CAPE CHARLES, Va. — The owners of the Fig Street Inn, Donna and Greg Kohler, have withdrawn their application for a conditional rezoning that would have allowed them to establish a bicycle rental business in a residential area.
The Kohlers pulled their application, which covered three parcels (Tax Map #83A4-2-A, 83A4-2-J, and 83A4-2-I), after Cape Charles Town Council considered a motion to deny the request. Councilman Grossman made the motion to deny, which was seconded by another council member. Before the council could vote, the Kohlers opted to withdraw the application.
The decision to withdraw came after concerns were raised during a public hearing about the potential commercial impact on the residential district. The Kohlers had revised their proffer statement and submitted an explanation to the town’s Planning Commission. The commission discussed the revised application at their September 3, 2024, meeting, ultimately voting on a recommendation to the Town Council.
Opponents of the rezoning expressed concerns that approving the application would set a precedent, paving the way for other residential properties to be converted for commercial use. Members of the public and council alike shared these reservations, fearing it could alter the character of the neighborhood.
The Kohlers have not indicated if they plan to revisit the proposal in the future.
Why wouldn’t they just file for a conditional use permit regarding the bicycle rental. Re-zoning those parcels is definitely a threat to residential in forthcoming years. There’s more to this than meets the eye as to their long term intentions. Thankfully the council saw how detrimental this would be to the residents in close proximity.
I’m one of their neighbors and I didn’t feel like it was going to cause any issues. If one of the City Council members had thought of this idea first there wouldnt be a second thought about it. It’s perfectly ok to have a derelict trailer abandoned on the same street and the combination eyesore/ boat yard/ used golfcar/ auto grave and scrap yard a few doors down but a bike rental station is one improvement two many
I’m a direct neighbor and our end of town is “out of sight and out of mind ” for the most part. That being said, the property in question is also questionably maintained, so I have to ask how much of an improvement this bike rental …. on three lots…. would be. Keep the commercial property out of residential areas.
It’s called “creeping commercialism!”