Planning staff recommends approval to convert ground-floor nonresidential use at 214 S. Braddock to residential

City planning staff presented a request to convert a ground-floor nonresidential space at 214 South Braddock Street to a four-bedroom single-family rental. The property, in the B-1 Central Business District and within the Winchester Historic District overlay, was historically residential and is part of a duplex; the other unit has been residential for most of its existence.

Staff said the property has a narrow lot with a 10-foot easement that provides access to parking for 212 South Braddock Street; the applicant proposed limited green space due to site constraints but identified rear-yard parking that would serve the unit. The submitted floor plan shows bedrooms oriented away from the street; staff clarified that what the plan labels as Floor 1 is actually the basement and that the bedrooms visible from the street are located on the upper floors, not on the street-level floor.

Commissioners asked whether forthcoming Old Town neighborhood-design-district (NDD) zoning changes would supplant the B-1 zoning and whether that would have made a denial of the conversion inappropriate if the property were to be rezoned to NDD soon; staff said NDD zoning has not yet been finalized and that changes to the zoning map have not been decided. One commissioner noted that, historically, the building was originally residential and that returning it to residential use could be consistent with historic character.

No formal action or vote was taken at the Oct. 7 work session. Commissioners had no major objections provided that bedrooms facing the street are not located on the ground-level floor; staff said they would take additional comments and return the item at the regular meeting if needed.