Blowing Rock council approves conditional rezoning for Green Park Inn redevelopment

Blowing Rock’s town council on Feb. 11 approved a conditional rezoning for the Green Park Inn property at 9239 Valley Boulevard, allowing a redevelopment plan that would reduce the hotel to about 40 rooms, add 12 condominiums and four duplex cottages (20 residential units total) and require a series of design and operational conditions.

The rezoning request, submitted by applicant John Winkler, changes the parcel from its R-6M (multifamily) designation to Conditional General Business with site-specific conditions. Planning staff told council the proposal includes underground utilities, a detention system for stormwater, and parking sufficient for the mixed uses: staff calculated a requirement of about 132 spaces and the applicant proposed 151, a surplus of 19 spaces.

Why it matters: The Green Park Inn is a 135‑year‑old landmark in the Green Park Historic District. The developer’s team said full structural restoration of the entire building appears economically infeasible; the proposal centers on either carefully salvaging the original lobby or building a closely matched replica encapsulated within a new structure. The team, represented by attorney Chelsea Garrett, emphasized the financial risk, the substantial hand‑demolition work required to recover historic materials, and the uncertainty of what field inspection would reveal once demolition begins.

Council members pressed the developer on technical details that bear on neighborhood impacts and code compliance: the total site area (about 3.35 acres), the restaurant and event‑space footprints (staff reported roughly 5,014 sq ft for restaurant/bar and 2,079 sq ft for special event space), parking calculations tied to the town ordinance (1 per 100 sq ft for restaurants; 1 per 500 sq ft for event space; 1 per rented room), building heights (remodeled hotel portions described near 48–50 feet with portions measured below the 50‑foot threshold), fire and delivery access constraints, and the risks tied to the proposed encapsulation method.

Members of the public were split. Several speakers urged robust preservation of original fabric, saying the building’s historic character defines the town’s image. Other residents and a few neighborhood supporters told council that the structure has deteriorated and that a reconstructed or replicated building that preserves the inn’s visual character would be preferable to leaving the parcel vacant and declining.

Council action and conditions: A council member moved to approve the conditional rezoning as presented, attaching conditions negotiated with the applicant. The conditions recorded in the public proceeding included: no sidewalk requirement along Green Hill Road; a density allowance capped to permit the 20 residential units (up to six dwelling units per acre per the condition); a requirement that parking be provided consistent with the approved site plan and uses; a waiver of the town’s 30% first‑floor window/door requirement (as requested by the applicant); and a requirement that the primary façade of the condominium building not face the street. The council recorded affirmative votes from members present and briefly recessed for a seating change after the vote.

What remains: The approval establishes the conditional zoning and approves the site plan and elevations as part of that approval, but the transcript shows several outstanding technical items that the developer and staff must address before construction: final determination of whether the lobby can be preserved or must be reconstructed, soils and structural testing, a finalized restaurant tenant plan and exact square footage allocation for parking confirmation, and typical building permit and fire‑review approvals. The project team said it could pursue phased construction and financing avenues (including selling condominium units first) and that some historic preservation grant or tax‑credit opportunities have been discussed but are not guaranteed.

The council’s approval allows the project to proceed through the town’s permitting process subject to the stated conditions; the record does not specify a construction start date but the applicant estimated construction could take about three years once started.

Quotes: Attorney Chelsea Garrett, representing the applicant, said the team’s goal was “to try to save as much of the existing lobby,” adding that whether they can “actually save some of what’s there” remains uncertain pending further investigation. Developer Bill Wharton told council the project team was “committed” and had “our money lined up,” but cautioned that restoration if attempted could “be extremely expensive.”

Next steps: Staff and the developer will follow up on technical conditions and building permit requirements; council directed that any deviations from the approved conditional zoning/site plan return to the council for review.