The Committee on Legislation held a public hearing July 15 on a special-use permit for 162 Kearns to allow conversion of a former religious facility to mixed residential and office uses in an N-3C zone. The applicant described existing conditions and said the building has been used in the past for religious and residential purposes.

An applicant who identified the property as 62 Crowns Avenue (speaking at the hearing) told the committee the site had been used as a religious facility and that the current plan would include longer-term tenancy rather than short-term occupancy. The applicant said they have been managing properties for nine years and that there is parking on site. In response to a question from Council Member Bowman, the applicant said, "Yes," when asked whether the proposal is for longer-term tenancy, and described property management experience: "Last 9 years. I'm in the city, and I'm doing since I came, I used to work as a real estate agent. Now I'm actually investing in managing properties. It's like some residential and some commercial."

Bowman said she had received some calls seeking clarification and noted neighborhood outreach by the applicant. Bowman also said the committee typically imposes a condition allowing the council office to call the applicant in to discuss the license if there is an influx of complaints.

The committee closed the public hearing and moved to send the special-use permit "without recommendation." The motion was seconded and recorded as sent without recommendation; committee members did not grant the special-use permit at the meeting.

The committee record includes a condition noted by council staff that, if there is an influx of calls or complaints, staff would call the applicant in for a meeting to discuss the license.

The applicant and council clarified that the number of upper-floor rooms was recorded in the application as "the upper is a 7 1" (transcript phrasing); the transcript does not specify a clear numeric count for units in the upper floor.