Ecovillage granted zoning variance

The Board of Zoning Appeals granted Ecovillage 2846-48 S, Linebarger Terrace a variance to change its zoning from residential to rooming house license April 19.

The duplex is the site of an alternative community, whose mission is to “increase social connectedness, ecological sustainability, and financial affordability in a city setting.”

Mark Gill owns the duplex and is a founder of Ecovillage. Currently a total of seven adults and one child occupy the shared dwelling space in both units. There are two bedrooms on each floor of the duplex.

He said the group sought the zoning change in order to be permitted to move the two first-floor unit’s bedrooms to the second floor.

Gill said the residents wish to hold potluck dinners and neighborhood meetings in the duplex without disturbing a resident’s private space. To achieve this, they want to move the first floor bedrooms to the second floor, and then expand the first floor’s kitchen, dining room, and sitting room to create the common space. To make these alterations, the duplex needed rooming house status, Gill said.
The variance does not increase the number of people allowed to reside in the building, Gill said; it only permits them to have all four bedrooms on the second floor.

See Compass story about Ecovillage: bayviewcompass.com/archives/386

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