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Council approves mixed‑use downtown zoning for 601 S. Church but denies overlay extension
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Summary
Following a hearing and applicant testimony, council rezoned 0.1652 acres at 601 S. Church to mixed‑use downtown but voted not to extend the downtown historic overlay, citing parking entitlements and reluctance to expand overlay entitlements into adjacent blocks.
The Georgetown City Council approved a zoning map amendment to rezone 0.1652 acres at 601 South Church Street to the Mixed Use Downtown (MUDT) zoning district but denied a request to extend the downtown historic overlay to that parcel.
Allison (planning staff) said the request met three of five approval criteria for the base zoning and that HARC and PNC had recommended approval for the overlay and base zoning earlier in the review process; staff also noted the property is surrounded by both mixed‑use and residential zoning. She said 38 property owners were notified, signs posted and the city received a mix of written comments in favor and opposed.
Applicant Michael Segoe described the block’s evolution from primarily residential to a mixed‑use context and said parking and privacy concerns motivated his rezoning request: “My ask is that you all would consider rezoning it to mixed use downtown.” He explained the site currently functions with limited on‑site parking and that increased downtown activity has made on‑street parking scarce.
Council discussion focused on the difference in entitlements between MUDT and the downtown overlay, particularly parking rules and the risk of incremental downtown encroachment into the Old Town overlay. Allison clarified parking requirements: the current short‑term rental use requires three on‑site spaces; a change in use could require additional spaces or a parking agreement. One councilmember said granting the zoning without overlay extension would allow the property to be legally nonconforming but avoid extending overlay entitlements.
The council voted to approve the base rezoning to MUDT and deny extension of the downtown overlay. The decision rezones the property for mixed‑use uses while preserving current overlay boundaries and associated parking entitlements. Staff noted the property is expected to remain legally nonconforming only if the existing use continues; any change of use would trigger compliance review.
