Augusta’s 1963 Zoning Ordinance Needs an Update

Here is a fun fact. The current Augusta-Richmond County Zoning Ordinance was originally drafted in 1963. If it were a person, it would be considering retirement. It is not a person, but that does not make retirement any less feasible.

While it is true the Ordinance has been occasionally amended over the ensuing years, it is, in many ways, the same document designed before the Civil Rights Act, man landing on the moon, and the fall and rise of the red M&M. It will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody that, during the ensuing years, this community evolved.

First, a quick civics lesson. A zoning ordinance is the method with which a municipality – in this case Augusta-Richmond County – divides land into land-use and building zones, each according to specific uses. They are used as development guidelines and essential to the permitting process. The reason multi-story office parks are not constructed in residential areas where land very well may be more affordable is because of zoning ordinances. They cover everything from new construction, preservation guidelines, and building material mandates to the specific kinds of businesses that can be built in specific areas. It’s a zoning ordinance, in part, that keeps a liquor store from being conveniently located next to an elementary school. Common sense may also be a factor.

The zoning ordinance, for better or worse, dictates development in a community.

And Augusta’s – again – is more than 60 years old.

Think about how this city has changed in 60 years. Consolidation – currently being discussed once again – is certainly the most sweeping alteration. The 1963 zoning ordinance would have focused on Augusta proper, and not those incorporated areas outside the city limits. Bear in mind, these changes have not been ignored – amendments made over the years have addressed much of Augusta’s evolution. But those have been changes, edits, and addendums – things added and altered, in such quantity, that the ordinance, as a document, has become unwieldy and inefficient. Certainly, the tiny home outcry, which you may not have noticed because it was indeed tiny, is an excellent example. For longer than was appropriate, tiny homes were verboten in Augusta-Richmond County. It’s not because there was anyone that found living minimally for maximum efficiency particularly unsavory, but because, in 1963, nobody had considered that possibility. It required an amendment to the zoning ordinance to allow that particular update to urban living.

There is, however, good news. Plans are afoot to develop a new zoning ordinance, and the South Florida company MHCB COLAB has been quietly taking notes, talking to stakeholders and citizens, and helping determine what, foundationally, needs to happen in preparation for a new Augusta-Richmond County Zoning Ordinance. Initially, that means understanding what the community is today. It’s a very different map and people are inhabiting the city in much different ways than they did in 1963 – tiny house amendments or not.

The issue, from my perspective, is the same old song played on repeat. Augusta has brought in professionals to help with a very real issue, but buy-in seems, if not slow, then certainly hesitant.

Here is an example. On Thursday evening, a promised public meeting was held to reveal early findings and recommendations to gather additional input regarding zoning issues in the city. It’s possible you did not hear about this event and, if you did, you might have found it difficult to locate. It was held as the Henry H. Brigham Senior Center. Not the Augusta-Richmond County Municipal Building meeting rooms, nor any other centrally located venue. No, it was in a building very few visit on a regular basis. It actually wouldn’t matter if they did because it was also held on a Thursday night without much effort expended to let interested parties know it was happening. As a result, the crowd that gathered to learn about this incredibly important development tool numbered in the (very) low double digits. It’s certainly a cause for concern. Plans like this evaporate without input and developing something as complex as a new Zoning Ordinance takes a lot of data culled from the people who the city best – its citizens.

Fortunately, low attendance probably does not indicate apathy. It’s a communication rather than community issue. And there will be more opportunities. This project is still in early days and there is another update meeting planned for later in the year. In the meantime, the city should be updating information on the Zoning Ordinance Update soon. My advice is for people concerned about the future of Augusta to take a look and take part, because the challenge will be developing a document sturdy enough to address real and immediate issues and flexible enough to address issues not yet anticipated. It is my hope that Augusta will not wait another 50 years before this essential document is updated again, but it’s always a good idea to keep eyes on the horizon.

Just in case.