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BMZA approves variance to legalize four units at 1637 Gwynns Falls Parkway
Summary
The appeals board granted a lot‑area variance and off‑street parking variance to allow four dwelling units at 1637 Gwynns Falls Parkway after finding exceptional circumstances tied to prior approvals and existing building improvements. Planning had recommended disapproval because the requested lot‑area variance was large (about 53%) and the area
Baltimore’s Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals voted Monday to allow four dwelling units at 1637 Gwynns Falls Parkway, granting the lot‑area variance and an off‑street parking variance requested by the property owner.
Planning staff recommended disapproval, citing a roughly 53% lot‑area shortfall relative to current R‑7 zoning standards and a neighborhood downzoning since earlier approvals. The applicant, Nyasha Miller, told the board the building was previously permitted and upgraded for a four‑unit configuration in 2007–2009, including separate kitchens, bathrooms and utilities; she said she purchased the property with those improvements in place and now seeks to legalize the fourth unit rather than leave a completed, functional unit unusable.
Board members reviewed the record, including prior BMZA approvals and building‑permit history, and concluded exceptional circumstances exist for this property: prior approvals and on‑site improvements mean strict compliance with the current R‑7 minimum lot‑area standard would force the owner to remove functional living space. The board found strict enforcement would impose an unnecessary hardship caused by the change in zoning and prior development history, not by the current owner’s actions.
The board approved the lot‑area variance and an associated off‑street‑parking variance (the property will rely on existing on‑site arrangements), and members said the owner must pursue the required permits — including a use‑and‑occupancy inspection — before renting additional units. The board’s written resolution will state the findings and conditions and will be provided to the applicant once issued.
