Southern Crescent headed for Belmont?
A new French restaurant called Southern Crescent has been proposed for the already restaurant-heavy 800-block of Hinton Avenue in Belmont, but some citizens aren't so sure that's a good idea, according to an April 21 story and a May 4 story, both posted online by public body watchdog group Charlottesville Tomorrow. According to CT, the owners of 814 Hinton Avenue want to rezone their house to become a restaurant, plead their case before the Planning Commission in April, and recently penned an open letter to the neighborhood pleading their case.
The letter points our that the Belmont BBQ space next door was once a residence, and makes the argument that 814 Hinton should be in a defined Hinton Avenue commercial zone.
“We believe that the re-zoning of 814 Hinton Avenue can serve as an essential first step in a comprehensive evaluation of our neighborhood’s future,” writes Andrew Ewell, one of the owners, as well as a writing teacher and guitarist for local rockers American Dumpster.
Want to put in your two cents about the Southern Crescent? The PC will hold a public hearing on the rezoning Tuesday, May 12.
22 comments
Didn't a few of the pro-density nuts on the Planning Commission
get all giddy over this proposal? They certainly have some interesting.ideas about what constitutes the "general welfare" of the community.
I love it. These hipsters knowingly buy a residentially zoned house next to a property zoned for business, then have the unmitigated gall to request that their parcel be rezoned to commercial also. Are they actually so stupid that they can't see that they're part of the problem, not part of the solution?
@Tortfeezer, Sorry I wasn't clear. Of course there is plenty in the entire zoning code that deals with providing appropriate parking spaces. I was referring specifically to that section that deals with the four criteria that the Planning Commission need to satisfy when approving any request for rezoning. (1)comprehensive plan - No (2)city wide general welfare - No (3) justifiable need - No.
(4)When pertaining to a change in the zoning district classification of property, the effect of the proposed change, if any, on the property itself, on surrounding property, and on public services and facilities. In addition, the commission shall consider the appropriateness of the property for inclusion within the proposed zoning district, relating to the purposes set forth at the beginning of the proposed district classification. You can infer that parking is addressed in the part that is not in bold. However, that district is not supposed to have parking if you consult the part that is in bold print concerning the intent.
Sec. 34-541. Mixed use districts--Intent and description.
(8) Neighborhood Commercial Corridor district. The intent of the Neighborhood Commercial Corridor district is to establish a zoning classification for the Fontaine and Belmont commercial areas that recognize their compact nature, their pedestrian orientation, and the small neighborhood nature of the businesses. This zoning district recognizes the areas as small town center type commercial areas and provides for the ability to develop on small lots with minimal parking dependent upon pedestrian access. The regulations recognize the character of the existing area and respect that they are neighborhood commercial districts located within established residential neighborhoods. Businesses that rely upon ample parking in the area for their customers are not neighborhood commercial. How many restaurants in the area could survive with only neighborhood-generated pedestrian traffic? What would happen to those businesses if, say, that whole area became permit parking after 6 PM? Of course I'm not saying that no store that has a driving customer should not be allowed, but businesses whose preponderance of clients are not pedestrian are not NCC. Therefore, (4) has not been satisfied either.
Jayzee stated:...."Most of you bought your homes for little money and have watched the neighborhood value go up and up because some of you think the Belmont area is historic."
As a resident of Belmont, what you state is a LOAD of horse manure. Residents like my self moved into Belmont and paid less because NO ONE ELSE INCLUDING BUSINESS WANTED TO TAKE A CHANCE INVESTING IN PROPERTY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS. We were LAUGHED AT. We were ridiculed. We were fools for wanting to live with the under-class of Charlottesville society.
We spent the time, money and sweat equity to MAKE Belmont a desiriable place to live.
We took a risk, and we expected a reward. And increase in property values is part of that reward.
Isn't that something called CAPITALISM???? Isn't that what people are claiming we don't want shoved down our faces?
Belmont is cool because bizarre artists and intelletctals like myself made it cool.
Except for Mas - who ALSO TOOK A CHANCE - all the other eateries are wannabees complaining because their business models don't fit in with the residents whose coat tails they are riding on. They are mad that we won' t let them run down what WE built up, and ruin the returns to OUR RISK, and investments.
They should have taken a chance like we did back in 1995-2000, when it was still ragged looking.
No, Belmont does NOT have to grow, because there is nowhere TO grow. There are commercial properties currently available IN BELMONT with parking lots if they want to consider something.
And for the rest of you who don't like it, buy their house from them and move in, since you think its great having your backyards next to lots of dumpsters and noisy night crowds. You deal with it.
CVILE EYE: There is something in the code about parking. It statedv ery clearly that any business that develops should have a minimal requirement for parking. And of course, everyone requires a lot of parking.
Jazee says : "Your 200,000 fix-up job on your house does nothing for the community - just for you and your friends."
Oho? Its called building a tax base idiot. People who spend that much money are their homes tend to be productive people either with high skilled jobs, or strong entrepreneural backgrounds. They tend not to stay up all night partying i bars/ eateries and so they don't want it in their backyard.
If Belmont is so boring, then why does every person suddenly want to live there/ Why are Andrew and hi girlfriend so desperate to have a restuarant there? Why did they want to live there so badly?
Basically, your excuse is the only one I seem to hear from anyone supporting the idea. Belmont was 'boring' and so its up the residents who rebuilt it to provide your childish spoiled bottom one more place to party.
Well it isn't.
Sorry, folks, but I have to repeat it, "Belmont was ââ?¬Ë?boring’ and so its up the residents who rebuilt it to provide your childish spoiled bottom one more place to party.
Well it isn’t." Let's ditto that again.
I'm against re-zoning this property as a restaurant. When you buy a house in a neighborhood you buy with the confidence that you understand what uses the properties around you will include. If you want to live next to a restaurant there are several locations including the downtown mall where there is a mixture of uses including residential. With all the vacant commercial properties at present, there is certainly ample zoning for restaurants available.
Didn't the Belmont neighborhood planner claim that rezoning this to allow a restaurant will create a "buffer zone" of sorts? Suuuure, then watch the adjacent properties fall like dominoes as each rezoning is justified by the one before it.
Where is the government entity that will protect neighborhoods from Neighborhood Development Services and their own city planners? Will it be the Council? The Planning Commission? Who is going to act as the advocate for the people?
kwsulton, if you look at what happened while the economy was surging, you would see that communities did all they could to sell their souls even then. Been to Fredericksburg lately? I also suspect that Wal-Mart in Mineral was planned before the economy tanked.
Common sense has long since been out the door in Charlottesville. One huge problem is that your neighborhood planner doesn't represent you or your interests in any way. He or she is likely someone who recently graduated from a local university and either couldn't get a better job somewhere else or for some reason wants to linger around for a while. He or she is much more interested in secure long term employment than anything else, which is why many of them chose a career path towards becoming a government employee.
Only the least talented and least ambitious of that bunch are going to stay in the neighborhood planner position. That isn't a good thing for neighborhoods obviously. The more ambitious need to build resumes and portfolios, so they are going to favor projects that go forward. There is no recognition and hence no rise to a final position of incompetence for good planning that doesn't leave a record, like blocking an inappropriate project. That isn't a good thing for neighborhoods either.
My guess is that if people in the neighborhood make enough noise that the project won't be approved for now. The problem is that there will be another modified proposal in the future. With each successive proposal, more and more opponents will become weary of the process and eventually something will be approved. The system itself is broken and something needs to be done to keep Charlottesville from slipping from good ole #1 to complete hell-hole. City Council is sadly as much of a problem as a potential savior. The water fiasco, Mall re-bricking, and McIntire parkway lunacy illustrate that pretty clearly.
The Ewell-Days have done their job and followed the necessary procedure for rezoning. They got their supporters together for the council meeting, they addressed the issues of parking, and they agreed to close their restaurant after the dinner hour. Belmont folks seem to be trying to keep the neighborhood from growing in a direction they don't want. But grow it will. Most of you bought your homes for little money and have watched the neighborhood value go up and up because some of you think the Belmont area is historic. This neighborhood is dull and boring. Bel-Rio, Maas, the Local and hopefully the Southern Crescent restaurant make it a more interesting and desireable neighborhood. Your 200,000 fix-up job on your house does nothing for the community - just for you and your friends.
"The Ewell-Days have done their job and followed the necessary procedure for rezoning." Yes, true, and now let's hope that Council follows the law and deny their request.
"...they addressed the issues of parking..." There is nothing in the code about parking.
"Belmont folks seem to be trying to keep the neighborhood from growing in a direction they don’t want." Duh. Growth? They started with a building and they ended up with... a building. Where's the growth?
"Most of you bought your homes for little money..." Who's business is that? Belmont has never been designated as historic.
"This neighborhood is dull and boring." So adding another restaurant that will close after dinner will make it wonderfully exciting?
I can't wait to have another Great place to eat just a half block away from my house of 13 years...
Living nearby, I can vouch for the fact that the area is getting out of control as a commercial strip. The noise from THE LOCAL and BEL RIO is ridiculous. Hinton, Douglas, Rialto, Meridian, Goodman, Monticello Road and Belmont Avenue are crowded with cars. Most of the houses do not have driveways. The area is partially one family houses and lots of houses converted to apartments. High density. Nowhere to park. Something's gotta give. The next planning commission meeting is May 12. I hope plenty of people will be there.
If these people want to open a restaurant, 536 Monticello Road, a block away, is for sale. $200,000. Been for sale for a long time. Already zoned "neighborhood commercial corridor." Bet they could easily find financing.
And Sue has a good point. There's lots of commercial property available for rent.
Money talks, bulls__t walks.
When the economy's down, you tend to see communities sell their souls to the devil.
Look at Wal-Mart pushing their way in right on the doorstep of a national memorial park in Mineral. Supervisors there are saying yes, though the people say no, because they say they need the income!
Same thing here in C'ville. Money is tight. Commercial vacancies are over 30%, and the town is strapped for income. Common sense goes out the door and any viable commercial interest waving wads of money can do what they want, even when more viable solutions are readily available.
Instead of staff running the City maybe Council will step up and represent the people who elected them.
This law has been inappropriately applied by numerous Planning Commissions in the past because they also considered "who's asking." This Commission, however, seems to be doing less of that, except when it comes to Southern Development.
I happen to know that the Ewells bought the property, they did so because Andrew was in grad school, and NOT with the intention of flipping it into a business.
Now, with the BBQ place there (though the Ewells and the BBQ owners are now friends), 814 has become the defacto buffer between the commercial and the residential zones. They'll never be able to sell it as a residence again---except maybe to the rental speculators who almost killed Belmont in the 1970s. If they own the whole vacant lot next door though, doesn't that make a lot more sense as an actual buffer?
I am amazed at how conservative Charlottesville still is. And mean-spirited and nasty (especially when anonymous).
Andrew and Hannah are very sweet, talented people. They don't deserve the vitriol this issue has raised. Seems like they're paying for Mas's sins.
I for one am looking forward to some good gumbo in a quiet family-owned restaurant.
I think the negativity is misplace.
The bane of Belmont has always been the seculators willing to carve up single-family homes into duplex (and worse) rental properties.
Maybe that's where all the evil vies should be directed, not at at Andrew and Hannah.
@Douglas Day, "Andrew and Hannah are very sweet, talented people." Are you confirming what many people contend, that the application of the law in Charlottesville depends upon who's asking?
"They’ll never be able to sell it as a residence again..." and now probably 812 won't either. Maybe that's why there's so much vitriol.
"The bane of Belmont has always been the seculators willing to carve up single-family homes into duplex (and worse) rental properties." That was because, for a long time, it wasn't fashionable to live in Belmont, and, until urban downtown chic, no one wanted to remodel homes in that area to continue single-family living. At least the homes weren't allowed to decay.
The idea that this restaurant or any restaurant for that matter can serve as a buffer (to what?) is ridiculous. Miss your Historical Society's blog, though.
The city's zoning code describes under what circumstances a property within a zoning district, such as R-1S can be re-zoned.
Sec. 34-42. Commission study and action.
(a) All proposed amendments shall be reviewed by the planning commission. The planning commission shall review and study each proposed amendment to determine:
(1) Whether the proposed amendment conforms to the general guidelines and policies contained in the comprehensive plan;
(2) Whether the proposed amendment will further the purposes of this chapter and the general welfare of the entire community;
(3) Whether there is a need and justification for the change; and
(4) When pertaining to a change in the zoning district classification of property, the effect of the proposed change, if any, on the property itself, on surrounding property, and on public services and facilities. In addition, the commission shall consider the appropriateness of the property for inclusion within the proposed zoning district, relating to the purposes set forth at the beginning of the proposed district classification.
Absolutely none of the four criteria listed above has been met by the applicant and the Planning Commission is legally unable to recommend the change. If they do, then they are applying the law unfairly.
Rezoning of property is controlled legally be code and must satisfy 4 conditions that are spelled out in the code. No where does it say that individual lots can be rezoned because someone is nice or to add a buffer. Council has not addressed any of the four critieria when explaining why at least three are in favor of the rezoning. Nobody ever knows why Brown does anything, Edwards said she caught some residents using other restaurants, and Norris said that he didn't want to penalize one group because of the behavior of another.
No one wins when rezoning is this arbitrary.
What happened at the last Council meeting? Did they approve or deny the rezoning request. I couldn't get there and can't find any news.