Charles Town panel approves Friends of Happy Retreat parking expansion, conditions sidewalk waiver or addition

Charles Town Planning Commission approved a preliminary plan on June 23, 2025, to expand parking for the Friends of Happy Retreat cultural center, conditioning final plan approval on either a sidewalk waiver or revision to add a sidewalk along Mortington Avenue.

Planning staff James presented the plan as a two-parcel preliminary application (one parcel about 12.3 acres) that meets setback and lot coverage requirements and proposes 68 parking spaces, four of which will be handicapped-accessible. James said the plan received a waiver for lighting design because fixtures are downcast and shielded, and identified sidewalks along the road frontage as the outstanding requirement. He recommended approval subject to the condition that, prior to final-plan approval, the applicant either file for a sidewalk waiver or revise the plan to include a sidewalk along the road frontage.

Walter Washington, president of Friends of Happy Retreat, told the commission the expansion is needed for events and to make the venue financially sustainable: "You can't have a big event without parking. You can't have nighttime events without lighted parking." An applicant representative said the group has pursued federal support and that two U.S. senators have requested $2,772,000 in fiscal 2026 appropriations tied to related projects; he said the commission will likely know in August whether the funding appears in legislation.

Commissioners debated whether the sidewalk requirement in the subdivision code applies on city-owned parkland and whether it is fair to require a nonprofit to install sidewalk on property owned or served by Parks and Recreation. Several commissioners noted the city has prioritized a broader West End Connector sidewalk project; some said that if the city plans to install a connected sidewalk system, requiring an isolated frontage sidewalk now makes less sense. The mover told colleagues the practical approach is to require either a waiver or a plan revision so sidewalks can be addressed before final approval.

A commissioner moved to approve the application subject to that condition; a colleague seconded. After discussion, the commission approved the preliminary plan on a voice vote and the chair declared it approved. The public hearing on the application was opened and closed; no members of the public spoke.

Next steps: the applicants must either submit a waiver application for the sidewalk requirement or revise the final plan to show a sidewalk along Mortington Avenue before the commission signs off on the final plan. The commission also requested that Parks and Recreation be engaged in any discussion about sidewalk responsibility where city land is involved.