Home Winery Proposed for Villanova Carriage House

The Lower Merion Board of Commissioners Building and Planning Committee on Wednesday night held a hearing to consider a conditional use application to operate a limited winery in the carriage house of a historic home at 1835 Gulph Road, Villanova, as a historic resource home occupation.

The historic resource home occupation is a zoning code incentive of the historic resource overlay district, said Chris Leswing, township assistant director of building and planning.

The owners of the property, Christopher and Ann Papariello, are requesting that Christopher Papariello be able to operate a limited winery out of a portion of the property’s carriage house, as a home occupation.

Christopher Papariello told the committee he is a passionate wine connoisseur .

“We don’t want any retail business… I want to pursue my hobby,”  Christopher Papariello said.

The Planning Commission recommended approval of the conditional use application subject to conditions which included that there be a limit on the volume of wine processed; retail sales and wine tastings are prohibited on the property; and deliveries shall be limited to no more than four a day, Leswing said.

The Planning Commission wants a declaration of covenants, easements and restrictions to apply to all historical resources on the property, which is a Class 1 historical resource, but the applicant has asked that it apply to the carriage house but not to their house.

Board of Commissioners President Liz Rogan said with Class 1 historic designations, the board has the ability to deny the demolition of historic structures, but a convenant on the entire property would provide an additional level of protection by placing restrictions on the property title.

The applicants’ attorney, Kristin Camp, said her clients are concerned that a convenant on the entire property could affect their ability to one day sell the house.

“If the Papariellos go to sell their property in five years…It may get someone concerned and they may not want to buy the property,” Camp said.

Christopher Papariello said the original structure for his house was first built in 1782.

“It was part of the Washington encampment in that area,” Pariello said.

Rogan said the Building and Planning Committee will make its recommendations of findings and facts, from the conditional use hearing, at the committee’s meeting next month.