For the third year in a row, the Georgia House is considering a bill that could transform an ongoing legal battle over land development in Druid Hills.
A Druid Hills land developer has been trying to build a subdivision called Clifton Ridge for about a decade.
However, the DeKalb County Historic Preservation Commission has not approved his plans.
Because Druid Hills is a historic district, a local historic preservation commission must approve any significant property changes.
But, if House Bill 474 passes, all Historic Preservation Commissions in Georgia will lose their authority to approve how land developers divide their lots.
“This would impair the power of preservation commissions to preserve the DNA, basically, of these historic districts,” says Mark McDonald, the President and CEO of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
Opponents of the bill say it is a direct response to the Clifton Ridge controversy.
If the bill passes, the land developer will be able to build the proposed subdivision.
The Druid Hills Civic Association and the Clifton Ridge land developer will meet in DeKalb County Superior Court on March 18.
Background on Druid Hills and the DeKalb County Historic District, from the Druid Hills Civic Association
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