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Commission backs PUD to rehabilitate mixed-use building at 801 State Street, limits future uses
Summary
The commission approved a planned-unit development to preserve and rehabilitate a historic mixed-use building at 801 State Street while placing limits on future unit count and allowable storefront uses; staff recommended restricting the building to two residential units or one residential plus a limited commercial use on the first floor.
The commission voted to recommend approval of a planned-unit development (PUD) to preserve and rehabilitate an existing mixed-use building at 801 State Street that dates to 1885. The applicant sought flexibility to restore a second-floor apartment and either retain or adapt the first-floor storefront as either residential or a limited commercial use.
Staff told the commission the property sits in the R4A single-family infill and preservation district, which generally prohibits commercial uses and multifamily arrangements, so a PUD was the appropriate tool to allow the building’s continued mixed use. The proposal includes interior renovations, replacement of exterior siding with LP Smart Siding, a new metal exterior stair to provide separate access to the second-floor unit, and four off-street parking spaces at the rear of the lot. Staff recommended the PUD include a maximum of two residential units (one on each floor) and allow at most one limited nonresidential storefront tenant on the first floor if the property owner elects to pursue commercial reuse in the future. Any nonresidential use would have to meet the UDO’s parking requirements for that use at the time of occupancy.
Applicant representatives said they plan to preserve the structure’s historic scale and appearance and to construct a code-compliant exterior stair to serve the second-floor unit. Local residents and nearby property owners spoke in support of saving and restoring the building but asked for clarity about whether the first-floor storefront could later be converted to residential and how parking would be enforced. Staff confirmed the suggested conditions: the PUD would limit the building to two residential units unless an amendment is requested, would restrict potential commercial uses to a short list of neighborhood-scale, low-intensity storefronts (for example, a cafe, florist or small office), and required that any commercial tenant demonstrate the required off-street parking at the time of occupancy.
The commission closed the public hearing and passed a motion recommending PUD approval with staff-recommended limitations, including a stipulation that the 872-square-foot first-floor storefront remain a single use and not be subdivided into smaller units and that potential nonresidential uses be limited as described in the staff report.
