A proposed rezoning case threatens the so-called 1958 Commencement House at 2207 North Elm Street.
A meeting to discuss the rezoning will be held tomorrow, Monday 12/1, from 5:30 - 7pm at the Sherwood clubhouse near the corner of Elm and Cone; more parking off Alma Pinnix Dr. The plan is to develop the property for two medical buildings.
Time is short: Rezoning will be considered at a public hearing by the Greensboro Zoning commission on Monday, 12/8 at 2:00pm in the Council Chambers. Discussion may follow at City Council meetings on 1/6 and 1/20.
I'm told the home was purchased by Cornwallis Elm LLC, PO Box 4761, Greensboro, on Nov 7, 2006 for $285,000.
A neighbor writes: "It's interesting to note that the purchase aligns with the deterioration of the property that we all have noticed for the last couple of years."
The property is zoned residential single family; the applicant is requesting light office zoning. "This seems an incredible encroachment on the residential character of the neighborhood, not to mention the value of the historic property because of its association with both Edward Loewenstein and the former Woman's College class of 1958 that designed and helped to construct the structure."
[Architect Ed] Loewenstein began teaching an innovative course in architectural design at Woman's College (now UNC-Greensboro). Twenty-three female students designed a house, oversaw its construction and decorated the resulting structure, dubbed the "Commencement House" by the university's public relations office. The Greensboro Daily News proclaimed the house "as modern as tomorrow," hailing the women who designed it as pioneers, reporting that "they are the first pupils outside the schools of architecture to attempt the complete designing and building of a house." At its May 1958 dedication, an event covered by the paper and broadcast on WUNC-TV, North Carolina First Lady Mrs. Luther Hodges, herself an alumna of Woman's College, cut the ribbon on the house. Written up in the November 1958 edition of McCall's Magazine. Contractor: Eugene Gulledge (Superior Contracting Company of Greensboro).
More here.
Ed: Few are aware of a scandal schemed by two of the women, who were gay. In one room, designed by the same playful couple, there were no studs and all the lumber was tongue and groove.
Posted by: Giltheganymede | Nov 30, 2008 at 07:24 PM
looks like a protest petition might be helpful.
Posted by: keith | Nov 30, 2008 at 08:46 PM
Ed, here is the case you are talking about. Look and see at the bottom on who is wanting this rezoned none other than Stan Hope Johnson who is well connected to Greensboro City Council Member Robbie Perkins as reported before here TRIADWATCH
or click here PERKINSPARTNER
Z-08-12-004 2207 North Elm Street, 2209 North Elm Street, 106 West
Cornwallis Drive and 108 West Cornwallis Drive (North of West
Cornwallis Drive and west of North Elm Street)– An ordinance
rezoning from RS-12 (Residential-Single Family) to CD-LO
(Conditional District-Limited Office) with the following conditions:
1) Uses: Limited to all uses permitted in the Business
Professional and Personal Service category of the
Limited Office Zoning District.
2) The subject property will be designed and developed in
a unified manner and will incorporate similar and
complimentary architectural features such as masonry
and stucco materials.
3) Buildings will be limited to two stories above ground.
Page 4 of 6
4) Site lighting will be designed in a manner as to
eliminate direct illumination onto adjacent properties.
5) The development will be designed to allow for internal
vehicular and pedestrian connectivity between any
freestanding buildings within the development.
Vehicular connectivity will be accommodated by shared
driveways and cross connections. Pedestrian
connectivity will be accommodated by provision of
sidewalks and painted crosswalks internally within the
property.
6) Digital signage is not permitted.
7) Buffer areas per site sketch plan submitted with the
rezoning application and dated10/31/2008.
– for a portion of the property located at 2207 North Elm Street,
2209 North Elm Street, 106 West Cornwallis Drive and 108
West Cornwallis Drive (2.66 Acres)
– for Stanhope Johnson (Sheet 28)
Posted by: keith | Nov 30, 2008 at 10:31 PM
The managers of the company seeking the rezoning, according to Secretary of State records, are Stanhope Johnson and Tom Hall.
Posted by: Neighbor | Nov 30, 2008 at 11:38 PM
neighbor here is the information of tom hall,
Tom Hall: President, Windsor Homes
Tom is a co-founder of Windsor Investments, LLC and has been president of Windsor Homes since its inception. Prior to forming Windsor, he spent 21 years in the home building industry in the Triad region in a variety of positions including financial analysis; sales and marketing management; land acquisition and development and as a division president.
He is a member of the Greensboro Sports Council, the Greensboro Rotary Club and a board member of the Industry of the Blind
Look like a well connected rezoning
Posted by: keith | Nov 30, 2008 at 11:56 PM
Fascinating how things work. One would think that there would be purely business and financial reasons to locate a medical related facility to a different location. Just goes to show... what do you suspect is the drawing card?
Posted by: Reggie Greene/The Logistician | Dec 01, 2008 at 12:31 AM
Reggie:
The building would be a block from other shops and offices on N. Elm on the other side of Cornwallis, a couple blocks from the shops along State Street, two blocks from the Golden Gate Shopping Center, across the street from a large church, and along a heavily traveled street.
Doctors' offices seem like great mixed-use redevelopment for this site.
Posted by: Dave Ribar | Dec 01, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Ed, do you know how many "Commencement Houses" there were in all? The Loewenstein site you linked to mentions a couple of others, were there more than two or three?
The word Historic can be tossed around pretty easily. Every 50-year-old house with a story associated with it isn't Historic, and overusing the term can be like crying "wolf" and lead to the devaluation of the concept of saving truly historic buildings.
I can understand that neighbors don't want another commercial building at the edge of their neighborhood, but is this really a Historic house?
Posted by: Preston Earle | Dec 01, 2008 at 12:37 PM
I don't think there's any doubt that the house is historic, as the quoted material indicates.
Does that mean it's worth preserving, truly unique, or in a reasonable condition? Not necessarily. That's one thing the public discussion should cover.
I agree with DR that doctor's offices would be a reasonable usage in the case of rezoning, but I'd guess the neighbors on Kimberly and Cornwallis may object to the rezoning away from residential, not just the proposed use.
Posted by: Ed Cone | Dec 01, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Yes , this is a historic house. Until Ed pointed this one out I thought there was only one Lowenstein house house left in Greensboro, now thanks to Robbie I will be right.
This rezoning is a terrible land use, it will only invite more of the destruction of my neighborhood and further impede the flow of traffic at one of Greensboro's worst intersections. N.Elm and Cornwallis each day the traffic backs up to Elmwood on Cornwallis and almost to Cone hospital on N.Elm at drive times.
I take my daughter to School and when I return I have to wait in traffic for the light to change at the intersection that this re-zoning will affect, before I can get into my own driveway. Cornwallis and Elm has too much traffic as it is without continuing to allow commercial development.
Posted by: Joe Wilson | Dec 01, 2008 at 04:48 PM