The Newnan Planning Commission recently declared a proposed event center on Jefferson Street “too modern” for downtown Newnan and tabled the issue until their next meeting.

A local building owner and resident is looking for answers after the designs for a proposed event space were deemed “too modern” for downtown Newnan.



Amy Johnson purchased the building at 12 Jefferson St. last year in the hopes of turning the building into an event space for dinners, parties and receptions.

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Johnson said her vision for “Twelve” was based on several ideas, including Panther Creek – a community center in Sargent, which also hosts a variety of events.

The space would also allow local restaurants the ability to host events that might otherwise force them to close their doors to the general public, such as a wedding party or any other event which would take up the majority of space.

“It’s a flexible space for anything,” Johnson said.

Through her work with Danny Martin, an Atlanta-based architect, Johnson said she spent time examining other buildings in Newnan to ensure her design was consistent.

“Twelve” included features such as a rooftop deck, which was approved in the past for the Greenville Townhouses, currently under construction.

However, the Newnan Planning Commission felt the renderings for were too modern and needed some modifications to help them blend better with the historic character of downtown, according to Planning and Zoning Director Tracey Dunnavant.

According to documents submitted to the commission, staff reviewed the certificate of appropriateness request and found it to be consistent with the standards renovations to structures in the Downtown Development Overlay District.

In documents prepared by Newnan City Planner Dean Smith, it was determined the proposed renovations would allow the historic building to be used as an event forum while still preserving the historic charm of downtown Newnan.

Despite the recommendation made by staff, commissioners expressed concerns about the design and tabled the issue until the next meeting to allow Johnson to make changes to her proposed elevations.

Johnson said she’s not happy about the decision to table the future of “Twelve” until the next meeting and as a result of their decision, has already put the space back on the market as a way of hedging her bets on the future.

“I’m not an investor, so I can’t sit on a property that isn’t being utilized,” she said. “It either needs to be what it is, or I need to sell it.”

Johnson is also a resident of Newnan, living in one of the two newly constructed townhomes on Perry Street only a block away from “Twelve.”

Following the decision of the Planning and Zoning Board, Johnson said she’s determining what her next step will be.

“Honestly, I was shocked and disappointed in the decision, especially after working with the city for an extended period of time to create a design that was consistent with several other buildings in the area,” Johnson said.