The Alpharetta City Council has denied a property owner’s request for permission to demolish a house on the city’s Contributing Historic Buildings List.
The council voted 5-2, with Council Members Ben Burnett and Dan Merkel in opposition, to deny a request by KBL Investments LLC for a demolition permit for the Gardner House, 133 Cumming St. The single-story, 2,316-square-foot residence dates to around 1930, according to a staff report.
A report for KBL by the Preservationist Guild stated the structure was in poor condition and had no historical significance, and restoration could cost about $750,000. The property owner told the city it intended to sell the 1.76-acre home site for residential development, possibly subdividing it into two lots.
Staff noted The Providence Group spent just over $300,000 to restore the nearby Ben Manning House that also was in poor condition; and that local historical sources say one member of the Gardner family was the first principal of Alpharetta School, and another served as Alpharetta police chief.
Staff said it could not support KBL’s request, saying its proposal “is inconsistent with the established criteria, and the restoration and the protection of the structure would be a benefit to the Alpharetta community.” The applicant also was made aware of the property’s historic status before purchasing it, staff said.
