Committee approves special permit to rebuild rear egresses at Wright's Block, will forward to full council

The Development & Government Relations Committee voted to recommend approval of a special permit that would allow Rights Block LLC to reconstruct two rear wooden egress staircases at 106 and 120 High Street.

Applicant William Wommeldorf said the staircases are deteriorating and that the project will restore them within the existing footprint while the firm rehabilitates the Wright's Block building to add 19 mixed-income apartments. Wommeldorf said the stair locations were shown on a survey prepared by Levesque and Associates, that the applicant has a license agreement with the neighboring Pollard Housing Authority for work in the shared passageway, and that he has met on site with the fire department to confirm required clearances for emergency vehicles.

Committee members questioned whether the proposed stairs would change the nonconforming condition. Wommeldorf and staff said measurements place the rebuilt stairs in substantially the same footprint and that the replacement is designed to meet current commercial code; several councilors noted that replacing an existing structure in kind is permitted where nonconformity already exists.

During findings the committee highlighted benefits including downtown housing production, improved fire safety and minimal impacts to utilities and traffic. There were no members of the public who spoke in opposition during the public hearing.

The committee took a motion to approve the special permit and conducted a roll call in which councilors present voted in the affirmative; the committee will forward its recommendation and the recorded findings to the full city council for final action.

What comes next: the matter will appear on the city council agenda for final vote; the committee's recommendation and the special-permit findings will accompany the referral.