By Connie Chang
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Modifications to a proposed mixed-use development on West Main Street were approved unanimously by the
Charlottesville Planning Commission
Tuesday evening. The commission approved a special use permit that will allow developer Bill Atwood’s Sycamore project to offer up to 45 dwelling units, almost three-times the previous number.
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The site located at 1003 West Main Street was previously occupied by the “Under the Roof” furniture store and will be replaced by an approximately 66,000 square foot building composed of retail, commercial, and residential spaces.
 City Planner Nick Rogers |
While the proposal raised concerns regarding affordable housing, the Commission noted its enthusiasm regarding the project’s role in shaping the West Main Street corridor.
When Atwood received a previous special use permit for the project in August 2008, the Commission inserted a condition requiring two dwelling units to be set aside for affordable housing. These would be offered to people making no more than 60% of the area median income.
Earlier this year the General Assembly passed legislation which enables Charlottesville to use a more formal process for receiving affordable housing in the context of a rezoning or special use permit.
According to the new legislation, an applicant has a choice of devoting at least 5% of the square footage of a development for affordable housing units or donating $2 per square foot of the residential portion of the building to the City’s affordable housing fund. Atwood’s West Main project would house 3,500 square feet of affordable housing space, equating to approximately 5-7 units ranging in size from 500-700 square feet.
 Location of 1003 West Main St Site |
Commissioner
Dan Rosensweig
asked staff if the city could require affordable housing units beyond the minimum requirements specified in the legislation. However, City Planner Nick Rogers told Rosensweig the commission lacks the authority to require any additional units.
The original site plan had called for 16 larger “luxury-style” units, ranging from 2,000-2,500 square feet in size. With the approval of 45 units, a typical floor plan would become much smaller.
According to the applicant’s representative, Mark Kestner, the affordability of these units would increase with the revised proposal.
“Now we are going to be down to 500-2,000 square feet with an average of 1,200 square feet, so the affordability of the units is more likely at this point,” said Kestner.
A traffic model shows that the building would create an average of 665 additional vehicle trips a day on the West Main Street corridor. However, city planners said the site’s central location and access to bus lines would reduce residents’ dependence on cars.
Commissioner
Genevieve Keller
said she was concerned that the smaller apartments and higher-density would cause the building to become like a dormitory. She also lamented the reduction of commercial space on the site.
“I think our vision for West Main Street is very much one of a mixed-use area,” said Keller. “It’s disappointing to me that this will not be the prototype mixed-use development we thought it would be in the first place.”
However, Kestner ensured that the development would embody this vision.
“What we’re really after is the flexibility to create that mixed-use environment that makes this area of town a vibrant place to be,” said Kestner.
Commissioners hope this project will jumpstart the development of the West Main Street corridor, which was rezoned earlier this decade to encourage higher residential densities.
“Based on what’s on the site right now, we’re looking at an increase in retail, commercial, and residential uses,” said Chairman
Jason Pearson
. “Relative to what is there on site, what is proposed is a significant improvement.”
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