Editor’s Note: This article is now complete.
We’re LIVE! at tonight’s 7PM Danville City Council meeting. I’m going to do the best I can to get as much coverage in, then I’ll add bonus coverage, commentary and photos when I get home. Be sure to refresh the page often to get the latest happenings!
Good sized crowd tonight.
We’re underway. Larry Campbell and John Gilstrap are out tonight.
Madison Whittle starts the public comment section.
He’s talking about 143 Marshall Terrace. That’s a house that’s been converted to apartments. He’s complaining about parking areas mandated by the zoning code. He’s reading an email from the City Manager that took his side on the issue. James Buckner speaks in support of Whittle. Nobody else can have electricity until a variance for the parking is granted.
Larry Campbell (who arrived late) Lee Vogler, Alonzo Jones and Fred Shanks show strong support. Shanks says “this situation is absurd”.
Harold Garrison is next. He talks about Council being unfair by not putting a motion on the floor on the Centra issue from two weeks ago. Centra representatives were present. He’s got a point there.
Public comment section is over, and now Council discusses the issues that Madison Whittle raised. The house lost its non-conforming grandfathered status due to the house being vacant during remodeling.
City Attorney Clarke Whitfield says that there is no way for Council to grant the request tonight under “emergency powers”. Whittle would have to go to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and that would take time. He has a tenant waiting to move in tomorrow if the city will cut the power on.
Madison Whittle is screwed due to the unintended consequences of the zoning code and state laws, and city council can’t do a damned thing about it… or can they? Fred Shanks makes an excellent proposal to turn the electricity on anyway. Of course, Ken Gillie runs to the podium and says that nobody could live in those apartments because it’s a zoning code violation. Lee Vogler gets the point by saying “What are we going to do, kick them out?”, but he’s ignored.
I would never recommend that anybody due something illegal but even if Ken Gillie issued a zoning code violation, you’ve got thirty days to remedy the violation before it goes to court. In thirty days from now, Whittle will have his variance. I’m not a lawyer, but I would think that the issue would be moot, Sigh. I don’t know what to think after this debacle.
Old business is up and going fast. Nothing special or controversial here. Appointments to Boards and Commissions are next, and our terrific friend Delores Reynolds is now on the Danville Development Authority!
On to new business. Rudolph Simpkins questions the addition to the Cain Creek industrial park since his property is 300 yards away. Ray Hayes speaks now. Unfortunately, he’s a bit late for the public comment section. Say, That’s Odd.
New business continues. Cemeteries will be allowed by Special Use Permit in industrial zoned areas. That means the “Fearn Plantation” land will have that cemetery on the property, just moved. There won’t be anything else on the property for a while as the “China Strategy” is quite dead.
Alfrieta Reaves wants a special use permit to operate a sexual assault/rape victims shelter at 835 Stokes Street. Neighbor Cecil Bridgeforth speaks in support. Council has questions. Gary Miller wonders where the money to operate will come from (Is that any of his or Council’s business?) . Alonzo Jones thanks the applicant for working with the neighborhood objections and getting them cleared. It passes 8-0.
Grants and the delinquent tax report will wrap up new business. Around the horn time will wrap things up.
James Buckner mentions the murders at Woodside Village. Gary Miller talks about the Madison Whittle zoning issue. Lee Vogler talks about Delores Reynolds.
We’re done here. More coming up on SouthsideCentral!
I really hope City Council takes note of how much money is owed for delinquent real estate taxes to the City of Danville and finds an effective way to collect this. Over $3.5 million and counting is a ridiculous amount of money that is out there to be collected. Every citizen in Danville should look carefully at this list and be aware of who owes all this money. It is pretty interesting if you really look closely at the list. Lots of businesses along Riverside Drive owe large amounts as well as DRMC.
Do you know the back tax figure for DRMC?
A DRMC representative told me tonight that the back RE tax was paid after the last city council meeting.
Circus.
Full moon?
Say, That’s Odd.
The Centra situation is shameful. Council should give its’ blessing. Whittle’s apartment should be approved. Council allows business not to have parking when it sits them. All of downtown should be closed due to lack of parking.
Easy to go future councilman Garrison.
“when it suits them” correction
“Way to go” correction
Spellchecker not always your friend
I will put a stop to this now! I will not run for City Council.
DRMC owes about $13,000 on six properties on Executive Drive. Los Tres on Riverside owes over $17,000. I refuse to support any business that owes that kind of money to the city.
I was told tonight that DRMC delivered a check to the city. These were miscellaneous properties that they never got a bill on.
Yeah, the city is always forgetting to send me my tax bill. Oh wait, no they’re not.
From 2012. So much for enforcement.
http://articles.wdbj7.com/2012-10-05/delinquent-taxpayers_34284850
So Centra lied about DRMC not having 24 hour acute heart attack service. My bet is that they were/are hoping to open up something of their own so they can bleed some of the business from DRMC and then ship those people up to Lynchburg for any further treatment.
You might want to check the rating of Centra’s heart center. You might be surprised.
Ever heard of drmc sending a patient out of town?
Why do we have a helipad?
I’m sure they’re good. That’s not the point.
There’s already one place in town that can treat heart attacks 24 hrs/day. Let’s just say I know about how many there are per week and there is absolutely no need for 2 centers. Just like they want (wanted? I don’t know if that’s still pending or not) to open an outpatient surgery center in town. There’s not enough business for 2. What they want is to send all the follow up stuff or whatever to their facilities in Lynchburg vs DRMC sending it to Duke. Then you’ll see DRMC laying off (or possibly Centra, they just laid off a bunch of people last August).
I’m not against sending people out of town, I just don’t know that we need 2 centers doing the same thing without enough business.
It’s call competition. Why would anyone NOT want two is the question that baffles most folks.
There are times in the medical field where competition increases costs and makes outcomes worse. I don’t think this is one of them, but it’s a very complicated market.
Medical costs will not come down. 2 stents and 1 nite stay $81000. How much is your life worth?
You gonna go to the lowest bidder?