Alexandria’s City Council, on Saturday (Sept. 19), deferred a plan to convert a vacant lot and a one-story barbershop in the Parker-Gray Historic District into five four-story townhomes.
If approved, the plan would convert 724, 726 and 728 N. Patrick Street into five four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom homes with one-car garages and roof decks. City Council decided to defer the item to its public hearing on Oct. 17, during which time the city will talk with the property owner about keeping neighborhood-serving commercial businesses on the site.
Councilman John Taylor Chapman made the motion to defer and said that the neighborhood can’t lose its commercial uses. Chapman’s motion was supported by Council Members Canek Aguirre, Sandy Marks, Abdel Elnoubi and Jacinta Greene.
“I’m very worried about the opportunity to lose some of that additional commercial on this strip,” Chapman said.
Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley had mixed feelings, but voted against a deferral.
“I share the ongoing concern about the particular loss of this particular brand, style, size of business in this particular neighborhood,” Bagley said. “It’s so authentically tied into the neighborhood, while at the same time recognizing it’s a privately owned parcel, they could just choose another tenant.”
The Planning Commission had unanimously recommended the project to City Council.
The property is owned by Jeffrey Schonberger, principal of D.C.-based Alturas Real Estate Interests LLC. Eric Bernstein and Kirby Holdings are reportedly buying the property with the intention of building the homes. It’s located directly across the street from the Charles Houston Recreation Center.
The 3,650-square-foot 728 N. Patrick Street property was assessed at $430,500 in January; the vacant 4,400-square-foot property at 726 N. Patrick Street was assessed at $630,600 and the 2,200-square-foot lot at 724 N. Patrick Street was assessed at $164,000, according to city property records.
