Olde Towne Clinton sees growth, updates and changes
By Katherine R. Dougan
Every visit to Olde Towne Clinton brings new sights, changes and growth in an area zoned for both business and residential. Not only does growth continue at Hillman Commons’ construction site in Olde Towne, but also requests to change a residence to business use and a request to change a business to residential use came before the City’s Board of Aldermen in January.
David Riley, who owns property at 105 East Leake Street, requested the Board grant him a dimensional variance related to required setbacks on both sides of the house at that location, which Riley is planning to use as a business rather than a residence. The house was recently renovated, and the Board was shown “before” and “after” photos of the transformation.
“They [Riley] are seeking a dimensional variance to operate a professional office at this location,” said City Community Development Director Roy Edwards, adding that the property is currently zoned Olde Towne Clinton.
“The office that’s going to go in there will be a consulting firm, which only has two or three people in it,” property owner Riley explained to the Board. He said the business will create very little traffic. The property has enough space to park 4 to 5 cars, with a driveway at the front and also at the side to a garage.
“Pretty much everything around it is commercial now,” Riley explained to the Board.
“Beside it [the house] is a CPA office,” Riley said, pointing at the image on the screen. “[The business] is on the corner, with [Hillman] Commons being built across, and the other corner is the park. Milner-Nixon’s [law office] is across from it.”
The Board unanimously approved Riley’s dimensional variance request by a vote of 6-0. Ward 3 Alderman William O. Barnett was absent from the meeting.
The Olde Towne area is home to construction of the Hillman Commons development, which is also progressing. The project, which, according to the rendering on Develop Design Studio’s website, is expected to include close to one hundred loft-style apartments and 4,600 square feet of commercial storefront space, was previously slated for completion at the end of 2021. However, weather and other delays have caused the project to be behind the 2021 deadline. In August 2021, collapse of a large pipe near the property required an outside contractor to come in for repairs.
Wet and inclement weather also caused delays for the project.
“We had to spend a fortune in site work, underground work and all, t
hen rain slowed us down dramatically. We’re digging out about ten feet of clay and filling it with good soil,” developer Clarence Chapman explained in March 2021. Hillman Commons is under construction at the former location of the Hillman-Berry Lions Club Park.
At 504 Jefferson Street in Olde Towne, Colin Baird requested a certificate of appropriateness to construct an addition and a porch on the backside of the property. The home was formerly used as a business location, but Baird seeks to make changes and updates to the property to turn it into his residence.
“Colin is seeking a certificate of appropriateness to construct a 95-square-foot addition and a 320-square-foot porch to the rear of the building,” Edwards explained to the Board at their recent meeting.
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City ordinance requires issuance of a certificate of appropriateness prior to certain actions being performed, and one of those would be the addition to the porch and the addition to the structure, said Edwards. The addition and the porch will be added at the rear of the structure. Baird has engaged the services of a landscape architect and said he wants to go back later and add a portico and parking area, which would require him to come back before the Board for approval of the additional changes at that time.
The Historic Preservation and Planning commissions both approved the proposed changes at the property, Edwards told the Board.
“I’m just kind of fixing this up to hopefully move into it,” Baird told the Board. He also said his office is located next door to the property.
“What materials are you using on the porch?” Ward 2 Alderman Jim Martin asked Baird.
That’s going to be wood,” explained Baird. “It’s a wood deck, kind of similar to the one down there at my office on Belmont.” Baird added that the addition will match the existing building materials on the rest of the structure.
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Baird said the property has served both residential and commercial uses in the past.
The Board voted unanimously 6-0 to accept Baird’s request for a certificate of appropriateness, with the stipulation that the porch addition have a shingled roof.
