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BMZA allows Phase 3 Outreach to expand community center at 31 N. Smallwood; board waives consolidation condition
Summary
The board approved a conditional use to operate a community center and granted variances for minimum lot area and five off‑street parking spaces at 31 North Smallwood Street so Phase 3 Outreach can expand services. Planning supported approval contingent on consolidating 29 and 31 N. Smallwood but the board approved without placing consolidation as
Baltimore’s Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals granted Phase 3 Outreach conditional‑use approval and two variances Monday for 31 North Smallwood Street, allowing the nonprofit to expand its community center operations there and to proceed with limited demolition and construction tied to a state grant schedule.
Planning staff recommended approval of the conditional use and the parking variance but urged the board to require lot consolidation of 29 and 31 N. Smallwood (both owned by the applicant) before finalizing the lot‑area variance. Planning said consolidation would eliminate a need for the minimum‑lot‑area variance because, combined, the two parcels would exceed the 3,000‑square‑foot minimum for a community center in the zoning district.
Brandon Carter of WCC Design, appearing for the applicant in place of owner Terrell Hawkins, said Phase 3 Outreach has operated a community center on the adjoining lot for nearly 30 years and that the immediate expansion is necessary to meet a state Neighborhood Initiative grant deadline. Carter said the applicant has an agreement for off‑site parking across the street but that the consolidation process could take two to three months and jeopardize grant timelines.
After extended discussion the board agreed with planning’s goal of consolidating lots in the long run but concluded the short‑term funding timeline and the facts presented supported approval on the merits. The board voted to grant the conditional use, approve a minimum‑lot‑area variance (allowing the smaller tract to be used now) and grant a five‑space off‑street‑parking variance. Board members noted that physical consolidation of parcels and the permits required to create a permanent opening between the two buildings remain part of subsequent permitting and will be enforced during building‑permit review.
The board’s written resolution will describe the findings and any specific permit conditions. Construction and occupancy cannot proceed until the applicant obtains the required building permits and use‑and‑occupancy certification.
