Urban Design Commission likely to defer action until Oct. 24 on Randolph-Lucas House demo application

To contact us Click HERE

The issuance of demolition permit for Buckhead’s historicRandolph-Lucas House by Atlanta’s  Officeof Buildings likely will have to wait a little longer after the city’s Urban DesignCommission was expected to defer a “review and comment” hearing Wednesday afternoon untilOct. 24.

Randolph-Lucas House in front of 2500 Peachtree Condominiums

The 2500 Peachtree Condominiums Association has submitted a Review and Comment Application with the AtlantaUrban Design Commission that was to have been heard at 4 p.m. on Oct. 10 atCity Hall.
However, Buckhead HeritageSociety President Wright Mitchell on Tuesday predicted the commission would decide to defer thehearing and vote for two weeks on the recommendation by city's  staff.
The condo association is seeking "reviewand comment" on their plan to demolish the Lucas House and replace it withan "open air pavilion." As required by city ordinance, theassociation has also cross filed with the Office of Buildings for a demolitionpermit for the house, which is located in front of the condominiums onPeachtree Road at Lindbergh Drive.
The proposed "open air pavilion" must occupy the same footprint as the house if it replaces the house and that amounts to 2,625 square feet, according to Mitchell. 
However, Mitchell told BuckheadView over coffeeon Tuesday that the Urban Design Commission must, according to city procedures,hold its hearing and take a vote on the application before the Office ofBuildings can issue the demolition permit. The UDC also most act within 45 days of receiving the application for review. 
Mitchell also told BuckheadView that, becausethe house is only registered as “historic” and not as a “landmark,” whateveraction the Design Commission takes will only become a recommendation. He saidcity law clearly states the Office of Buildings “will issue a demolitionpermit” following the commission’s hearing and action.

Buckhead Heritage Society
President Wright Mitchell

“Since the AUDC has only ‘review and comment’authority over historic structures like the Lucas House, they do not have theauthority to stop the demolition of the house and the subsequent erection of apavilion,” Mitchell told BuckheadView. “The Office of Buildings cannot deny anapplication for a demolition permit provided the requirements of the ‘reviewand comment’ process have been met. And it appears that they have,” Mitchelladded.
TheRandolph-Lucas House is part of the Peachtree Heights Park District, anationally recognized historic site. Hollins Nichols Randolph, a prominentAtlanta attorney, built the red brick residence in 1924. It is a rare remainingexample of the mansions that once lined Peachtree Road in Buckhead.
Whenthe original developer built the condominiums in 1997, one of the stipulationsof the permit was moving the house 35 feet forward from its foundation and torenovate it. After the developer finished the project the condo market tankedand the developer only sold 50 percent of the units. The bank foreclosed on theproperty.
Thehome has sat virtually untouched since the development of the condos. Theassociation, citing the condition of the structure and cost of repairs, beganexploring the demolition permit, prompting a backlash from historians andNeighborhood Planning Unit B members.
Both Mitchell, through Buckhead Heritage, andNeighborhood Planning Unit-B chair Sally Silver have been working to save thehistoric Buckhead mansion from being razed and have been trying to work out anarrangement to move it to another suitable site, hopefully in Buckhead. But Mitchell and Silver have differing views asto the probable fate of the house if the condo association is successful inobtaining the demolition permit. Mitchell believes the association will moveforward to raze the house. Mitchell told BuckheadView he has had about 20 callsfrom parties interested in moving and preserving the house, but it will taketime to arrange for that to happen.
Silver told the board of NPU-B Oct. 2 the issuance of thedemolition permit does not mean it is going to be “demo’ed” because the samepermit is required to move a building as is required to demolish it.

Neighborhood Planning Unit-B
Chair Sally Silver

Silversaid she too is working groups interested in preserving the home, but saidthere will be no formal announcements until all of the details are finalized.And, she said she has been meeting frequently with the management of the condoassociation. “The condo association is in no way shape or form threatening totear down the building,” Silver said.
Mitchellwas asked if he thought the condo association was moving forward aggressivelyto obtain a demolition permit as a tactic to spur some greater activity amongthose who want to preserve and move the house to another suitable location anduse.
Mitchelladmitted to BuckheadView that if he were the attorneys representing the condoassociation, “I likely would recommend pursuing the same course” as they arefollowing.
Hesaid he understands that the condo association wants to get the house off theirhands because it is very costly to repair and maintain and it cannot be used bythem because there is no active certificate of occupancy issued for the house. 
Hesaid he would love to see the house moved to a location where it could berepaired and used as a community center or a facility for an arts organizationor maybe even a clubhouse for a golf course, maybe some use at Chastain Park.But he admits there are no public or charitable funds available for somethinglike that.
Hesaid there are two estimates for moving the house that are in the $350,000range. However, he said the cost of bringing the house up to code foruse—repairing and refurbishing it—could run up to $1 million. He added, “Wedon’t know about that because the condo association has not allowed us to takeexperts in the property to come up with estimates.”
Hesaid no one is realistically going to agree to pay to move the house withoutknowing what it is going to cost to refurbish it. Mitchell said the condoassociation has said it would allow people to do that type of review of thehouse, but only after the demolition permit is issued by the city.