Wards Corner Now – Wards Corner, Norfolk, Virginia

I will be sponsoring a Wards Corner Clean-Up on Saturday, April 2nd (rain date April 9th).

We will meet at North Shore Sports & Physical Therapy, 7419 Granby St., at 8:30 am for coffee & breakfast goodies & distribution of supplies, and the clean-up will run from 9am – 11:30am.

Anyone interested in joining our group of volunteers needs to RSVP to me before Tuesday, March 29th by calling 489-5820.

Please attend the Wards Corner Now meeting this Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 8:30am at the Fitness and Wellness center.

The following topics will be discussed and reported on:

1.  Code violations in the Denby Park.  The City Managers office has requested that we report code violations and provide pictures of said violations so that the City can followup on those violations.  If

2.  Increase in burglaries in the Greater Wards Corner Area.

Your attendance is requested at the Wards Corner Now meeting on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 8:30am at the Fitness and Wellness Center.

The main speaker will be Planning Commission member, Syble Stone.

Edit: corrected date.

Another long-time Wards Corner business closes down.  Wards Corner Now received word that Sarah’s Cards and Gifts, formerly known as Sarah’s Hallmark Shop, has closed its’ doors for good.

It is very sad to see another business go and there may be plenty of blame to go around, but as one local businessman put it, “To look at the glass as half full though, 34 years in business there says something  very positive about Ward’s Corner.”

In Wards Corner, our development department continues in active discussions with major property owners  in the heart of the business district. Subject to an improvement in the retail sector, new development opportunities are expected to be identified later this year.  City council is mindful that more needs to be done in Wards Corner.  We know and share the frustration with the pace of activity.  There is great potential in Wards Corner, and we are determined to see the effort through to completion.

The full address can be read here (PDF).

WVEC.com is reporting that MacArthur Mall and Wards Corner are two of areas hardest hit by the rough economy.

Overall, the report showed a decline of 3.9% city-wide and in Wards Corner it was the worst since 2001.  In fact, eight businesses closed in Wards Corner during the past year.

“It’s the gateway to our downtown and it really has declined to a mere shadow of its former self,” described city commissioner of revenue, Sharon McDonald.

The Wards Corner Civic League says its main priority is having the city buy the land in Denby Park.

The Commissioner of Revenue has posted the 2010 Sales and Revenue Report on her website and the following information can be found within the report:

Today at the Planning Commission Public Hearing, ForKids withdrew their application for a special exception to the zoning to open a used merchandise store. Thayler McCormick, CEO of ForKids, said that there was too much community opposition and her organization did not want to jeopardize their relations with the community. Several prominent Greater Wards Corner Civic Leagues sent letters of opposition to granting of the special exception to the zoning. All the letters had high praise for the good work that ForKids does in helping homeless families, but understood that this was a land use issue.  The zoning would not have flowed with ForKids, but would have flowed with the land, thus giving the shopping center owner the right to run a thrift store at the old Sports Zone address, even if ForKIds for some reason abandoned the site. Language for a three-year sunset clause in the special exception draft ordinance was added by planning on Wednesday, but none of the civic leagues in opposition were aware of the sunset clause when their civic leagues voted on the thrift store application.

The Norfolk City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on January 27, 2011 at 2:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber, 11th Floor, City Hall Building, Civic Center, Norfolk, Virginia to consider the following applications: 

CONTINUED AGENDA

1.      FORKIDS FAMILY THRIFT BY FORKIDS, INC., for a Special Exception to operate a Used Merchandise Establishment on property located on the southeast corner of W. Little Creek Road and Granby Street, property fronts 469 feet, more or less, along the southern line of W. Little Creek Road and 313 feet, more or less, along the eastern line of Granby Street; premises numbered 7542 Granby Street, Unit 19 and 20.

ForKids – Used Merchandise Establishement – draft ordinance for CPC 1-27-11

The Wards Corner Civic League, Talbot Park Civic League and Riverfront Civic League have voted against the granting of a Special Exception to the present zoning to allow a “USED MERCHANDISE’ store in the old Sports Zone location. If the Planning Commission should vote in favor of this special exception to the zoning, 7542 Granby Street will be forever zoned to allow a used merchandise store to operate at this address. The citizens of the Greater Wards Corner area have worked too hard to allow a use that will have a negative impact on any positive development opportunities for the Wards Corner commercial district. A “Used Merchandise” store is not what the Greater Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan ever considered or envisioned as a redevelopment opportunity for the commercial district. Did the City spend$250,000.00 of your tax money for a plan that would include a “Used Merchansise” store?

Please give voice to the civic leagues opposition to this misguided use of the commercial district by showing up at Thursday’s Planning Commission Meeting.

Wards Corner Civic League Letter to Planning Commission Follows:

            January 25, 2011

Wards Corner Civic League

408 Burleigh Ave

Norfolk, Virginia

23505

The Norfolk City Planning Commission

City of Norfolk

Attn: Frank Duke

5^th Floor, Room 508, City Hall Building

810 Union Street

Norfolk, VA 23510

Dear Members of the Norfolk Planning Commission:

            The Wards Corner Civic League held its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on January 24^th, 2011 at 645PM at the Norfolk Fitness and Wellness Center. At that meeting the overwhelming majority of the membership voted against supporting the approval of the ForKids Family Thrift Store by ForKids Inc. proposed for the shopping center in the southeast corner of the Wards Corner Business District.

            While the membership applauds the great service that the ForKids organization provides for the homeless and poor of the city it believes that the location of any thrift store in the Wards Corner Business District is not appropriate for the revitalization and redevelopment of the area. We are concerned that the addition of this type of activity will have a prolonged negative impact on any future development for the business district and the Greater Wards Corner neighborhood in general.

            We respectfully request that the members of the Planning Commission not approve the use permit for this thrift store and any future stores of a similar nature in the Wards Corner area.

            Thank you for your consideration and should you need any additional information from us please contact me.

Sincerely,

A. James English Jr.

President

Wards Corner Civic League

408 Burleigh Ave.

Norfolk, Virginia

23505

Talbot Park Civic League Letter to the Planning Commission follows:

January 26, 2011

To:       Mr. Frank M. Duke, AICP

            Executive Secretary, Planning Commission

            City of Norfolk

From:   Jim McDonnell

            President, Talbot Park Civic League

Re:       ForKids- January 27^th City Planning Commission Public Hearing {Continued Agenda Item 1} for the Special Exception to operate a Used Merchandise Establishment on the southeast corner of W. Little Creek d and Granby St. known as Wards Corner.

C.c.      Andy Protogyrou, Richard Diamonstein and Thaler McCormick

Mr. Duke,

The Forkids organization’s contribution to the underprivileged throughout this region has been outstanding, and their statistical results are very impressive. The Talbot Park resident’s compassion, advocacy and support for this organization should in no way be confused with their opposition for a special exception to open and operate a thrift store at Wards Corner. The ForKids organization and a thrift store at Wards Corner are two entirely different subjects. The lack of support for a thrift store at Wards Corner must not and should not be confused with the community’s support and appreciation for the ForKids organization.

Please be advised that after several meetings (Wards Corner Now, the Wards Corner Task Force and The Talbot Park Civic League) and discussions, the Talbot Park Civic League opposes the request and application by ForKids for a Special Exception to operate a used merchandise establishment at Wards Corner. The community’s visions for Wards Corner dose not include thrift stores, pawn shops or used car dealerships. Moreover, a thrift store is not consistent with the Wards Corner Comprehensive Plan that was developed with the input and support of City Council, the City of Norfolk, civic leaders, business owners and neighborhoods.

Please include and introduce this memorandum to the planning commissioners along with all other related material related to this agenda item for the January 27^th public hearing.

Thank you.

Jim McDonnell
President
Talbot Park Civic League