850 Estes

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850-854 Estes Street and 212-218 9th Street SW, c. 2018

850-854 Estes Street and 212-218 9th Street SW, also known as McGinnis Row,[1] are a set of 17 townhomes built in Fifeville in 2013. The 3.75-story homes were constructed by Estes Street Partners, a development group led by Rick & Rich Carter of Southland Homes. A special use permit was approved on City Council's consent agenda in October 2010[2] after the Planning Commission recommended approval at its September 14 meeting. The approval came several months after a zoning text amendment removing density restrictions on townhomes, allowing them to be regulated by the less strict density restrictions specified by their zone.[3][4]

The project was originally conceived in 2005 as a four-story, 27-unit condominium project.[5] The proposal drew opposition from neighbors Catarina Krizancic and Jason Pearson,[6] a married couple residing on nearby Nalle Street.[7] The Planning Commission deferred the SUP on October 11, 2005[8] before unanimously recommending denial on December 15.[9] City Council later rejected the special use permit.

In 2006, developers submitted a new by-right application, also for 27 units, with 1.89% of the building designated office space, taking advantage of a loophole in the Cherry Avenue Corridor zoning code that permitted additional density for mixed-use projects without a minimum on non-residential floor area.[10] In an extraordinary action, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny the by-right site plan on August 8 (after an earlier deferral on July 11).[6][11] This prompted a lawsuit against the city, which was settled with an approval of the project and a letter of apology.[5] The loophole was later closed, via a zoning text amendment approved concurrently with the townhome density ZTA.[4]

Pearson, by then chair of the Planning Commission after joining in 2008, recused himself from the final SUP vote.

References

  1. Web. McGinnis Row Neighborhood Guide, Nest Realty, retrieved 2022-12-21.
  2. Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, October 4, 2010.
  3. Web. Charlottesville Planning Commission meeting minutes, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, June 8, 2010, retrieved 2019-01-19.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Web. Charlottesville City Council meeting minutes, .pdf, Council Chambers, City of Charlottesville, August 2, 2010.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Web. On Estes Street, size matters, Will Goldsmith, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, September 28, 2010, retrieved 2019-01-19.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Web. Charlottesville Planning Commission meeting minutes, .pdf, City of Charlottesville, August 8, 2006.
  7. Web. Letters to the Editor: Respect the code!, Jason Pearson, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, August 28, 2006, retrieved 2019-01-19.
  8. Web. Charlottesville Planning Commission meeting minutes, .pdf, City of Charlottesville, October 11, 2005.
  9. Web. Charlottesville Planning Commission meeting minutes, .pdf, City of Charlottesville, December 15, 2005.
  10. Web. Planners deny, defer two Fifeville projects, Will Goldsmith, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, July 17, 2006, retrieved 2019-01-19.
  11. Web. City planning commission rejects Fifeville project, Will Goldsmith, C-VILLE Weekly, Portico Publications, August 14, 2006, retrieved 2019-01-19.