A potential snag to proceed with rezoning a section of Mix Place was fairly quickly remedied during Tuesday’s Planning & Development Committee meeting. 

Earlier this year, Edwin Smart had filed a petition to rezone his property at 4 Mix Place to allow him to convert the one-family dwelling into a professional architectural office building. Smart has requested that the words “and other similar professionals” be included in the permit that allows for offices for attorneys, physicians and/or dentists, not exceeding four offices in a single structure. 

He would like to operate his Smart Design architecture firm on the premises and purchased the property with that goal in mind. 

When Ed Smart initially saw his prospective new abode at 4 Mix Place, there was an obvious misgiving about the place.

“The first time I walked through it, it was raining inside the building,” he said during an interview with The Batavian Wednesday. “We appreciate beautiful buildings, so I'd love to see this thing restored to its glory and then some. It's just a beautiful piece of property. And, you know, over the time that I have owned it, I've invested in it, even without being able to use it, until I know I can use it for the use I want.”

What he wants is to get that address rezoned to include his architectural firm.