Danville City Council to consider changes to short-term rental rules; four individual requests are on on agenda

The fourth and final of this week's previews of local government meetings in Virginia's Fifth Congressional District

Just one locality today and reading material and I’m relatively late. So, let’s get right to it! The nine-member Danville City Council meets at 7 p.m. in City Council Chambers. (meeting overview)

There’s a lot of business and time is running short so today I resort to the bulleted list:

• There’s a resolution to release two blanket easements for electric lines on a property on Cobbs Knobb Road in Pittsylvania County (staff report)

• There’s a second resolution to release three additional blanket easements on Hopewell Road. (staff report)

• There are four public hearings for short-term rentals to be operated as a principal use on properties zoned Old Town Residential. The first is for MADS Holbrook LLC to operate a site at 503 Holbrook Avenue. (staff report)

• The next short-term rental request is for a couple to operate one at 121 Howeland Circle. (staff report)

• The next one is for 113 Clarendon Circle and a request to operate one as a principal use. (staff report)

• Next up is a public hearing on a rezoning request for land at Two Winstead Drive to be converted from Highway Retail Commerce to Old Town Residential. This is also to allow a short-term rental use at the property. (staff report)

• The above also takes a special use permit. (staff report)

• The owner of 2520 West Main Street also wants a rezoning and a special use permit to convert that property from HRC to OTR for STR. (staff report #1) (staff report #2)

• SOVAH Health wants to expand their existing health care facility at 142 South Main Street. To do so they need a special use permit to waive minimum yard requirements. (staff report)

• PDJ Development seeks a rezoning of about 80 acres of land currently zoned Light Economic Development Industrial to multifamily residential district. This is part of a larger parcel zoned that way. The applicant wants to build a first phase with 324 units in nine garden-style apartment buildings. (staff report)

• There’s a second parcel related to the above that’s seeking the same rezoning but for which there’s currently no phase planned. (staff report)

• On a night when there were several requests for individual short-term rentals, the Danville City Council is also holding a public hearing on revisions to the zoning code for that use. The proposed amendments would create a Short-Term Rental Permit, remove them as an allowable accessory use, add off-street parking requirements, and reduced the distance a property manager needs to be from each site. (staff report)

• There’s another public hearing for authorization of a lease renewal for the Dan River Business Development Center. (staff report)

• There’s also a public hearing and a first reading for a new corporate hangar at the Danville Regional Airport at $1,000 a month. (staff report)

• Finally there will be consideration of a support agreement between the City of Danville and the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority related to loans for the up fit

  of 500 Crane Creek. (staff report)

After the meeting ends, Council will move up to the fourth floor conference for a work session at which they’ll consider appointments to board and commissions and get an update on economic development. (meeting info)

A site plan for the proposed development on land currently zoned for economic development. 

Reading material:

• Danville awards more than $200,000 in ARPA grants for small-business development, John Crane, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), September 25, 2023

• Florida delegation visits Danville, learns about Project Imagine, John Crane, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), September 28, 2023

• Danville hiring firm to search for new police chief, John Crane, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), September 29, 2023

• As new bagel shop opens in Danville, owner already eyes expansion, John Crane, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), October 3, 2023

• Changing a culture: Plagued by absenteeism, Danville Public Schools system eyes engagement, accountability for parents, Charles Wilborn, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), October 3, 2023

• Pittsylvania County forums wrap up with final supervisor seats, Chatham council, Charles Wilborn, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), October 4, 2023

• Planners recommend approval for Axton development permit, Chuck Vipperman, Chatham Star-Tribune, October 3, 2023

• Planners recommend rezoning for new jail, Chuck Vipperman, Chatham Star-Tribune, October 3, 2023

An aerial image of the property for SOVAH Health’s proposed expansion (Credit: City of Danville)