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Commission recommends approval of 10-unit conversion at 315 North Second with conditions
Summary
The commission recommended approval of a variance to permit 10 residential units at 315 North Second Street, subject to land-development approval, historic‑preservation review of exterior changes, DPW coordination on refuse and confirmation of eight rear parking spaces included in the sale contract, per the applicant.
HARRISBURG — The Planning Commission recommended approval of a variance to permit the conversion of the building at 315 North Second Street into 10 residential units, contingent on land‑development approval, historic‑preservation review for any exterior work, and confirmation of parking arrangements.
Applicant Adam Brennaman, represented by attorney Phil Petrina, told commissioners the property is under contract (the seller was identified as the Pennsylvania Healthcare Association) and that eight parking spaces behind the building were included in the agreement of sale. Planning Bureau staff recommended approval with conditions including a land‑development plan, coordination with the historic‑preservation specialist for any exterior changes and confirmation of access to the eight rear spaces (by deed or lease) if they are not on the subject parcel.
Why it matters: The proposed conversion would add 10 units to the downtown housing inventory (a mix the applicant described as six one‑bedroom units and four two‑bedroom units with an average size of about 719 square feet). Commissioners expressed broad support for downtown office‑to‑residential conversions but asked for additional documentation to justify the specific unit count and to confirm parking availability.
What was said: Petrina said engineers ran analyses to determine the feasible number of units given the building’s interior configuration and that the eight rear spaces are part of the sale contract; Brennaman said he intentionally limited unit count to provide a mix of well‑sized units rather than maximize numbers. Staff noted the CN (commercial neighborhood) district is exempt from strict parking requirements downtown but encouraged confirmation of parking arrangements and encouraged the applicant to provide additional pro‑forma or engineering backup at the zoning hearing board if needed.
Next steps: The commission’s recommendation and conditions will be recorded; the applicant must secure council approval of a land‑development plan and any required Certificates of Appropriateness for exterior work in the historic district, and coordinate with DPW for refuse needs.
