Atlanta zoning committee pauses historic district designation for Peachtree Circle

A year-long effort to establish a municipal historic district on Peachtree Circle in Atlanta’s Ansley Park has been paused by the Atlanta City Council Zoning Committee.

Council member Alex Wan moved to shelve the proposal during a committee meeting Monday, Aug. 24, citing divisions within the neighborhood. He said he would reconsider bringing the ordinance before the full council if supporters can demonstrate a two-thirds “supermajority of support” by Sept. 8.

Wan said the threshold reflects his longstanding approach to historic preservation in the neighborhoods he represents, rather than a formal legislative requirement.

He said he wants to see two-thirds support from Peachtree Circle residents to “honor the pact that I’ve been making for decades with my community in terms of historic preservation.”

Wan told Rough Draft Atlanta that a supermajority is “not a legislative requirement. Just a standard that I have been using with my neighborhoods.” He also said the fight over historic designation has a “highly litigious history with this particular topic in this neighborhood.”

Ansley Park has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, but that designation does not prevent demolition or require property owners to follow local preservation standards. A municipal historic district would provide those protections.

Previous attempts to establish broader historic protections throughout Ansley Park have failed. Wan said at least three efforts have been made since he took office in 2010. Those proposals would have covered the entire neighborhood, while the current proposal is limited to Peachtree Circle.

The current proposal covers 60 Peachtree Circle properties built between 1888 and 1934, along with structures reflecting the same architectural period.

Supporters say the designation would protect an important piece of Atlanta’s architectural history. Opponents have raised concerns about potential effects on property assessments, taxes, home values and restrictions on renovations.

As of Monday, 40 tax-paying Peachtree Circle residents support the proposal. Each unique parcel receives one vote under county tax records, whether it is a single-family home or part of a multifamily property.

Robert Reed, assistant director of Atlanta’s Historic Preservation Studio, said, “There are a significant number of properties that are still in their historic configuration.”

During Monday’s meeting, Council member Mary Norwood asked city officials to provide a detailed breakdown of how Peachtree Circle property owners plan to vote, separate from opinions submitted by other Ansley Park residents.

David Y. Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, warned that delaying the designation could leave the neighborhood vulnerable to redevelopment.

“We are dangerously close to losing something that can never be replaced,” Mitchell said.

Council member Wayne Martin acknowledged the importance of preservation while emphasizing the need to respect neighborhood sentiment and the process established by council leadership.

Supporters now have until Sept. 8 to build enough homeowner support for the proposal to return to the full Atlanta City Council.