Review of speculative project on West Main Street gives hint at future process

The owner of a property that includes Mel’s Diner on West Main Street has put the site up for sale with an asking price of $7.8 million. The February 1 listing came just two weeks after the Board of Architectural Review held a preliminary discussion about the future of two buildings that require their permission to be demolished. 

“This is very much a work in progress by the way but this is the beginning of the shape it might take,” said Kevin Riddle with the firm Mitchell Matthews Architects and Planners. 

Riddle and his firm did not represent a particular owner according to Jeffrey Werner, the city’s historic preservation planner, but the presentation on January 17 offered a glimpse into the role the Board of Architectural Review may play under the new Development Code. 

As of mid-January, Werner said staff were trying to understand all of the new parameters of the new Development Code, and he had not conducted any sort of analysis of what the new Corridor Mixed Use 5 zoning might mean. 

“What’s in front of you is sort of aspirational and it’s not something that I can say oh, yes, everything here is fine except for the design review,” Werner said.

In all there are three pieces of property listed totaling 0.608 acres with a combined 2024 assessment of over $3.1 million. Two of the parcels are in the West Main Architectural Design Control District and another on Cream Street is outside of that boundary.

The materials were not presented to the appointed body until the meeting. 

Werner advised the BAR to ask about the fate of the two contributing structures, which require permission from a legislative body in order to be demolished. City Council agreed in December 2013 to protect more buildings as I wrote about at the time for Charlottesville Tomorrow.  

“The Mel’s Diner is a 1960’s building,” Werner said. “It was added as a contributing structure in 2014. The map was updated. It involves the entire building. Curiously, this was not originally a diner but was a dry cleaners and the back single story building was the machine works of the dry cleaners.” 

Werner said the building that houses Mel’s is an iconic one important to the community. 

“If nothing else, the front of the building with the strange roof is really a piece that I think a lot of people would fight to preserve,” Werner said. 

The properties are now zoned CX-5, which means new development could cover the entire lot, though 10 percent must be set aside for “outdoor amenity use.” Allowed heights in CX-5 are 72 feet as a by-right base with 100 feet if affordable units are designated.  

“The site is zoned with our new zoning at CX-5,” Riddle said. “There are properties across from it,  across from Cream Street that are [Residential-A] and so that will impose a transition zone on a part of this property.” 

Riddle said that would require a stepback in height to limit encroachment on the smaller structures in the R-A zoned land. 

“And so you can go up to three stories and then you have to build 20 feet in and add stories above that,” Riddle said.

Riddle said their speculative proposal was for seven stories, which would require compliance with the city’s new affordability requirements. He said the project’s full scope was still being worked out and no developer was mentioned during the presentation. 

One of the first images Riddle showed was an overview of where the buildable area would be for the site with the preservation of at least the front portion of the Mel’s Building as well as 731 West Main Street. 

“We’re asking to what extent might these contributing structures kind of adapt to a newer building,” Riddle said. “To what extent could they accommodate a new building and might there be partial demolition to make way for it?” 

When it was time to ask questions or make comments, one got right to that question.

“Is it the idea and the intent that if we retained Mel’s that it would continue to be a restaurant space?” asked BAR Chair James Zehmer. 

Zehmer wanted to know if the kitchen was in the portion of the site indicated in the presentation to be demolished. 

“We haven’t been in there to really measure it and confirm but it does not extend much at all,” Riddle said. “In fact, most of the rear portion is basically an auto-repair shop right now.”

Zehmer said he would be opposed to the front portion where Mel’s is, but he would be open to supporting the demolition of the back portion. 

“Similarly with 731 West Main, I went and took a look today and it’s clear where the 1930’s addition is because there’s a cold joint in the masonry,” Zehmer said, suggesting the front portion of that building should be preserved as well. 

Another BAR member thanked Riddle for bringing forth a project that would preserve the contributing structures. BAR member Breck Gastinger agreed and cited a couple of precedents.

“Both the Quirk and SIX HUNDRED WEST MAIN are other good example of similar strategy that worked,” Gastinger said. 

Gastinger said the massing and scale would have a large impact on Elsom Street, but acknowledged that was beyond the scope of the BAR. 

Carl Schwarz is the Planning Commission’s representative on the BAR and a resident of the 10th and Page neighborhood. He suggested that any design should preserve the entire portion of 731 West Main that has two stories. 

“There are some interesting vestige signs still on that wall that I would hate to see you guys white wash it or cover it up,” Schwarz said. 

Schwarz was also interested in finding out how the streetscape standards called for in the Development Code would affect the design on Cream Street.

“Cream Street is a major pedestrian route,” Schwarz said. “Most people coming up from my neighborhood don’t come up 8th Street to West Main, they actually kind of cut around this parcel and come through the Cream Street alleyway.” 

Riddle said they would be trying to find space to accommodate what the streetscape standards describe as Mixed Use B, but said there could be a challenge finding enough room. 

“But, I hear you and especially on Cream Street we recognize it would be important to not leave only blacktop between a new building and an existing one on the other side of the street,” Riddle said. 

This was a preliminary discussion which means no proposal has been submitted. No matter what comes back to the BAR in the future for a Certificate of Appropriateness, one member described what he wants to see.

“I want a building that is clean, modern, and preserves the historic structures as part of that and I think that this direction is probably the right direction to go in my opinion at this point,” said BAR member Ron Bailey. 

Another BAR member urged do what’s possible to keep Mel’s on the site after redevelopment, as what happened with Blue Moon Diner at 600 West Main Street. 

“I think it’s been around since the 90’s, the business itself, and just being respectful of trying to have this project kind of work around and not run that business off is an important thing for the community.” said BAR member Tyler Whitney.

What will happen? Stay tuned to my property transactions and my articles in C-Ville Weekly to see what does happen when it happens.

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment comes from the February 8, 2024 edition of the newsletter and podcast. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.