The owners of a historic townhouse in Old Town with ground floor retail want to expand the property with a 700-square-foot addition and use it as their primary residence.
Plans to redevelop 107 N. Fairfax Street will head to the Planning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 9. The four-story townhouse was built in 1800, and is located in the city’s Old and Historic District. It’s located directly across from City Hall (301 King Street), and the first floor is home to dessert and coffee shop Dolci Gelati.
A full description of the project is below.
We are requesting an increase in FAR from 1.5 to 2.5 to allow for an expansion of the building. The first floor will remain unchanged as retail, and the upper two apartments will remain as residential but will be renovated and expanded. The owners intend to make the upper floor of the building their full-time residence.
Currently the building does not comply with the FAR, so the proposed increase will bring the property into compliance and allow for the expansion. The existing building is smaller than the surrounding properties and the proposed increase is relatively small compared to the density of its neighbors.
Their are no significant changes to the front elevation, other than proposed new dormers on the 4th floor and the Small Area Plan Active Streetscape will be maintained. The majority of the expansion will occur at the rear of the property with an expansion of the Third Floor and moving the existing roof deck from the third floor to the Fourth floor as to not lose usable outdoor space. This will be obliquely visible from King Street behind the Ramsay House Garden. With the proposed rear staircase from the the Second floor to the rear yard, the existing outdoor space becomes better connected to the building. The addition is set back from the south elevation to maintain the historical story line of the property.
