Board approves poured concrete wall, railing and ADA lift for Braddock Street church-to-loft project

The Winchester City Board of Architectural Review on June 18 approved BR26-60, permitting a poured concrete wall (with natural limestone veneer where appropriate), a black steel railing, two gooseneck lamps above a sign, and replacement of a vertical platform lift at 302–308 North Braddock Street.

Richard Hahn, the applicant, described the broader redevelopment as a roughly 27,000‑square‑foot conversion of the old United Methodist Church into about 20 urban loft apartments; he said the church portion is leased to the Sheha Theatre Group and estimated roughly 250 seats in that space. Hahn told the board the project team is about six weeks from completion and brought three outstanding BAR items for final sign‑off.

Board members asked technical questions about the proposed wall and its relationship to an existing stone wall; the applicant said the new poured concrete wall ties into the existing stone and is set back about 60 feet from the public sidewalk and right‑of‑way. Members recommended a real limestone veneer on visible faces to match the adjacent stone, and confirmed the railing would be steel and that the vertical platform lift replaces an earlier unit to meet ADA requirements.

A committee member moved to approve BR26-60 as submitted, per drawings; a second followed and the motion passed with no recorded opposition. The approval clears the remaining BAR items for this phase of the redevelopment, allowing the team to complete the exterior wall and site elements as presented.