Museum District Association opposes SUP for Nansemond
From the homepage of the Museum District Association, A Note From the MDA Board of Directors Concerning the Special Use Application for 10 N. Nansemond St.: At the meeting on Nov. 15, the Board engaged in a lengthy and detailed discussion and voted 13 to 1 (with 1 abstention) to not support the existing SUP […]
From the homepage of the Museum District Association, A Note From the MDA Board of Directors Concerning the Special Use Application for 10 N. Nansemond St.:
At the meeting on Nov. 15, the Board engaged in a lengthy and detailed discussion and voted 13 to 1 (with 1 abstention) to not support the existing SUP application dated Nov. 3, 2010.
A Note From the MDA Board of Directors Concerning the Special Use Application for 10 N. Nansemond St.
The MDA Board of Directors would like to thank everyone for their emails and attendance at the many meetings in recent months concerning the Special Use Permit (SUP) application at 10 N. Nansemond St. (the Verizon building).
At the meeting on Nov. 15, the Board engaged in a lengthy and detailed discussion and voted 13 to 1 (with 1 abstention) to not support the existing SUP application dated Nov. 3, 2010.
The full MDA Board and Zoning Committee appreciate how much time and effort went into this series of meetings and discussions. Both sides spent many hours working with us and the neighborhood to look for common ground. However, specific issues remain with the SUP that the MDA board feels the applicant has not addressed. These issues remain in conflict with the best interests of the neighborhood.
To the board’s knowledge, all previous SUPs that have been requested within or adjacent to a residential neighborhood have been granted for a specific use and/or one specific floor plan so the impact on the neighborhood is clear and defined. The application before the board listed 12 categories of possible uses, therefore, multiple and varying designs and floor plans exist. With such an array of possible uses and plans, all of the different traffic and impact studies affecting the neighborhood are at best ambiguous.
The board cannot effectively represent the neighborhood based on possibilities; it must, at the very least, represent our neighborhood based on probabilities – and specifics whenever possible. The SUP in its current form does not allow the board to make a confident decision about the real impact on our neighborhood.
While the applicant has been open to changes while still representing their clients’ best interests, the board must represent our neighbors and the best interests of our neighborhood. This SUP application, as submitted, does not allow us to do so at this time. However, we always remain open to continued dialogue relating to specific, unaddressed issues in this and other SUPs and are always eager to find ways to continue to improve the vitality of our neighborhood.
The MDA understands that our voice is not the final authority on approval of this special use permit. However, we encourage our residents, neighbors, and City Council to recognize that the unusually broad scope of this application does not adhere to the best interests of the Museum District at this time.
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