Hornsby B&B: Yorktown Plan Says Desirable, Neighbors Disagree

By Amber Lester Monday, May 17, 2010

Visitors to Yorktown could soon be relaxing on the porch of the Hornsby House, looking out at the Victory Monument and the river beyond.

But some Yorktown residents in the historic area want to keep the residential home from becoming a business, and will likely speak out when the Board of Supervisors votes on the issue at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at York Hall.

Brothers David Bowditch and Phil Bowditch hope to turn their childhood home, a 1934 Colonial-style house located at 702 Main Street, into a bed-and-breakfast to be operated year-round. The 5,300- square-foot home would have five bedroom suites for guests, and a manager would be hired to reside at the home and operate the business. An existing driveway would be converted into a five-spot parking lot along Smith Street; the owners plan to add trees along the edge to buffer the lot from view.

The brothers’ grandfather built the home, which was passed to their mother in 1956. Since inheriting the home, neither brother has lived full-time in Yorktown; David and his wife live in Williamsburg, while Phil lives in Newport News. Neither of the brothers wants to sell the home, which has been the site of many Hornsby family gatherings over the years, but neither is prepared to live there.

The Planning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend approval of the proposal at its April 14 meeting, and the proposal has been endorsed by the Mark Carter, director of planning for Yorktown, and the National Park Service.

At the Planning Commission meeting, Commissioner Jack Davis said the Bowditch brothers would not likely make money as bed-and-breakfast owners. David Bowditch told the commission he did not intend to lose money, but that he had visited similar establishments all over the world and thought Hornsby House had the potential to become one.

During a public hearing, Thomas Nelson, owner of the Marl Inn bed and breakfast in Yorktown, said he was concerned about a commercial enterprise being allowed in the center of a significant historical area. He said he did not profit from his business and said there was not a great demand for another bed-and-breakfast in the historic area.

George Bennett, of Smith Street, said additional traffic was a concern. The Virginia Department of Transportation granted approval for visitors to the Hornsby House to drive around the road closure signs on Main Street to enter the property. He said that set a bad precedent and does not want visitors to be given the same exceptions as residents.

Next-door neighbor Katie O’Hara said her bedroom is 50 feet from the back porch of the Hornsby House. She worried that the noise from activities and visitors would not be buffered, and said allowing a commercial enterprise in the historic area would set an undesirable precedent.

Dan Smith, superintendent of the Colonial National Historical Park and a historic area resident, approved of the plan, however. He felt five cars bypassing the road closure signs would not cause great concern, and felt the plan for signage was appropriate.

Ultimately, the Planning Commission approved the plan, partly because the village’s comprehensive plan mentions a desire for bed and breakfasts in the historic area. The Yorktown Master Plan states, “Bed-and-Breakfasts would also be desirable on Main Street and should be economically viable” and “It is recommended that property owners be allowed to convert existing houses into bed-and-breakfasts, subject to zoning approval.”

In a phone interview, David Bowditch said it’s unfortunate neighbors are being pitted against neighbors, but he believes turning the home into a bed-and-breakfast is an appropriate use. The family still plans to use the property for family functions, but will not open the home up for any other events.

“Yes, it’s a business, but it’s a quiet business,” he said. “They think it is not in character with the nature of the town and I disagree. I think it would be a tremendous positive for the quiet village. We love it as much as [neighbor Katie O’Hara] does.”

Katie O’Hara could not immediately be reached for comment.

If the plan is not approved, he says the brothers would have to consider the fate of the house. “We would try to see if there’s any other format we could hold onto it,” he said. “Another option would be that we have to sell it.”