2003-04 GRANTING CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT - 240 NORTH CHURCH STREET

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. • Page 2 of 3 TMS Development: 240 North Church Street January 3, 2003 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 3. The applicants wish to demolish the existing buildings and construct a three-story condominium building with dwelling units on the ground floor. Section XIV.B lists "multiple dwelling units located on the ground floor" as a Conditional Use in the B-4 District. 4. The proposed building is three stories high and includes 11 dwelling units: three one- bedroom and eight two-bedroom units. The main entrance is on Church Street. Two elevators serve the upper floors and there is an office space on the first floor. The architectural elevations show a hipped roof over a brick building with contrasting bands surrounding each floor. The elevations do not indicate proposed materials, and no details are shown. 5. The building includes an indoor parking garage accessed from Church Street. There are 8 parking spaces in this garage. The approach to the proposed gaxage is south of the existing unused approach. This will result in the removal of the four on-street parking spaces in this location. The petitioners intend to restore the curb and boulevard at the unused approach and to relocate the three displaced parking spaces to the north, resulting in no net loss of on-street parking spaces. STAFF ANALYSIS 6. The intent of prohibiting residential uses on the ground floor in the B-4 District is to encourage retail, office and service uses at the sidewalk level. Residential uses are encouraged above the ground floor. However,there are areas at the fringes of the B-4 District where changes in land use and shopping habits have made retail, office or service uses unlikely. The subject property is one such area. 7. Staff strongly supports the addition of dwelling units in the downtown area. Dwelling units bring a 24-hour presence to the neighborhood and provide a market for downtown ' businesses. However, staff is concerned about the exterior design of the proposed building as shown on the architectural elevations. The plain exterior as shown will not be compatible with surrounding buildings such as the Art Deco-style Decatur Club and Masonic Temple or the Mediterranean-influenced Commodore Condominium building. It is staff's understanding that the petitioner is still working on the final design for the building and that the architectural elevations submitted to date are preliminary. The petitioner is expected to present more finished elevations at the Plan Commission meeting. STAFF RECOMMENDATION 8. Staff recommends approval of the Conditional Use Permit, subject to the following conditions: a. The project shall be developed according to the attached site plan. b. The petitioner shall provide more detailed architectural elevations for consideration at the Plan Commission meeting.