Committee recommends approval of conditional‑use application for 514 Amherst with conditions

The Development Committee on Tuesday recommended that city council approve a conditional‑use permit for a seven‑bedroom bed‑and‑breakfast and indoor event venue at 514 Amherst Street, forwarding the application with staff‑recommended conditions and a clerical correction.

Staff described the proposal as primarily indoor events (about 104 annually) with limited outdoor ceremonies; hours were proposed to end by 11 p.m. Sunday–Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays (with a later New Year’s Eve hour). The applicant proposes 52 permeable parking spaces, including about 27 in the front/corner side yard, and an 8‑foot privacy fence to the north and northwest with smaller picket fencing elsewhere. Staff noted building‑code occupant limits and other site plan details will be addressed during the permitting process.

Committee members asked about occupant counts, how parking complaints would be handled, and enforcement triggers should neighbors complain; staff said parking complaints are handled as zoning violations (for example, parking on grass) and described a 12‑month rolling window for event counts and enforcement. A committee member observed the applicant narrowed the earlier, broader application and had met with neighbors; another member suggested a limit tied to five valid police complaints before conditions are reviewed. The committee voted to forward the conditional use to council recommending approval; council will hold a public hearing on the application at the next council meeting.