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Planning commission narrows live-entertainment sunset for new Guad’s, backs several restaurant CUPs
Summary
The Norfolk Planning Commission amended the live-entertainment sunset tied to Guad’s Mexican’s CUP to start from ABC license issuance and recommended approval of multiple restaurant conditional use permits, forwarding the modified approvals to city council.
The Norfolk City Planning Commission on March 12 recommended approval of conditional use permits for Guad’s Mexican at 8155 Shore Drive and approved several other restaurant permits after modifying how a live-entertainment sunset is applied.
Commissioners accepted a staff proposal to allow the conditional use permit to remain in effect while limiting live entertainment under a modified condition FF that ties the sunset to issuance of an ABC (alcohol) license rather than to the date of adoption. The change was proposed after the applicant’s attorney, Tyler Rose, said the original four-year automatic expiration could block construction financing for a new, owner-operated building and ‘‘present issues for obtaining that construction financing and for the viability of the project,’’ urging a tailored approach.
Sherry, a planning staff presenter, had told the commission the four-year sunset was a standard condition for live-entertainment approvals and recommended retaining a review mechanism. Commissioners discussed options including removing entertainment entirely, a date-certain prohibition, or starting the review clock from ABC license issuance. The body settled on an amendment that staff and the applicants supported and voted to amend condition FF before voting to approve the CUPs as modified.
The meeting also cleared several other restaurant applications: Water’s Edge Winery & Bistro (6464 Hampton Boulevard), Martin’s Soul Food (5700 E. Virginia Beach Blvd), Plate Incorporated/Avenue Kitchen Cocktails (downtown Monticello Ave) and Beignets & Brew (520 W. 21st St.). Applicants described limited or occasional entertainment plans, proposed late hours only for special events such as New Year’s Eve where requested, and agreed to standard conditions (noise limits, management, occupancy limits and private-event restrictions). The commission voted to recommend approval of each application and will forward those recommendations to city council.
Next steps: the commission’s recommendations will be transmitted to Norfolk City Council for final action. The commission noted that exhibit and ordinance language governs if any numbers in the displayed exhibits differ from the recorded conditions.
