatives told the Augusta City Council on March 16 that consolidating their holiday display equipment in a small storage building inside Garvin Park would save volunteers time and reduce recurring trailer moves.
"We have four semi‑trailers that are 10 by 52 (feet) and moving them is a headache," said Zach Hettenbach, treasurer of Ignite Augusta. He said the group requests a building roughly 40 by 70 feet to store displays, equipment and to allow modest program growth while continuing volunteer and community contributions.
The proposal includes public‑benefit elements, Hettenbach said: revenue from gate proceeds supports scholarships, donations to parks, and contributions to local safety and school programs. Harold Woolery, introduced by Hettenbach as Ignite Augusta president, also emphasized the group's nonprofit status and past cooperation with city parks staff.
City staff and council members raised practical constraints. A staff member noted that parts of Garvin Park are in the FEMA floodway or have deed restrictions that could preclude private development on donated park land. "Sometimes those covenants preclude private development on the property," the staff member said, citing past examples (Santa Fe Lake) where FEMA or deed restrictions required significant steps to restore or redevelop park structures.
Council members asked staff to research the park's title history, deed restrictions, applicable zoning (whether a storage building would be an accessory structure), and examples of intergovernmental or shared‑use agreements in other cities. The council signaled a consensus for staff to pull comparable agreements and cost estimates and to include the item in the March 30 strategic retreat packet so members can weigh tradeoffs alongside other capital priorities.
Next steps: staff will check Garvin Park's deed and floodplain status, gather example agreements (the "Isle of Lights" example was cited), and return with maps and options for the council's strategic retreat. No formal city commitment or vote on siting or funding occurred at the meeting.
