Artist’s rendering of proposed renovation of the Reynolds Building in Leonardtown.
Leonardtown, MD — Leonardtown’s rapidly expanding restaurant scene will be getting an addition and this one will be a welcome one for a hot summer day. The former Reynold’s Pharmacy on the town square will be remodeled and the first floor will contain a homemade ice cream shop.
Building owner and businessman Jim Hiles told the Leonardtown Planning and Zoning Commission at its July 18 meeting that the owner of another town restaurant would be leasing space for the ice cream emporium. Dachun Lin, owner of Oga’s Asian Cuisine, will be running the shop to be called Panda Village.
The building is in a row of all-brick facades. But Hiles is proposing that he convert his building to a siding-covered facade. That proposal brought criticism from commission Planning and Zoning Commission Member Christy Sterling. “I think it would look very residential compared with what is in town,” she said.
Town Manager Laschelle McKay said, “We definitely encourage brick whenever we can.” But she added that the town’s architectural review regulations do allow for siding.
Planning and Zoning Chairman Jean Moulds said she liked the proposal. “It is a good idea to have variety on the square,”: she said.
The building housed Reynolds Pharmacy before it closed last year and Hiles purchased the building earlier this year. It sits in a row of four businesses, including the former Corner Critters store which was recently remodeled by developer Mike Mummaugh.
That building is expected to have a restaurant on the first floor and apartments on the second and third floor. The Reynolds Building will be converted to two apartments on the second floor, Hiles said.
The block of commercial establishments was the former location of St. Mary’s Hotel, which was destroyed by fire on June 8, 1956. Another hotel on that site was damaged by fire om July 3, 1925, according to a history of the Leonardtown Volunteer Fire Department. A hotel was at that location since the mid-19th century.
The approval of the architectural review by the Planning and Zoning Commission was on a 4-1 vote, with Sterling opposing. She said she would have preferred at least a partial brick facade.
Board alternate Tyler Alt attended the meeting in place of member Heather Earhart.
The proposal for conversion of the Executive Inn on Park Avenue to senior housing, which was originally scheduled for the July 18 meeting, was postponed to a later date.
Contact Dick Myers at dick.myers@thebaynet.com.