Staff seeks CUP to restore historic Hawley House at 230 West Boscawen to single-family use

Winchester City planning staff presented a conditional-use permit request from Brabanger Enterprises LLC to convert the ground-floor space at the historic Hawley House, 230 West Boscawen Street, back to single-family residential use. Benson, the staff presenter, said the building, constructed in the late 1800s, “still very much reads as a residential building” and noted an existing roughly 6-foot brick privacy wall and a small off-street parking area that fits about three cars.

Benson said the property previously housed residential care for young adults and has been vacant more recently; the applicant would like to return the structure to single-family use, which in the B-1 district requires a conditional use permit under section 9-2-16 of the zoning ordinance. Benson also noted a rear addition originally built as a garage that the owner may convert back to garage use pending Barn/Board of Architectural Review approvals.

Applicant Lesson answered commissioners’ questions about the proposed layout, confirming the intent is a single-family dwelling rather than a duplex and that most bedrooms would be on the second floor with a single first-floor bedroom facing a private courtyard. Lesson described the first-floor plan as having an entry foyer and dining room along North Stewart Street.

Several commissioners praised the restoration. One said the property “looks fantastic” and another argued that permitting ground-floor residential in B-1 by right could reduce frequent CUP requests for similar conversions. No action was taken at the work session; staff said the CUP will return on the regular meeting agenda where the commission will consider a motion and any required vote.