Staff recommends denial of proposed automobile storage lot at Saint Julian Avenue, citing neighborhood traffic conflicts

An applicant requested a conditional use permit to operate an automobile storage lot with an accompanying contractor’s office at 2770 Saint Julian Avenue. Planning staff recommended denial, citing concerns that the site’s only access is through a residential neighborhood and that expected vehicle movements would conflict with the city’s ongoing efforts to redevelop adjacent former industrial sites for residential use.
Staff explained the site is currently vacant and designated industrial in Plan Norfolk 2030 but that the only vehicular access to the parcel passes through residential streets. Staff noted demolition and redevelopment of nearby former industrial parcels (Moton Circle and Globe Iron sites) are funded and underway and that the city is working to remove industrial conflicts near neighborhoods. The contractor’s office is a by‑right use, but the auto storage component requires a conditional use permit; staff said the combination could add daily truck and vehicle movement through the neighborhood and recommended denial for those reasons.
If the commission were to approve the CUP, staff proposed a set of conditions they would recommend: hours limited to 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Saturday for the storage lot, a site plan tie‑in, a masonry dumpster enclosure, prohibition on razor wire, control of lighting to avoid shining into residences, and a two‑year sunset clause to allow reevaluation. The applicant had indicated they might ask to modify some conditions. Staff framed the denial recommendation as protective of the city’s neighborhood‑focused redevelopment goals.