BAR approves 218 West Market hotel with conditions on windows, landscape and lighting after public safety concern raised by Vinegar Hill theater

The Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review on June 17 approved a revised design for a hotel at 218 West Market Street, subject to conditions on window detailing, landscape planting and final exterior lighting.

Why it matters: The project is a prominent new construction on a downtown street; the BAR placed particular emphasis on how window and facade details would be resolved and on pedestrian safety where the building’s vehicle access meets busy sidewalks. During public comment, Dinah (Dina) Gould, executive director of Lighthouse and Vinegar Hill theater, said the proposed Market Street garage entrance could create a conflict point for theater patrons using an adjacent accessibility ramp.

Board action and conditions: The BAR’s motion approved the application as compatible with the ADC District guidelines and attached several conditions: (1) the applicant shall provide a diagram identifying typical window detail locations and commit to recessed openings for masonry surfaces (minimum 2‑inch stucco recess, masonry returns roughly a brick depth of ~3 inches where feasible); (2) the landscape plan as submitted may include Ginkgo trees on Old Preston (responding to underground utilities constraints), and the BAR noted a preference for male Ginkgo selections to avoid fruit; and (3) all exterior lighting is not approved tonight and must return for staff/BAR review in final form. The approval was conditional on the applicant providing the specified window detail diagram for the record.

Public comment and applicant response: Dina Gould, executive director of Lighthouse (adjacent to the site), told the BAR the proposed Market Street garage door “is not safe every day and throughout the day,” noting theater audiences and children use the nearby accessibility ramp and that traffic movements could create hazards and noise impacts. The project team described operational plans (valet operations, closed garage door when not in active use) and said they had been in discussions with the theater about logistics.

Technical clarifications and staff comments: The applicant presented revised elevations, material samples and a landscape approach. On the matter of window detailing the team said several window conditions will be used: recessed masonry openings where brick or thin brick is used, and more planar/trimmed openings where stucco is proposed; the BAR required a diagram locating typical conditions and stipulated minimum recessed depths on stucco and masonry to match the design intent of the renderings.

Outcome and next steps: The BAR approved the project by recorded vote (see “Votes at a glance”) and required the applicant to submit the window detail diagram and final exterior lighting and finish details for staff/BAR review. Zoning, site‑plan and building permit processes remain separate; the BAR’s approval is of design compatibility and does not by itself confer zoning relief.

Ending: Staff will record the conditions in the COA approval; the team will submit the window detail diagram and lighting fixture/photometric details for follow‑up review before permit issuance.