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Athens zoning board approves conditional use for small clinic at 122 East State Street
Summary
The Athens Board of Zoning Appeals granted a conditional-use permit for a small clinical office at 122 East State Street (case 25-08C), after finding the proposed use consistent with the R-3 zone and unlikely to produce significant negative impacts to surrounding properties.
The Athens Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday approved a conditional-use permit allowing a clinical use at 122 East State Street, case 25-08C.
The board voted unanimously to grant the conditional use in accordance with ACC 23.04.03.c.3 after hearing testimony from the applicant and a nearby property owner and reviewing the standards in the Athens city code. "You have a conditional use in a zone where such use may be conditionally permitted," Zoning Administrator David Riggs told the board as he summarized the applicable code language.
The applicant, Haya Wu, identified herself as a physician assistant and said the proposal is for a "small boutique" medical practice that would operate as a satellite office of an existing Parkersburg, West Virginia clinic. "We have a small boutique medical practice in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and we have quite a few patients," Wu said, adding that she expects at most one patient in the office at a time and typically two staff present (one provider and one receptionist). She described planned hours as Mondays and Tuesdays roughly 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday mornings about 9 a.m. to noon, and estimated a maximum of about 20 to 40 patient visits per week when fully booked.
Property owner Stuart Goldsberry, who owns 121, 122 and 126 East State Street, spoke in support and described a history of medical and professional uses at the building dating back to the early 1980s. Goldsberry told the board the site has alley access and informal off-street parking in the rear and said, "you could park up to 5 cars back there, but you'd be squeezing in to get that many." He said there are also marked side spots and on-street parking nearby.
Board members focused their discussion on whether the clinical use would create disturbances or parking conflicts in the R-3 zone. One member noted that the intended uses for an R-3 zone typically include apartment buildings, which can be more disruptive than the proposed small clinic. Members also noted that the building's layout and limited treatment space make a much larger medical operation unlikely. "It's not like a large medical office with ambulances gonna be showing up," one member said.
No members of the public spoke in opposition. After deliberation, a board member moved to grant the conditional use permit "in accordance with ACC 23.04.03.c.3 to allow clinical use in an R-3 zone at 122 East State Street, case number 25-08C." The chair then called for a vote; all present board members voted in favor and the motion carried. The board did not attach any additional conditions to the permit during the hearing.
The decision grants a conditional use that runs with the property. No further formal directions, referrals, or follow-up tasks were recorded during the meeting.
