Board to Consider Permit to Expand Lyon Park Community House

After more than a decade of working to make it a reality, the Lyon Park Citizens Association may finally get its community house renovated. The Arlington County Board is scheduled to take up the issue at Saturday morning’s meeting.

The association has requested a permit to expand and renovate the community house, which was built in 1925 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. If approved, the permit would allow for the addition of more than 1,000 square feet. Among the changes would be an update to the kitchen and the addition of a sunroom. The plan also includes various updates to make the house handicap accessible.

Typically, an expansion of this kind would also require the addition of parking spaces; In this particular case, 13 extra. However, the building was constructed before a zoning ordinance regarding parking was put in place. Therefore, county staff has recommended that the expansion be allowed without the addition of parking spaces. The permit would require the association provide handouts with off-site parking information to anyone who applies to rent the facility.

Because the house and park are owned by the Lyon Park Citizens Association, county money will not be used for the renovations. The association has been fundraising to finance the project.

If the County Board follows the staff recommendation to approve the permit, the association hopes to begin construction sometime this year.