Portsmouth council denies use permit for Grossman Trucking chassis storage at 680 Military Road

Portsmouth City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to deny a conditional use permit that would have allowed Grossman Trucking to operate a shipping-container-chassis storage yard at 680 Military Road.

The company’s attorney, Lisa Murphy of Wilcox Savage, told council Grossman is a family-owned trucking business that stores containers on chassis overnight when port schedules require it and that the business typically has far fewer than the 75 daily trips limited in staff conditions. “If they aren’t able to get the use permit, they’ll have to shift and possibly move to another city,” Murphy said.

Neighbors and an engineer objected at the public hearing, saying the proposed entrance and proposed grading threatened a long-standing drainage swale between 680 Military Road and adjacent lots and could block access to an existing rear gate and utilities. Adjacent owner David Lueder said fill placed on the site raised grades and caused silt to pond near his buildings. Civil engineer Sam Borocchi, speaking for Lueder, asked council to require the ditch be maintained, to move the entrance 25 feet from the property line to meet VDOT standards and to ensure positive drainage so the adjacent buildings would not flood.

Planning staff had recommended approval with nine conditions, and the Planning Commission had forwarded the request with the same conditions. City engineering staff provided a June 4 statement saying it had “no drainage conveyance system in that area” and that a private swale between private properties is a civil matter between owners.

Council members pressing the applicant cited a pattern of operating without required permits and business licensing. Councilman Tillich said he would vote no and later moved to deny the application; the motion carried 7-0. The denial leaves the property without the requested use authorization; council did not adopt any remedial conditions or follow-up assignment at the meeting.

The hearing record shows unresolved neighbor disputes over easements and drainage between family-owned parcels. The applicant’s attorney said an appeal of the zoning notice is on hold pending the use permit process. The council’s denial means Grossman Trucking will not receive the local land-use permission that city staff had conditioned for approval.