Urbanna planning commission unanimously recommends recreational facility at 271 Prince George Street

The Urbanna Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of a special-use permit for a recreational facility at 271 Prince George Street, sending the application to the town council for final action.

Planning staff opened the public hearing and described the request as a 2024 special-use permit to allow a recreational facility under section 17-4.6 of the town zoning ordinance. Staff said the property (tax map identification 20-A-17-1) sits in B-1 zoning and is subject to the Chesapeake Bay and historic-district overlays, and recommended approval with conditions intended to protect nearby residences and the historic character. "Staff believes there will be a spin off of support to other businesses in town," planning staff said, urging the commission to weigh those economic benefits alongside mitigation measures.

The applicant's representative, William Glenn, described the proposed operation as primarily a youth baseball academy with a community gym. Glenn said the building already contains two bathrooms, that batting work would occur inside cages with nets, and that he plans to mark and gravel on-site parking areas to discourage roadside parking. "We've already got signs designated that say this is our parking only," Glenn said, and added that a typical team would bring about 10–12 players, so on-site parking for roughly that many vehicles plus limited overflow would be used.

During public comment, Meriwether Vaughn Putney Jr., who gave his address as 36 Meadow Lane, supported the proposal, saying the indoor facility would provide supervised space for children during bad weather and praised the applicant's prior work. "For the young kids to come in and have somewhere not in the pouring down rain... adult supervision and train," Putney said.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on parking, noise and hours. Planning staff noted the ordinance allows the commission to impose conditions to mitigate impacts and recommended language incorporating historic-architectural-review-board requirements, limits on sidewalk signage, prioritized use of north-side on-site parking, and hours controls so that membership access could include early-morning and late-night entry without causing neighborhood disruption. The applicant said the building is mostly cinder block, has protected windows and interior screening, and that music would not be played loudly or continuously.

A committee member moved to recommend approval with the conditions as outlined by planning staff; the motion was seconded and carried in a 5-0 roll call. Planning staff told the applicant the recommendation will be forwarded to the town council for consideration at its next meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the same room. The council will take the final vote; the planning commission's action is a recommendation only.

What happens next: The town council will consider the special-use permit and any proposed conditions. The planning commission record notes two batting cages in the facility, two restrooms already installed, a building roughly 100 feet long, typical parking-space width estimated at 9 feet and an onsite parking capacity the applicant estimated at about 10–12 cars (exact layout and final conditions will be determined by the council if it adopts the commission's recommendation).