Norfolk council approves zoning change at 715 West Avenue to allow upstairs apartments

The Norfolk City Council voted unanimously on June 8 to approve Ordinance No. 5987, rezoning the property at 715 West Avenue from I1 (Light Industrial) to C2 (Central Business). Councilmember Granquist moved the ordinance for consideration and the measure passed on first reading; the council then suspended the rules and approved second and third readings the same evening.

Val, the Planning Commission representative, told the council the two-story building sits on the south side of West Norfolk Avenue between 7th and 8th and that the owners requested the C2 designation so they could place residential apartments on the second story — an outright-permitted use in C2 — while maintaining commercial activity on the ground floor. Val said the parcel fills the lot and lacks on-site parking, making C2 a better fit than I1.

The Planning Commission held a public hearing on May 19, 2026, and recommended approval by a 7–0 vote, Val reported. The council offered no objections during the public hearing; no members of the public spoke in opposition during the council hearing.

Under the adopted ordinance, the city’s zoning map will be amended and the ordinance will be published in pamphlet form as required. The council recorded the vote as unanimous: all council members present voted in the affirmative.

The council did not state a timeline for any building permit or site-work review that would follow the rezoning. Further design or permit steps were not discussed in detail during the hearing.