The Norfolk City Council has approved a zoning change for a small building on South 1st Street west of the National Guard Armory from R-2 – One-to-Four-Family Residential – to C-1 – Local Business District.
The building has been at 815 South 1st Street since the 1940s and had been used for commercial purposes for many years, most recently as a grocery store.
The building’s owners Maria and Jose Cuellar, needed the zoning change to convert the business to a liquor store.
Councilwoman Sue Beckman asked Maria’s translator: “So, why does she want to change from the grocery store to a liquor store?”
Speaking through a translator, Maria said, “We consider that there’s a lot of Mexican grocery stores already. And we thought that a liquor store would make more sense and get a better profit.”
The Planning Commission had voted against recommending the zoning change 1-6. But the council voted 7-1 in favor on the first of three required reqdings, with councilman Jim Lange casting the lone “no” vote.
