{"id":14452,"date":"2015-11-09T15:17:25","date_gmt":"2015-11-09T20:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/?p=14452"},"modified":"2015-11-09T16:57:56","modified_gmt":"2015-11-09T21:57:56","slug":"danville-planning-commission-11915-sorta-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2015\/11\/09\/danville-planning-commission-11915-sorta-live\/","title":{"rendered":"Danville Planning Commission (11\/9\/15) – Sorta LIVE!"},"content":{"rendered":"

SouthsideCentral did a LIVE! coverage of Monday’s Danville Planning Commission meeting via streaming video and our laptop computer. Hey, it worked! Enjoy the recap of what happened.
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We’re underway. All of the commissioners are here today.<\/p>\n

We’re going out of order today and getting Julie Brown’s request to allow leasing of the 2 Witches Winery and Brewery to outside people. That easily passes 7-0.<\/p>\n

We now move to the controversial part of the agenda. 2 men from Lynchburg are asking to reopen the closed gas station beside the museum.<\/p>\n

Jim Daniel is the attorney for the petitioners. He makes a good case saying that this building would never be used again as an auto repair place because technology has changed. He also says that there’s always been gas sales there. The business wouldn’t sell beer, just bottles of wine. Daniel also says that’s not the cheap kind of wine.<\/p>\n

One of the Old West End residents speaks next and infuriates the hell out of me. She’s too damned hoity-toity and is pretty much saying that the neighborhood is better than having a convenience store and gas station there. She says that a convenience store wouldn’t sell things like fresh fruit and makes its profit from alcohol, tobacco and lottery tickets. This is a crap argument. She moves on by saying that gas fumes could be harmfully spread into the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Now, she moves on saying that the crime rate would possibly go up because of the convenience store. Ugh. She says the neighborhood would like to meet with the owners to develop alternate uses for the property that would be acceptable. Bruce Wilson asks what types of uses would that be and she replies things like a coffee shop, sandwich shop. She also says she’d prefer the gas pumps to be removed.<\/p>\n

Susan Stilwell is up next. She says “You’re not threatened by a convenience store in your neighborhood.” Threatened. Seriously, “threatened”. She says that the neighborhood is still fragile.<\/p>\n

The residents don’t seem to get the point that their neighborhood is on frickin’ MAIN STREET.<\/p>\n

Rick Barker is up next. He lives on Holbrook Street. He says that the entire street path from Main Street up through Ballou Park is architecturally perfect except for the mistakes of the past. He points out the old YMCA building and the Doctors Building as examples. Barker says that he understands that people bought their properties knowing that a gas station was already there. barker says that he agrees with Jim Daniel that a gas station would never be allowed to build there now, so why should one be able to be re-opened there now?<\/p>\n

Beverly Richardson is next. She says that convenience stores are not good for disadvantaged people. And yes, she says black people as part of that. She says that the older people do not need a convenience store at that location. She gets preachy now and is going off the rails saying that the store would sell alcohol, tobacco and firearms<\/em><\/strong>. What? She was entertaining, at least. Paul Liepe speaks next and is against the proposal.<\/p>\n

Jim Daniel gets back up and starts knocking down some of the opponents’ arguments. He said the owners don’t want loitering, either. He says there’s already gas there and denying this proposal isn’t going to remove the tanks. He says that it seems that the residents don’t want any outsiders in their neighborhood. BOOM!<\/p>\n

Steve Wilson from 918 Main St. is up next. He’s against the proposal. I think it’s a safe assumption that every resident is against the proposal. Steve Fieldman lives on Holbrook St. and is up next. He says that he would never have bought his house if he knew a convenience store would open on Main St. like this proposal.<\/p>\n

Dr. Thomas Alabanza is part-owner of the Doctors Building across the street. He says “What is a Main Street without a convenience store?”. He also says “What is the last capital of the Confederacy without a Confederate flag?” Connie Eckman is up next. She challenges the main street & convenience store argument from Alabanza. She says that they encourage people to come into their house and through their neighborhood. Susan Wilson says she doesn’t feel one bit unsafe walking around the area with the business being vacant. She suggests Modern Pharmacy or Main Street Coffee Emporium as an alternative for people who would like to get a drink. She doesn’t mention that is a pretty far walk away. She says that the residents don’t want cigarettes sold individually or beer sold by the bottle.<\/p>\n

DEAR MERCIFUL MOTHER OF GOD NONE OF THAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!<\/p>\n

Susan Wilson continues by saying that the Wednesday Club is against this proposal. She also says that Modern Pharmacy’s business could be impacted by this convenience store. Now this is just getting stupid. I’ve had enough of this.<\/p>\n

Cara Burton is up next. She asks that city staff work with the Old West End neighborhood association to get an overall plan established for the area. She says that decisions are being made piecemeal and that’s not good policy. She offers the use of museum space for this discussion. And that’s the end of the public hearing.<\/p>\n

Harold Garrison points out that if this proposal is denied, it will continue to come up over and over and there’s nothing that the Planning Commission can do about that. Bruce Wilson questions what other things would be covered by this special use permit and questions the definition of spot zoning. Illegal spot zoning only benefits the land owner and not the community. City Attorney Clarke Whitfield reminds everybody that the Planning Commission’s decision is advisory only. Danville City Council will have the final word. Ann Evans asks what other uses would be allowable for this property under the current zoning. Ken Gillie says there are multiple uses like a small office building.<\/p>\n

The rezoning request is denied by a 7-0 vote. So that happens. We’ll see if the owners move on to the December 15th Danville City Council meeting to try and get this request passed over the Planning Commission’s recommendation.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, all of the convenience store opponents leave after that decision. So much for politeness.<\/p>\n

The last item is the hotel project. Mark Johnson from LE&D says that if this request is denied, they’ll build a convenience store there, then says he’s just kidding. HAHA! Q Jones asks if that means two Hampton Inns in Danville (even though that’s none of the planning commission’s business), and Johnson says that he understands that the current location would change brands. Ann Evans mysteriously asks if anything else is over 50 feet tall in that area. This proposal passes 7-0.<\/p>\n

And we’re done! This actually worked under the circumstances. You’ve got the most comprehensive recap of what happened today… and it’s only here at SouthsideCentral!<\/p>\n

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SouthsideCentral did a LIVE! coverage of Monday’s Danville Planning Commission meeting via streaming video and our laptop computer. Hey, it worked! Enjoy the recap of what happened.<\/p>\n

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(6\/8\/15)","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"June 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"We're LIVE! at Danville City Hall for today's Danville Planning Commission meeting. This article is now complete. We're underway. This is a pretty straight forward meeting when it comes to Special Use Permits. 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Now we're at Danville City Hall for today's Danville Planning Commission meeting.\u00a0 Today's meeting starts at 3 PM. We have a new article up for the Utility Commission meeting at 4 PM. Editor's Note: This article is now complete. Jimmy Bolton & Q\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Danville"","block_context":{"text":"Danville","link":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/category\/locations\/danville\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/y2UDz4W.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/y2UDz4W.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/y2UDz4W.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/y2UDz4W.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13957,"url":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2015\/09\/08\/danville-planning-commission-live-9815\/","url_meta":{"origin":14452,"position":2},"title":"Danville Planning Commission – LIVE! (9\/8\/15)","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"September 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"SouthsideCentral returned to Danville City Hall for our LIVE! coverage of Tuesday's Danville Planning Commission meeting. This article is now complete, so enjoy the recap. Q Jones is out today. Today's business is to approve the subdivision of the lot with the former bank and new ATM on West Main\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Danville"","block_context":{"text":"Danville","link":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/category\/locations\/danville\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/EKDkXov.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/EKDkXov.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/EKDkXov.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.imgur.com\/EKDkXov.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13359,"url":"https:\/\/www.southsidecentral.com\/wordpress\/2015\/07\/13\/danville-planning-commission-live-71315\/","url_meta":{"origin":14452,"position":3},"title":"Danville Planning Commission – LIVE! (7\/13\/15)","author":"SouthsideCentral","date":"July 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"We continue the LIVE! coverage here at SouthsideCentral with our next stop at Danville City Hall. The Planning Commission will approve setback requirements for the Biscuitville remodeling on Piney Forest Road and will approve some new cell tower construction sites. This article is now complete. 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