Albany City Commission appoints clean slate to Historic Preservation Commission a week after dispute

ALBANY — It was a clean sweep on Tuesday for the city’s slate of Albany-Dougherty Historic Preservation Commission members, with the Albany City Commission appointing four new members to the eight-member board.

Two of the four members, Rosemary Hamburger and Molly Swan, had asked not to be reappointed, while Bruce Capps and Jennifer Davis indicated they would like to serve additional two-year terms on the board. The other four members are appointed by the Dougherty County Commission.

The decision came a week after the City Commission overruled the HPC’s recommendation on a request by Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital to demolish three historic houses, a medical office and the former Albany High School building in the North Jefferson Street historic district to make room for a facility to train and house nursing students. The project is a collaboration between Phoebe and Albany Technical College.

The vote to overrule came after the HPC refused to sign off on five Certificates of Approval to proceed, including four requests by the hospital and one filed by the Phoebe Putney Hospital Board. After the Aug. 16 vote, the city sent an ultimatum to the HPC, insisting that the body grant the five approvals by that Aug. 19, and if the board refused its notification letter would serve the purpose of granting them.

The HPC responded to the city’s actions by notifying it of intent to file a lawsuit in Dougherty County Superior Court seeking to prevent the demolition of the buildings.

Commissioners unanimously approved, with no comment, the list of four individuals nominated on Tuesday. The four new members are Zach Giddes, William Guin Jr., Scott Marcus and Matt Trice, nominated by Commissioners Bob Langstaff, Chad Warbington, Jon Howard and Jalen Johnson, respectively.

On Wednesday, Warbington said there was no conscious intent to purge the board in the wake of the dispute over the hospital’s request.

“I wouldn’t say we had any negative approach to it,” he said during a telephone interview. “We did have a lot more people apply than we normally do. We went through the list and chose who we thought were the best.

“I’m very excited about the people we chose. They are very seasoned people in the Albany area. I think they’re going to be great additions to the board.”

Mayor Bo Dorough on Wednesday referred to the move as “controversial.” Although he did not make a nomination, the mayor voted to approve the list compiled through the four commissioners’ nominations.

“It just … it was obviously a controversial decision,” he said. “The commission didn’t agree with the conclusion of the HPC (last week).”

The decision not to nominate two members who wanted to continue serving was “unusual,” Howard said on Wednesday.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I would say, I looked at the resumes, not purging, but to start off fresh. I nominated the best individual, based on the resume, who said they wanted to be sure we were preserving the historical area. I certainly wasn’t letting politics get in the way of my vote. I think it’s about the best person to serve in the position.”

In an email response on Wednesday, Capps said he had no comment at this time about the commission’s decision.

“I believe that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the City Commission’s decision while litigation is pending,” he said in the email.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]