Troup County, GA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

The five-member Historic Preservation Commission, appointed by the Board of Commissioners' chairman and ratified by the full board, reviews any exterior material change to a designated historic property or to any building within a designated historic district. Under Sec. 15.4(1), no material change in appearance may be made by an owner or occupant until an application for a certificate of appropriateness is submitted to and approved by the commission. The commission must act within 30 days of filing; failure to act within that window is treated as automatic approval unless the applicant and commission agree in writing to extend the deadline.

For demolition requests, Sec. 15.4(6)(c) directs the commission to weigh the building's historic, scenic or architectural significance, its importance to the district's ambiance, the difficulty of reproducing it, whether it is one of the last remaining examples of its kind, and whether the owner has definite reuse plans if demolition proceeds. Relocation requests are judged on the structure's physical integrity and whether the destination site is architecturally compatible with the piece being moved. Ordinary maintenance and repair that does not change design, material or outer appearance is exempt and needs no certificate.

A certificate of appropriateness becomes void if construction has not started within six months of issuance; certificates run for 18 months and are renewable. Anyone adversely affected by a commission decision has 15 days to appeal to the Board of Commissioners, which can affirm, modify or reject the ruling if the commission abused its discretion, with further appeal to superior court.