A different kind of affordable housing came before the May meeting of the Alexandria Planning Commission. It was an after-the-fact request to operate a rooming house and to approve reduced parking for that use.
James Goolsby came before the Commission to request a Special Use Permit (SUP) to operate a rooming house at 1001 Queen St. As a matter of record, he has been doing that for the past two decades.
According to the staff report, the second story of the two-story building is now, and has been for the last 24 years, operating as a rooming house. The applicant has not previously had a special use permit, although the facility has had a business license since 1978.
Staff discovered the absence of the SUP after they inspected the property following a citizen complaint. This was the first such complaint since the rooming house opened, according to the report. Their conclusion was the applicant has demonstrated a high degree of concern regarding the management and operation of the facility and recommended approval of both the SUP and the request for reduced parking. The Commission agreed with a unanimous vote of approval.
THE STAFF REPORT noted, "The rooming house use originated in the 1951 zoning ordinance and was an effort to distinguish between single family homes and homes in which the owner rented out rooms to boarders. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the city adopted a two-prong approach to the rooming house issue."
1. The zoning ordinance acknowledged the existence of some illegal rooming houses and gave them a five year window to apply for an SUP in order to continue operation.
2. The city manager instituted a new administrative regulation designed to subject rooming houses to annual registration, an annual fee, and a program of annual inspections.
Staff also noted in their report, "The rooming house provides a form of low-cost housing for residents who qualify under the terms of the operation."
IN OTHER ACTION, the Commission approved:
* Expansion of Landini Brothers Restaurant at 115-117 King St. to provide table and bar service on the second floor of 117 King St. The Art League had previously occupied that space. It has been used by the restaurant for storage since the League relocated to Union Street. The increased capacity will add 39 seats, including table and bar seats. The area will be used as a wine bar with a piano for entertainment. Food will also be served. Old Town Civic Association testified against the expansion based on their objections to increased restaurant operations in the Old Town area; and
* Increasing the hours of operations at both the Hard Times Cafe, 1404 King St. and Thai Peppers Restaurant, 2018 Mount Vernon Ave., and for outdoor seating at Los Amigos Restaurant, 1905 Mount Vernon Ave.