The old Habersham County courthouse in downtown Clarkesville could be demolished in a matter of months, and a company that fell under local scrutiny after allegations and controversy in a neighboring county could soon be tearing it down.
As reported by Now Habersham in January, Southern Environmental Services, a Marietta-based company that could be awarded a $190,000 bid for the demolition, had been under investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after multiple residents accused workers of mishandling asbestos remediation at homes on Carter Alley in Lula.
The EPA’s investigation found the company had violated a minor regulation and that there had been no serious wrongdoing as the company was accused of.
But with only poor-quality video footage taken by witnesses at the scene, Pamela Storm, an environmental engineer with the EPA, had said it was difficult to determine whether other violations actually occurred.
President of Southern Environmental Services Tom Wasson could not be reached for comment.
Asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral that can cause lung cancer and other respiratory diseases when inhaled, is believed to exist in the former courthouse building.
As planned, the city of Clarkesville will purchase the old courthouse property for $1 million – plus an additional $190,000 for demolition.
At their regular monthly meeting Monday night, Feb. 17, the Habersham County Commission accepted Clarkesville’s offer to buy the property.
Clarkesville City Manager Keith Dickerson said he remains confident city and county officials will see that Southern Environmental meets all state and federal regulations during the demolition process. To ensure compliance, he said inspectors will be stationed at the site daily as work is performed.
“It’s not like this is new to us … Hopefully, they’ll remove everything as they’re supposed to – otherwise, we’ll do a stop work order on it,” Dickerson said. “It’s going to be bonded, and if they screw up, we’ll hold their bond.”
Clarkesville Mayor Barrie Aycock said she’s certain all safety requirements, as specified by state and federal law, will be met throughout the process.
RELATED SOLD! Habersham sells old courthouse to Clarkesville
Investigation
Now Habersham has since obtained the findings of an investigation into Southern Environmental’s work in Lula by the EPA, which determined the company had committed no wrongdoing and was in violation of only one infraction.
That violation, according to the agency, alleges the company “failed to provide written notification 10 working days prior to beginning renovation activity,” as required by law.
Notification was “not provided until April 6, 2023, while renovation activities were ongoing on April 12…” according to the EPA’s final report.
Given its “full compliance history” and good faith efforts to comply,” the report states the company paid a $217 citation to settle the matter.
Accusations
The investigation by EPA into Southern Environmental Services began in 2023 after a series of allegations from residents in Lula claimed they witnessed the company’s workers allegedly mishandling at least two homes containing asbestos.
Now, two years later, those residents haven’t wavered on their stances. At the time of the alleged incident, their complaints pushed the city of Lula to issue a stop work order. Work on the homes continued a few days later, though Georgia EPD – and later the EPA – would investigate the allegations in the coming months.
Both agencies vindicated the company despite the complaints.
During the demolition process, Dave Wilson, the owner of Lula Mercantile Vintage Shop, maintains he witnessed workers allegedly mishandling asbestos without proper protective apparatus. Work crews allegedly “broke” asbestos tiles off the structures and threw them in the back of trucks and trailers to be hauled away, according to Wilson.
Wilson also said a work order provided to him by a supervisor that day stated the siding was 15% friable asbestos. By law, to prevent the potential spread of particles in the air, material containing asbestos should be saturated with water before it’s handled.
“…I was concerned,” Wilson told Now Habersham in January. “It was a dry, breezy day. You could see asbestos in the dust. There were little girls playing in the street in the middle of the dust, and the wind was blowing right over them.”
Another witness, Lula resident Joseph Johnson, corroborated Wilson’s account and said he too observed workers scraping asbestos tile off the side of the house without personal protective equipment (PPE) or proper remediation equipment.
“(Wilson) and I both witnessed the company scraping asbestos tile off the side of the house with no protection, no personal protective equipment, no remediation equipment,” Johnson said. “They weren’t wetting it down at all.”
Lula Councilwoman Juliette Roberts, who had not yet been elected at the time, had a specific message for Habersham and Clarkesville’s elected officials in January.
“My gut reaction is that this doesn’t sound like a good idea, based on what we witnessed happen in Lula and saw,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. To know that happened, and to know that it could happen again, that scares me.”
In January, county and city officials said all steps would be taken to ensure the company complies with federal, state and local laws.
‘No tax increase’ needed to cover courthouse
In early February, officials estimated the timeline for demolition of the old Habersham County courthouse to be around 60 days once the county signed off on the deal. Now that that has happened, the courthouse — considered by many to be the “ugliest courthouse in Georgia” — could soon be coming down.
Dickerson contends alternative funding sources will see that the project proceeds without posing a burden on taxpayers, pledging the city will not have to hike taxes to cover the costs.
According to Dickerson, most of the funding likely could come from the city’s (currently $2.7 million) general fund over time, as well as planned projects that could now be delayed.
Those projects include planned renovations and upgrades at Pitts Park, the Historic Mauldin House and the Big Holly Cabin. The total cost of those projects amount to around $180,000.
To account for the remaining $800,000, Dickerson said the city’s reserve funds – in addition to opportunities for future grants – also could be used to finance what will likely be a 5-year renewable loan.
Potential funding sources include a 40-year loan from the USDA, additional funds through the Georgia Mountains Regional Commission, FEMA funding and possible community development block grants.
Regarding the potential for delayed projects, Dickerson said there’s about $10,000 in donations from Friends of the Mauldin House, a local nonprofit, that could fund some of those improvements moving forward.
Future of the courthouse property
At least 1/3 of the old courthouse property will be reserved for the relocation of Clarkesville’s Fire Station 3 – which Dickerson said has long been in need of a new facility. This opens the door for significant funding opportunities in the name of public safety, according to Dickerson.
“I may be able to put some of this land and this loan into long-term financing with USDA at a very low interest rate, or we may be able to get grants that actually purchase the land for the fire station as well,” Dickerson said in early February. “We’re going to be looking at all those options. The work hasn’t even begun yet…but we do know we have the capability of doing this.”
Previous estimates appraised the courthouse property (with the building) at around $900,000 and just over $1 million without the structure. Clarkesville had previously offered $250,000 for the property before Habersham County officials triggered a counteroffer of $1 million.
Clarkesville City Council voted to approve the purchase of the old courthouse property Monday, Feb. 3.
City officials say the potential use for the remainder of the property, once the courthouse is torn down, will be decided at a later date.
