HomeMy WebLinkAboutSE202000016 Correspondence 2020-10-134400 / 4391 Mechums School Hill, Charlottesville VA 22903
Variance for a Homestay for the Cottage
Special Exception to Reduce the Required 125' setback for Homestays
Cottage and Property Description:
The property is located in a rural location in the triangular piece of land between 250 and 240
and is not in a subdivision. It is a relatively long rectangular piece of property with the cottage
located in the back and accessed by a gravel cottage lane while the main house in the front at
the top of Mechums School Hill. The cottage is not visible from 250. The nearest cross streets
for the property are Mechums Depot and Rockfish Gap Parkway (250W). Two houses exist on
this property - the main house where the owner lives dates back to 1890 and the cottage, for
which this variance is requested, was built in the early 1970's by a previous owner. There is
ample land between all properties in the area and each property has between 3 and 5+ acres
of land.
Two properties touch our property at the back where the cottage is located and are as
follows: The closest property to the cottage is the "dog -leg" portion of a parcel which closely
fronts 250— this owner's house is quite far away maybe ''/< of a mile from the cottage across a
small valley. The other house within viewing distance, which does not touch the portion of
the parcel where the cottage is located, is a new house built after the cottage and is downhill
with only the roof and back being the primary viewable part of the house. Two other
properties touch a small portion of 4400 Mechums School Hill in the front alongside the main
house and are not in sight of the cottage nor do they abut the section of this land where the
cottage is located.
The cottage is a well-built, well -kept small house, and is very cute attractive and contributes
positively to the neighborhood. It is a very safe house, up to code and there have never been
any injuries or incidents in or around the cottage. It has its own lane to access lane to its
exclusive parking behind the cottage which is not viewable to any of the few neighbors. As
the owner of the main house, I keep tabs on the cottage and its occupants and keep the
property in good order to accommodate the cottage guests. The cottage will always have
some sort of guest in it, whether they are paying or not and it is very helpful to all parties to
allow this cottage the variance required to run a homestay. It is my experience that the
homestay guests add so much to our Albemarle County economy and the cottage is a perfect
place to house them. It also helps the owner financially who in turn supports the community.
Thank you for your consideration,
Evelyn Tickle Kitchin, owner