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Committee approves conditional-use permit for ground-floor residential conversion with storefront appearance conditions
Summary
The committee approved a conditional-use permit to convert remaining ground-floor commercial space at a South Loudoun Street building to residential, adding a condition that the former storefront be altered to have a residential appearance (operable-style windows and a residential-style door).
The Planning and Economic Development Committee recommended approval of a conditional-use permit (CU-2025-222) allowing the conversion of remaining ground-floor nonresidential space to residential at a B-1 zoned property at the intersection of South Loudoun Street and Pall Mall.
Planning staff told the committee the property historically had commercial uses and that a rear-ground-floor residential conversion was previously approved. The owner now seeks to convert the remaining front commercial storefront windows and door to a two-bedroom residential unit. Staff and the planning commission considered the site to be "on the fence" because commercial activity intensifies further toward the south end of downtown; the CUP process allows council review of potential streetfront impacts.
The Planning Commission had recommended approval without architectural conditions. Staff had suggested conditions to avoid a commercial-looking storefront becoming clearly a living room visible to passersby. After committee discussion, members approved the CUP with conditions requiring the storefront to be modified to a residential appearance'staff said the committee favored operable, double-hung style windows and replacement of the full-glass commercial door with a residential-style door to provide privacy and fit the streetscape.
Staff confirmed the property has about five parking spaces, which meet parking requirements for the proposed unit count. The committee moved and seconded the conditional-use permit with the architectural condition and the motion carried with an "Aye" recorded.
The committee asked staff to draft the exact condition language, and staff said it would return with specific wording for the council packet and would handle administrative review of details where appropriate.
