City planning updates council on conditional rezoning request for West Indian River shipyard site

City planning staff told the Norfolk City Council on Tuesday that Kelowna Shipyard Incorporated has applied for a conditional rezoning of two parcels at 344 West Indian River Road and 335 Emmett Place from the multifamily neighborhood-scale designation to industrial deep waterfront. Bobby Tahan, director of city planning, said the application would return the parcels to an industrial designation that existed before a 2016 rezoning for a multifamily project that never materialized. The planning commission recommended approval by a 6-to-1 vote, Tahan said, and the applicant has submitted proffers to add evergreen landscaping along the southern and western boundaries and meet a Type C buffer requirement adjacent to residential properties. The site is currently used for temporary parking and storage, and the applicant signaled it intends to shift additional shipbuilding operations there. Neighbors raised concerns about vehicular access from West Indian River Road and the potential operational impacts of expanded shipyard activity, Tahan said. Staff forwarded a letter from a community leader outlining operational and buffer concerns to the applicant for consideration. Council members asked whether a rezoning could include a time-limited condition that would revert zoning if development did not occur; Tahan said a conditional rezoning might allow that kind of condition but staff would need to confirm whether it is permissible and report back. Council members and staff also discussed which streets would provide industrial access if the rezoning were approved. Tahan said the site’s primary existing access for the temporary parking use is via Emmett Place; there is a separate access through a fence from West Indian River Road that the applicant does not currently use. The council asked staff to follow up with a written response on whether a time-limited reversion clause can be included in future rezonings and for clarification on access and mitigation options for West Indian River Road. The item is on the council docket for further consideration; staff said they will return with the requested legal and traffic clarifications ahead of any final vote.