A house in Bel Air will make an addition to include a floral business, with the owners intending to continue to live in their home.
Mitch Ensor, of Bay State Land Services, told Harford County's Development Advisory Committee during its meeting Wednesday the owners of 1903 N. Fountain Green Road in Bel Air, Robert Lee Booth and Laurie Ann Myers, want to add a "specialty shop," a flower consultation and arrangements business to their home.
The house, which is on slightly more than half an acre, is on the northeast side of Route 543, and south of the bypass on Route 1.
Patrons of the business would use the existing entrance to the home on Route 543, and no use for retail space has been requested for the site, Ensor continued.
The existing property is being served by a private well and sanitary sewer. As a result of the addition, the owners will be required to connect to public water.
An application has already been approved for this, according to the plat plan for the property.
After the meeting, Ensor said he hasn't seen many of these additions in the county.
"Residences convert to business uses from time to time," but not "normally."
He explained the property has a C1 commercial and industrial zoning classification, but the house has been on that property for so long this probably wasn't always the case.
Because of the zoning classification, the owners can continue to live in the dwelling, but any additions to it have to adhere to the county's current zoning.
One reason the owners decided not to convert the home into a business is because it's typically more expensive to refurbish an existing home to meet current codes, Ensor said. It would be more cost effective to have an addition to the house built.