Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Suffolk City Council observed two public hearings for companion ordinances during their Wednesday, Oct. 16 council meeting at City Hall.

In a 7 to 0 vote, Council approved rezoning request (RZN2024-006) to change the zoning from Residential Low Medium (RLM) to Office Institutional (O-I) for property located at 410 N. Broad St. Submitted by TowneBank, to establish a bank with drive through use. Council also voted 7 to 0 to approve CUP 2024-016, a conditional use permit establishing the drive through use alongside the proposed TowneBank. Mayor Michael Duman abstained from both votes, citing his ownership of TowneBank stock.

Director of Planning and Community Development Kevin Wyne provided more details on the rezoning ordinance. Wyne said that rezoning would impact the entire 6.46 acre parcel.

“As proffered, 1.75 acres of the site would be reserved for a bank use only. Other proffers include conformance to submitted elevation, which I will share with you,   as well as some building materials as well as identifying some prohibited uses,” Wyne said. “Those would include some of the more impactful uses within our O-I district. Some examples include car washes, hotels, motels, flex space, convenience stores, both with and without gasoline sales and tobacco stores, among others.”

Wyne said the O-I zoning district required a CUP to allow the bank to utilize a drive thru. 

There were no speakers in opposition to either ordinances.