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Commission defers decision on proposed 34th Street commissary after neighbors press for limits on hours and truck activity
Summary
The Planning Commission deferred a decision on a conditional‑use permit for a commercial commissary kitchen at 615 34th Street after neighbors and commissioners said staff conditions (5 a.m.–10 p.m. operation, limits on trucks and occupancy) required further clarification; the applicant asked for 24/7 operation to serve early‑morning shipyard food‑truck customers.
The Newport News Planning Commission on April 1 deferred action on CU20260001, a conditional‑use permit application for a commercial commissary kitchen at 615 34th Street, after extended public comment and commissioner concern about hours, truck loading and neighborhood impacts.
Planning staff told the commission the proposed facility — aimed at food trucks, caterers and small food entrepreneurs — would occupy a 0.11‑acre parcel and recommended approval with 16 conditions, including limiting operations to 5 a.m.–10 p.m., limiting on‑site occupancy and restricting outdoor activity and food‑truck sales. The staff analysis said a 24‑hour operation would likely cause nuisance impacts for adjacent residential properties and recommended hours to minimize noise from loading and truck activity.
Applicant Sharon Owens Clark said the commissary is intended to be a controlled, rentable commercial kitchen, not a dine‑in restaurant, with membership rules, 24/7 security and surveillance and soft‑closing garage doors. She said many prospective users such as shipyard food trucks need early‑morning access and that starting operations at 5 a.m. would not provide enough time for some customers, citing business viability concerns tied to equipment financing and early delivery windows.
Neighbors opposed to round‑the‑clock operations said even limited early‑morning hours would disrupt sleep and raise safety and noise concerns for immediate adjacent residents. Carol Totten, who lives next door, said she feared truck noise and traffic at 2–5 a.m. and urged stricter limits on hours and on‑site activity.
Commissioners questioned how the staff conditions interpreted occupancy (members vs. helpers), where food trucks would park and whether truck loading could be separated from kitchen preparation hours. After debate, a motion to defer consideration to the commission’s next regular meeting (May 6) passed 5–4 to allow the applicant, neighbors and staff to resolve hours, parking and condition language.
If the applicant and staff reach an agreed package prior to the next meeting, the commission may vote on a recommendation to city council; otherwise the item will return for further evidentiary discussion.
