Council approves Noble Hall annexation and PUD with hunting restriction; owner pledges historic restoration

Auburn City Council voted on June 16 to annex and rezone multiple parcels tied to the historic Noble Hall property and to apply planned unit development designations intended to preserve the site and limit future development. The council approved the annexation of roughly 64.29 acres and a separate 0.77-acre parcel and adopted PUD governing conditions for the core and easement tracts.

Why it matters: The decisions combine zoning control, conservation easements and an owner commitment to restore Noble Hall — an antebellum house built in 1854 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places — while clarifying allowable land uses in the surrounding tracts.

Warren Jolly, the lead applicant, told the council the Auburn University Real Estate Foundation transferred the property and that his proposal is focused on restoration and limited new construction: “The house is going to be restored…we want to keep the house like it is,” Jolly said during the public hearing. He described the property’s conservation easement, which restricts development and allows only limited new structures (two homes on part of the easement tract), and showed the council a site plan and restoration renderings.

Council member questions and staff clarifications focused on hunting allowances already present in the city code and how those rules interact with PUD governing documents. City staff and the applicant agreed to add a governing condition limiting permitted hunting on the PUD parcels to bows and air rifles and expressly prohibiting “the use and/or discharge of all other weapons, including those specifically identified in Section 13‑4 of the City Code.” The amendment was adopted by voice vote and incorporated into both PUD approvals.

The council then approved the annexations and rezones by roll call, with the record showing affirmative votes from the attending members. Staff said the PUD approach in this case is being used to conserve the property rather than to increase development intensity.

What was decided (actions): - Annexation — approximately 64.29 acres (Noble Hall easement tract) approved; Planning Commission had recommended approval. - Annexation — approximately 0.77 acres (775 Lee Road 84 / Pear Tree Road) approved. - Rezoning — rezone of a 64.29-acre tract to Comprehensive Development District (CDD) approved. - PUD approval — core tract (54.07 acres) and easement tract (64.29 acres) approved with added governing condition limiting hunting to bows and air rifles and prohibiting other weapons.

Implementation notes: Staff said the conservation easement will continue to limit activity on portions of the land and that the applicant has offered to preserve sight lines and keep historic markers in place. Jolly said Auburn University will cooperate on documenting the restoration.

Next steps: The governing conditions are now part of the ordinances; any future changes to hunting allowances on the parcels would require council action or changes to the PUD governing documents. The applicant and staff will proceed with permitting and conservation easement compliance for restoration work.

Provenance: The annexation and PUD discussion and votes occurred in the public hearing record spanning the Noble Hall agenda items (topic introduced SEG 880; discussion and votes concluded SEG 1456).