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Suffolk City Council held a public hearing and subsequently voted 7-0 to allow a conditional use permit to allow the existing structure on 6142 Whaleyville Blvd to be used as an event venue. 

Director of Planning and Community Development Kevin Wyne provided an overview of the ordinance while noting details of providing parking adjustments.

“…the UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) requires for this use, based upon its size for a public assembly, 42 parking spaces, and as I noted, they can only accommodate 18 on the site,” Wyne said. “So for various reasons, one being there’s not enough width on the side yard to get cars to the rear, additionally the fact that the septic tank and the drain field are located in the rear yard, the rear yard could just not accommodate additional parking.” 

Wyne says in September, the applicant Margie Manley submitted an application to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance to the parking standards, reducing the parking from 42 spaces to 18 with the caveat of the “occupancy relates to available parking.” Speaking in favor of the ordinance, Manley provided more details on the ordinance.

“…there will not be any cooking on the premises. The caterers will have to bring it in,” Manley said. “Like he stated, we’ll be doing weddings, baby showers, church events like the pastor’s anniversary and stuff like that.”