Bill No. 11-22 Special Exeception Use: 1033 Oak Street

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Filed in Clerk's Office APR 0 - 202'I_ Staff Report- BZA#0104-22 DAW M.JONES April 4, 2022 CITY CLERK,SOUTH BEND, IN Criteria for Decision Making: SpecialException A Special Use may only be granted upon making a written determination, based upon the evidence presented at a public hearing, that: (1) The proposed use will not be injurious to the public health, safety, comfort, community moral standards, convenience or general welfare; Approval of the Special Exception will not be injurious to the public health, safety, morals and general welfare of the community. The severe loss of population - a decline of 75% - that the neighborhood has experienced over the past fifty years has led to a decrease in the stability and general welfare of the community. Reactivating a current vacant building will add more residents to the neighborhood, which will increase safety and general welfare. (2) The proposed use will not injure or adversely affect the use of the adjacent area or property values therein; Adding an additional unit to an existing building should not injure or adversely affect the use or value of the adjacent area or property values, provided the current residential character is maintained. Renovation of the building should strengthen nearby property values and prevent the building from being demolished. The proposed site plan shows no changes to the exterior of the building, preserving the single unit appearance. (3) The proposed use will be consistent with the character of the district in which it is located and the land uses authorized therein; This two unit dwelling will be consistent with the character of the district and neighborhood in both use and style of construction. (4) The proposed use is compatible with the recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan. The petition is consistent with the City Plan, South Bend Comprehensive Plan (2006) Objective H1.1: Encourage residential developments to contain a mix of housing types, densities, price ranges, and amenities. The Lincoln Park Neighborhood Revitalization Plan (2012) states "Existing multi-family housing located in the neighborhood that utilize originally built single-family structures are supported but opportunities to revert these properties back to single family are also encouraged." Page 19. Analysis & Recommendation Analysis: Conversion of single-unit dwellings to two-unit dwellings should be done with care. The current proposal appears to be sensitive to the current conditions of the structure. The conversion and rehab of a current one unit dwelling to a two unit dwelling will further complement the existing housing stock in the surrounding area and be visually indistinguishable from nearby 1-unit dwellings, as well as providing more housing options for residents. The petitioner is proposing no significant changes to the exterior of the building, leaving the option to revert back to a single unit dwelling in the future. SOU I If BEND BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS Pagc I of'4