Board Re-Votes on Cigar Factory Demolition
City attorney recommends rehearing Architectural Review Board votes over improperly noticed meetings in Tallahassee.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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Tallahassee City Attorney Amy Toman recommended that the Architectural Review Board rehear its April 1 vote issuing a demolition certificate for the Wahnish Cigar Factory, because the meeting notice was published 14 days before the meeting instead of the 15 to 30 days required by city code. Toman also recommended rehearing the board's May 6 vote approving Marshall House demolition permits, which had a similar notice problem.
Why it matters
Under Section 10-320(c)(4) of the Tallahassee Land Development Code, the notice requirement applies to these votes, and the recommendation could expose the board to a legal challenge if the approvals stand. The dispute affects a planned 73-unit apartment complex in South Tallahassee that still requires a certificate of appropriateness for demolition.
The notice for the April 1 vote was published 14 days in advance, below the 15-to-30-day window in Section 10-320(c)(4) of the Tallahassee Land Development Code. Two seats on the Architectural Review Board remain unfilled, and the city attorney will bring an item back at the Dec. 9 commission meeting.
The players
Tallahassee-Leon County Architectural Review Board
The local board responsible for reviewing demolition and construction in the historic and design-regulated areas of Tallahassee and Leon County, and the body whose votes are under reconsideration.
Amy Toman
The Tallahassee City Attorney who recommended that the board rehear its April 1 and May 6 votes because of improper public notice.
Dianne Williams-Cox
A Tallahassee city commissioner who has pledged to meet with all parties involved to find common ground on the dispute.
The details
City Attorney Amy Toman recommended that the Tallahassee-Leon County Architectural Review Board hold a new, properly noticed hearing on the cigar factory demolition. Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox has promised to meet with all parties to look for common ground, and no new permits or demolition will occur on the building until the Dec. 9 commission meeting.
Timeline
April 1: The board voted to issue a demolition certificate for the cigar factory.
May 6: The board approved Marshall House demolition permits.
Dec. 2: The board's final regular meeting of the year is scheduled.
Dec. 9: The city attorney is set to bring the item back to the city commission.
Legislative Policy Context
The dispute turns on the 15-to-30-day notice window in Section 10-320(c)(4) of the Tallahassee Land Development Code, which governs how the board must announce its meetings. Because the city attorney has flagged procedural defects in two separate board actions, the case tests how strictly that local procedural rule is enforced.
No new permits or demolition will occur on the cigar factory building until the Dec. 9 meeting, which keeps the site's future uncertain for now. Residents and developers should expect the board's procedural errors to be corrected before any demolition moves ahead.
The takeaway
Procedural notice rules in local land-use codes can determine whether approvals hold up, so meeting notices matter as much as the votes themselves. Watch the December commission meeting for the city's next step.
What happens next
The city attorney will bring an item back at the Dec. 9 city commission meeting, and the Architectural Review Board's final regular meeting of the year is set for Dec. 2.
Further reading
Explore more on Legislative Policy coverage in Tallahassee for context on local rulemaking.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WTXL ABC 27 Tallahassee News.
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