Our next virtual membership meeting is Wednesday, October 20th at 6:30PM.  Our guest speakers will be as follows:

• Safety Report – Community Resource Officer Samantha Fentress
• New “Inn” use in Ghent – Joy Kelling, Planner I, City of Norfolk (see details below)
• The Woman’s Club of Norfolk – Details from the Women’s Club on how events are successfully executed within the neighborhood.

Click here for latest agenda.

We look forward to seeing you in October for our membership meeting! If you are not a member, click here to join or email admin@ghentneighborhoodleague.org.

Jeremy McGee
President, Ghent Neighborhood League

Information From City of Norfolk Re: New “Inn” Use

In response to requests for a new land use definition to fall in-between a Bed & Breakfast and a Hotel/Motel, the Norfolk Planning Department has been drafting a new category titled “Inn.”  While this proposed new use will apply to the entire City, since it will likely affect communities in the historic districts, downtown area, and ocean front the most, the Department would like to extend an offer for a staff member to attend one of your Civic League/ Organization meetings to address any questions and garner any input the community may have over this proposed new use.

For more information on the proposed “Inn” including a draft of the definition, see below.

The following is the draft definition as of 9/15/2021:

Inn

A building or group of buildings which offers lodging on a temporary basis to paying guests in rooms without cooking facilities, and which may offer meals to these guests.  Inn shall be limited to no more than 15 guest rooms and shall be either occupied by an owner or managed with onsite, 24-hour management. Guest amenities may include a pool, fitness room, spa, dining room, or meeting room. 

(i)       The structure housing the Inn must have been constructed more than 40 years prior to date of operation. 

(ii)     Length of stay shall be no more than a 30-day period.

(iii)   The principal building shall contain one bathroom for the exclusive use of the employee and one full private bathroom for each guest bedroom to include a toilet, sink, bath or shower and be compliant with Building Code.

The following is the summary of proposed locations as of 9/15/2021:

The proposed “Inn” locations are nearly identical to what is currently allowed for Bed and Breakfast under the Zoning Ordinance. 

• A Conditional Use Permit would be required in the all of the historic districts expect for HC-EF (East Freemason Historic And Cultural Conservation district) where it will not be allowed.  
• A Conditional Use Permit would be required in the R-C (Residential -Coastal) zoning district.
• A Conditional Use Permit would be required in the MF-NS (Multi Family – Neighborhood Scale) and MF-HR (Multi Family – High Rise) zoning districts.
• Inn would be permitted by right in all of the Downtown and Commercial zoning districts.
• Inn would be permitted by right in the EBH (East Beach Harbor) zoning district.