The City of Charlottesville’s Board of Architectural Review halted developers’ plans to demolish the Blue Moon Diner and a neighboring convenience store on West Main Street last Thursday in an effort to preserve the historical integrity and character of the area.
Two older houses, constructed in 1884 and 1873, sit directly behind the Blue Moon Diner, which was built in 1951. All of these buildings — including a convenience store, which was constructed in 1931 — are designated as “contributing structures” in one of the City of Charlottesville’s local historic districts.
Due to their age, the buildings cannot be torn down unless first approved by the board, Mary Joy Scala, current preservation and design planner for the City of Charlottesville’s Department of Neighborhood Development Services, said in an email statement.
“In November 2015, the [board] had a preliminary discussion about the development of the site, including the proposed demolition of the buildings, and agreed the buildings should be preserved because of their age,” Scala said. “[T]hey provide scale, they relate to other historic buildings nearby and they help tell the story of how West Main Street developed from residential to commercial.”
In a compromise, Project Developer Jeff Levien now plans to construct a by-right building behind the historic buildings, meaning he will request a permit for additional height and a Certificate of Appropriateness from the board, Scala said.
“The new building will contain ground floor retail, rental apartments and a residents’ lounge on the appurtenance level. It consists of six stories — 70 feet — plus a 16-foot appurtenance level — permitted to cover 25 percent of the roof area,” Scala said. “The basement parking level has 21 spaces and 20 bike lockers. The garage driveway entrance faces West Main Street.”
The developer has said the current uses of the restaurant and convenience store will remain as the building is being constructed behind the current structures, Scala said.
Tuesday evening, there will be a public hearing on a proposed zoning change which, if approved, would limit building heights on east end of West Main Street to four stories, Scala said.
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