For months, members of the Christian Count Fiscal Court have held public and private conversations with a number of locals about the future preservation of the 521 Weber Street property.
Originally opened for surplus, magistrates unanimously approved a new resolution Tuesday morning — authorizing deed permissions, restrictions and covenants for the lot.
Rather than see the property demolished, officials instead would like to see the location developed — but in specific ways.
Permitted uses include:
+ Office uses for law, accounting, design, consulting and similar professions
+ Light retail such as bookstores, gift shops, boutiques, art galleries and similar establishments
+ Restaurants
+ Cultural use like museums, art centers and community meeting spaces
+ Educational use like classrooms and training facilities
+ Non-profit organizational offices
+ Residential uses, provided they comply with county restrictions herein
+ And any other specific uses submitted in writing and approved by the fiscal court
The exterior facade and architectural character of the property, the resolution states, must be maintained in its current condition and style, and it must be compatible with existing buildings owned by the fiscal court.
Any alterations or changes — be it materials, colors, signage, windows, doors, rooflines or other architectural features — must also receive written approval from the fiscal court.
Prohibited uses include:
+ adult entertainment businesses of any kind
+ smoke shops, vape shops, head shops and/or CBD/marijuana dispensaries
+ liquor stores, bars, nightclubs and/or taverns — though restaurant alcohol services may be permitted and subject to restriction
+ payday loan businesses, pawn shops and/or check-cashing establishments
+ gambling and/or gaming facilities
+ tattoo parlors, piercing studios and/or body modification businesses
+ any sexually oriented business
+ any storage, distribution, sale and/or repair of firearms, ammunition or weapons
+ any industrial and/or manufacturing use
+ and any self-storage and company storage business
Magistrate Russ Guffey said this list was created with the public’s interest in mind.
County Attorney Lincoln Foster confirmed that following this resolution, the fiscal court can now put the building out for bid.
