During Tuesday night’s meeting, the Danville City Council passed one thing forwarded to them by the Public Services Committee, but rejected another. Passed, unanimously, was the planned purchase and installation of 30 license plate reading cameras around the city to help track those suspected of crimes. But referred back to the committee, unanimously, was the plan for a zoning change that would allow residents to place RVs or campers in their own driveways if they are kept up properly. Many council members questioned whether inspectors would be able to tell for sure if they were licensed or operational, along with the question of what actually determines if they are being kept up properly. Then, there was the question of would violations actually be enforceable, or would the process drag on, opening essentially a new chapter of problems. The next Public Services Committee meeting is November 23rd, and Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr says after what he heard, he wouldn’t be surprised if this does not come back to the full Council.
AUDIO: My guess is that we will not allow parking in driveways. It seems to me that most of the aldermen are opposed to it, so I’m not very optimistic about that passing.
Also back on the front burner was the petition by landowner Paul Offutt to change the zoning northwest of Bowman and West Newell to be able to put in a gas station and convenience store. The Planning and Zoning Commission did not endorse Offutt’s request for the re-zoning of 50 acres, and the person representing Offutt, Edwin Barney, came to the full Council with a proposal to rezone only nine acres, still planning for the gas station and convenience store. Barney was told to take a the new request back to the commission. Mayor Williams says he’d like to see this work out, but first he’d want the area annexed into Danville, especially since it would cost at least an estimated $750,000 to extend Danville water and sewer lines to this spot.
AUDIO: I think Mr. Offutt has a good project in mind. However, if we’re going to have to spend nearly a million dollars of citizens’ money in order to make this possible, then the citizens ought to reap the awards or the benefits of having this in the city of Danville; so that we can collect the tax revenue from both fuel sales, as well as sales tax.
This property is currently within the one-and-a-half mile buffer outside city limits, making Danville still able to establish the zoning by state law.
There was also the first of two public hearings on possible usage of COVID relief money Tuesday night. Requests included Danville Public Library director Jennifer Hess asking for help with projects such as boiler, computer, restroom and elevator improvements; and local NAACP president Ed Butler asking for help to keep their Pandemic Navigators program going. Another public hearing on this issue will be Thursday November 18th at the Laura Lee Fellowship house on East Williams.
