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Commission backs adult day‑support center in downtown Suffolk; staff limits hours and allows occasional after‑hours events
Summary
The planning commission voted 7-0 to recommend approval of a conditional use permit allowing an adult day‑support center at 108 North Main Street serving up to 25 clients; staff included a condition limiting regular hours and permitting limited after‑hours events.
The Suffolk City Planning Commission voted 7-0 at its April meeting to recommend approval of conditional use permit CUP2024023 to establish an adult day‑support facility, "Renee's Community and Care," at 108 North Main Street in the Central Business District.
Staff planner Matthew Madariaga described the proposal as an adult day‑support facility intended to provide community engagement and skill development services for people with disabilities. Madariaga said the facility would occupy a 3,784‑square‑foot building and is proposed to serve up to 25 clients. He noted that the CBD zoning allows the Director of Planning and Community Development to waive off‑street parking requirements and that the applicant proposes to use a rear entrance that opens onto a municipal lot.
Why it matters: The proposal repurposes a vacant downtown commercial building for social‑service use. Staff included a condition that limits regular hours of operation to 8 a.m.–6 p.m., with after‑hours events allowed until 10 p.m. no more than once per month (up to 12 per year). Departments that reviewed the request — Public Works, Utilities, Traffic, and Fire — raised no objections at this stage.
Applicant Jeffrey Townsend, the property owner, said the center grew from community need and his prior Downtown businesses: "the reason why we opened this day support and wanna open day support is to give back to the city of Suffolk," he told the commission, and said clients would use the rear entrance and staff would provide program support and mentoring. During public comment, Edward Beardsley, a downtown property owner and member of the downtown advisory committee, said he supports the service but raised concern about the placement of the use relative to downtown goals for retail and walkability.
The commission discussed those downtown vitality concerns but also noted that the building had been vacant and that the proposed entry would be from the Commerce‑side rear entrance. The commission moved and approved the recommendation to City Council by a 7-0 vote.
