Summerville Post Volume 38, No. 1
Spring 2014
The Newsletter of the Summerville Neighborhood Association
Origin
al new
Nov. sletter
1976
Summerville
Neighborhood Association General Meeting Meet the Candidates Trinity on the Hill Methodist Church Dining Hall 1330 Monte Sano Ave. 7 PM Tuesday, March 25th, 2014
Come, Join, Help Us Save Our Summerville & Meet the Mayoral Candidates www.summervilleaugusta.org
Save Our Summerville Summerville has enjoyed a wonderful resurgence of families moving into the neighborhood, with owners renovating and restoring properties. It is difficult for many of us to remember it was not always like this here. In the 1970’s, Summerville had many vacant, dilapidated properties. There was little to no protection for the history of the buildings or our neighborhood. Historically important properties were being destroyed, commercial properties that appeared out of place were cropping up, areas were slowly having zoning designations changed, and families were moving out. In November 1976, the first newsletter (pictured on the front) was hand written and distributed on foot to the neighborhood. Over 300 concerned citizens met at Trinity on the Hill Methodist Church to form the Summerville Neighborhood Association (SNA). Our stated goal was “to protect and enhance the values, quality and charm of their neighborhood”. Rezoning, changing traffic patterns, the growth and rapid encroachment of then Augusta College into the residential part of our neighborhood were our immediate concerns. With time and a lot of work by many members of SNA, and the cooperation of all, we were able to stabilize Summerville, making it a great place to purchase a home and raise a family. As you drive or walk along the roads in Summerville, much of the charm and interest of this neighborhood is thanks to the tireless efforts of SNA. We have all enjoyed the benefits of their efforts. But it is time to go to work again. Unbeknownst to many residents, requests are being made nearly monthly for exceptions to zoning and historic preservation guidelines. While each exception may seem small by itself, it sets a precedence. Unfortunately, if no one objects or offers an alternative solution, our government has been passing most of these exceptions. Other changes to the streetscape, such as removing trees without replacing them, or adding street side mailboxes is also occurring. This is resulting in a subtle, but definite, change in the landscape of our neighborhood. SNA wants to help homeowners and business owners in our neighborhood. We want to preserve the history and charm that is so important to this area. We also understand people’s needs for financially feasible options to make their home livable. How can SNA help? • Providing historic guidelines for any homeowner/business • Working with neighbors to disseminate information about property changes • Attending Zoning, Zoning Variance and Historic Preservation Commission meetings to represent the neighborhood • Having contact people in each area of Summerville for help or questions • Encouraging any homeowner to contact SNA prior to embarking on renovations/additions to ensure a seamless acceptance at the government level • Being a liaison with Historic Augusta
Student Housing and Summerville With Augusta State University becoming Georgia Regents University Summerville Campus, there are many proposed changes ahead. To keep the campus active, the Board of Regents desires it to grow. Growth means a change from commuter students to more residential students. Many folks in Summerville wonder what this will mean, exactly. SNA is keeping open communication with GRU. When a plan is revealed to us, we will get that information out to the neighborhood. Having small cottages on a property is part of Summerville’s charm. However, increasing the percentage of new rental property (where the owner is off-site) is not generally desired for our historic neighborhood. You may have already witnessed recent signs stating “Off Campus Housing” posted around Summerville. If you have any questions about housing on your street, please contact SNA. We can work with the local government to determine what the intentions of a building may be, and work together to protect the integrity of the neighborhood.
Membership Committee We welcome each new member of Summerville with a gift package and information on the neighborhood association. If you know someone new in our neighborhood, please notify Carol Palmer, cdhpalmer@gmail.com.
• Working with homeowners and neighbors to increase understanding of plans and assist in finding a solution that works for the homeowner as well as the neighborhood • Surveying areas to garner local opinion on specific projects • Working with the city and Trees For Augusta to help replace trees in Summerville • Working with specific streets on their concerns (traffic, trees, properties, beautification, etc.) This all takes a lot of work, and commitment from SNA. We need your help! Please consider joining one of our committees to help SNA Save Our Summerville.
Historical Fact The “Post” at the corner of Walton Way and Milledge Road is the actual boundary marker of “The Village of Summerville” (1861). The boundaries were one mile radius of the Post.
Letter from the President
Letter from Mary Lou
Mike O’Neill, 2013 SNA President
Mary Lou Garren, 2014 Interim President
This will be my final letter as President of SNA. Personal and professional duties have increased to the point I no longer can fulfill my SNA responsibilities.
I am happy to accept the role of Interim President of SNA for 2014. As a founding member of the Summerville Neighborhood Association, I am very pleased to see the renewed interest in our neighborhood. I served as the first secretary for two years and was zoning chairman for over ten years. It is an exciting time to get back involved. Summerville is growing and young families are moving in…again.
I have very much enjoyed my time as President, and I feel we accomplished a lot in the past year. Rest assured, I am dedicated and committed to SNA, and I will continue as Treasurer. I look forward to working with everyone in this role.
Please come and be a part of our Membership Meeting. There will be many opportunities to participate in the future of our historic neighborhood. Candidates for Mayor of Augusta will each present a brief statement and you will have a chance to talk to them after the meeting.
Please help me welcome Mary Lou Garren as Interim SNA President for 2014.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Many thanks for your support!
Summerville Wants YOU! To Get Involved The Summerville Neighborhood Association Board is very excited to announce that we will have several leadership and participation opportunities available! Due to the growing interest in our beautiful community we have decided to create more ways for people in our neighborhood to get involved. There will now be a spot for EVERYONE who wants to help. Whatever your time or skill level…we have a spot for you!
The People make the Neighborhood Below is a list of the current SNA committees. If you have a special talent or area of interest not seen here please let us know and we would be happy to find a way to incorporate that into our list! Membership • Welcoming New Members • Planning Membership Events • Growing Membership Communications/Website/Newsletter • Updating our Website and/or Facebook Page • Taking pictures at Summerville events for the Website and Newsletter • Helping to write articles for the newsletter Planning & Zoning • Working with Residents and City Officials to promote preservation • Attending Zoning and Historic Preservation Meetings
Safety and Crime Watch • Neighborhood Zone Captains • Volunteering to Help Improve Neighborhood Safety • Maintaining a notification system to keep everyone in the neighborhood aware Tour of Homes • House Captains • Transportation • Homeowners Dinner • Taste of Summerville • Marketing Marketing • Selling Ad Space • Designing Summerville Merchandise
If you are interested in making a difference in our neighborhood through these positions or others, please contact Megan Goldberg at MeganSGoldberg@ gmail.com
Summerville Neighborhood Association PO Box 12212 Augusta, GA 30914
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U. S. POSTAGE
PAID AUGUSTA GA PERMIT NO 201
2014 SNA Board Member Contact List Mary Lou Garren – Interim President 706-736-3692 (H) bubblesga@comcast.net
Jack Evans 706-825-4662 (C) jack@evanscs.com
David Claffey – Vice President 706-733-7388 (H) dclaffey@claffeyprinting.com
Carol Palmer 706-733-2888 (H) cdhpalmer@gmail.com
Mike O’Neill – Treasurer 706-364-4211 (H) mikeoneill79@yahoo.com
John Williams 706-294-0566 (C) summervillerenovation@comcast.net
Laura Irwin – Secretary 706-738-6617 (H) lismith728@gmail.com
Nick Gladd 706-945-1145 (H) ngladd@turnerpadget.com
Cathleen Caldwell 706-210-9954 (H) caldwell78@comcast.net
Ross Trulock 706-955-8443 (H) rtrulock@blanchardandcalhoun.com
David Dunagan 706-294-7360 (C) dunagandavid@comcast.net
Megan Goldberg 706-833-8535 (C) megansgoldberg@gmail.com
2014 SNA Committee Members Executive Board Mary Lou Garren David Claffey Mike O’Neill Laura Irwin New Membership Carol Palmer Communications/Website/Newsletter Jack Evans David Claffey Safety and Crime Watch David Dunagan Tour of Homes Ross Trulock