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Historic preservation commission approves rooftop HVAC for Imperial Theater
Summary
The Augusta City Historic Preservation Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for new rooftop HVAC equipment at the Imperial Theater (749 Broad Street), imposing two conditions: color-matching of exposed ducts/units and photographic documentation of the roof before and after work.
At a meeting of the Augusta City Historic Preservation Commission, members voted to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior rooftop HVAC equipment at the Imperial Theater, 749 Broad Street, adopting staff recommendations with conditions.
Todd Kennedy, of Planning and Development Services, told the commission the petition (COA 26-22) seeks to replace existing mechanical equipment on the lower rear rooftop of the 1917 theater. Kennedy said staff found the proposed work would not conflict with the downtown design guidelines and recommended conditional approval, asking that the new units and exposed ductwork "have a color scheme that matches the existing building" and that photos of the roof be submitted before removal and after installation for documentation.
Curtis Williamson of Johnson Lash Urban Associates confirmed the application and said he was agreeable to the conditions. The transcript records a commissioner noting they would recuse themselves from the discussion (recorded in the hearing but not linked to a named member in the transcript).
A commissioner moved to approve the COA based on staff recommendations; another commissioner seconded the motion. The motion carried with six votes in favor and one abstention. The recorded action directs the applicant to comply with the two staff conditions (color-matching and photographic documentation) as part of the COA approval.
The approval preserves the commission's requirement to balance necessary building upgrades with downtown design guidance; staff had recommended the paint and photographic documentation as mitigations given manufacturers’ limited custom finish options for HVAC equipment.
The commission did not record public opposition during the hearing and no additional conditions were added. The commission moved on to its next agenda item after the vote.
