At the August 5 meeting, the HDC received another visit from Marshall Johnson, who is renovating Pine Mountain Village (PMV). Last week, he received permission to demolish seven buildings that had served as retail shops. Johnson said the building materials and any salvageable items will be donated to the ECHO Thrift Shop. Other items will be auctioned with the proceeds going to local charities.
Building Inspector Bobby Ray had examined the buildings in question, and submitted a letter recommending approval for demolition. The buildings shared a number of shortcomings, including problems with foundations. Some wiring was exposed, and Ray said each building would be limited in future use without major modifications.
Commissioners unanimously approved the application and a new outdoor terrace gathering area in a former backwoods area of PMV. The building will have three sets of cast-in-place tiers, with an 18-in. drop between tiers to provide seating.
The rest of the meeting
Several commissioners expressed irritation at the lack of apparent progress at 9 Hillside Ave., where an owner moved out of town and repairs were put on hold. Booth will contact the owners through their attorney and ask them to attend the next meeting, which is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Applications for Levels I and II are due by Aug. 26, and Level III by Aug. 20. Most routine applications will continue to receive administrative approval, meaning applicants will not have to appear before the commission. Level III applications and any questionable lower-level applications will continue to be heard before the full commission.
The HDC currently has one vacancy on the seven-member commission.