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Discuss Church Street Vision project proposed for 139-145 Church Street NW
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BACKGROUND SUMMARY:
In July 1999 the Vienna Town Council adopted the Church Street Vision zoning ordinance, Sections 18-87.4.A: 18-87.6.L of the Town Code, to enhance the appearance and economic vitality of businesses in the historic Church Street commercial corridor.
Under the Church Street Vision, property owners in the C-1B Pedestrian Commercial Zone are encouraged to renovate and develop properties in accordance with adopted guidelines that reflect a main street urban architecture reminiscent of the small town American streetscape of the late 19th century. In exchange, owners may receive additional building square footage, reduction in parking requirements and an expedited review process.
The plan, which is entirely voluntary on the part of property owners, was created to achieve improvements on Church Street without the imposition of additional architectural requirements or the restrictions of an official historic district.
As part of the Church Street Vision, all plans are first reviewed by the Town Staff and all site plan modifications are approved by the Mayor and Town Council without the need for prior recommendations from the Planning Commission and Board of Architectural Review.
To date, Town Council has approved four Church Street Vision projects, which includes 120 Church Street NW (Bard’s Alley, Rita’s, etc.), 101 Church Street NW (Sushi Yoshi, Vienna Pet Spaw), 111-113 Church Street NW (Bazin’s, Blend 111), and 144 Church Street NW (Red Galanga). The last built project, 120 Church Street NW, was approved by Town Council in 2014 and includes ground floor retail with second floor residential apartments.
The owner/developer of 139-145 Church Street NW intends to redevelop two properties located at the corner of Church Street NW and Lawyers Road NW and build a three-story mixed-use building under the Church Street Vision zoning ordinance.
OVERVIEW:
The proposed site includes two existing parcels, each of which contains a two-story commercial building. The current buildings are occupied by a number of retail and office uses. The parcels, located at the corner of Church Street NW and Lawyers Road NW, comprise a total of 26,993 square feet or 0.62 acres of land. A Town-owned 15-foot alley way is located directly to the rear of the site.
The owner/developer of the site intends to build a three-story mixed-use building with a basement and first floor devoted to commercial uses and the second and third floor programed for eighteen multi-family units, for a total of 18,896 square feet of residential.
Staff notes that the proposed Floor Area Ratio (FAR) currently proposed is 1.05. The maximum FAR per the Town Code is 0.7 and therefore a modification of requirement will be requested. A similar request was granted for the 111-113 Church Street NW Church Street Vision project.
SUMMARY/STAFF IMPRESSIONS:
Town Staff is required to review the formal submission for all design criteria listed under the Church Street Vision prior to formal review by the Town Council. The concept presented to Council is subject to change after the formal submission is reviewed by Town Staff.
RECOMMENDATION:
No recommended action at this time. Town Council review will be required when the application is formally submitted.