Danville council approves zoning requests

By Denice Thibodeau

Published: July 16, 2008

Danville City Council voted Tuesday night to allow a day-care center to expand the number of children it oversees and grant a local business approval to replace its housing for its caretakers.

A third special zoning request was denied.

Darrell and Laverne Crews were given permission to increase the number of children in the day-care center at New Hope Apostolic Church from 25 to 90.

They will be operating the day-care center as a private enterprise, not affiliated with the church but remaining at the 166 New St. location.

Council also approved a proposal to amend city code to allow for live-in employees/caretakers at businesses in neighborhood commercial and highway retail commercial districts.

This decision will allow the Quality Oil gashouses on Westover Drive and Franklin Turnpike to take the next step in legitimizing the live-in employees they have had on-site since the 1970s, but were overlooked when the city annexed the properties in 1988.

Quality Oil wants to replace the manufactured housing on the sites with stick-built home/business space.

Jeffrey Davis requested permission to rezone property at 1261 South Boston Road from residential to conditional neighborhood commercial so he could operate a real estate office at the residence.

Council turned down the request on a vote of 6-1. Mayor Sherman Saunders, Vice Mayor T. Wayne Oakes, as well as councilmen Adam Tomer, Buddy Rawley and Larry Campbell Jr. voted against the proposal.

Tomer noted that neighbors complained it would affect traffic on Crestview Drive because that was the only way to access the property. He also was concerned about how plans for a lighted parking area would affect the residential neighbors.

Councilman Fred Shanks voted to allow the change, noting that South Boston Road is essentially commercial property in that area.

During a work session following the regular meeting, council was brought up to date on plans to increase city’s participation in the American Municipal Power Generating Station, being built on the Ohio River.

Danville currently has an agreement with American Municipal Power-Ohio (AMP-Ohio) to purchase 75 megawatts of power from the plant when it comes online in 2012. Assistant City Manager for Utilities Joe King said the city had the opportunity to increase that participation with an additional 25 megawatts.

The proposal will formally go before the Utility Commission on July 21 and then go before council on its next agenda.

Council also reaffirmed its plan to interview executive search firms to find one to help locate a new city manager. Oakes, Campbell, Miller and Tomer will be on the Search Review Committee to bring the best two or three companies before full council for presentations.

Council members also discussed advertising the position locally so anyone in the area could apply for it.

Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.