PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The Portsmouth Board of Zoning Appeals ruled against getting $100,000 a year in tax dollars from a storage facility and ruled in favor of a neighborhood pool.

On Wednesday, Don Smith, vice president of Virginia Beach-based Sifen Inc., had agreed with the pool operator to allow him to stay in the facility located at 5905 Portsmouth Blvd until June of 2019 if the Board voted in his favor to allow him to build a multi-story self-storage facility.

Art Anthony, who is owner of the East Coast Aquatic Team, thought that gave him some time, and appreciated Smith also offering to help him navigate finding a new site for a pool complex. 

However, it became clear quickly that the board members of Zoning Appeals did not think zoning ordinances approved by City Council support multi-story storage facilities.

The ones in Portsmouth now are ‘grandfathered’ because they were built before the 2010 revisions to zoning codes.  The board members voted 5-0 in favor of denying a variance to Smith. 

Board Chair Curtis Gunn said, “ordinances are intended to facilitate the creation of a convenient, attractive and harmonious community.”  The Board members thought the pool for kids does that, and  the storage facility does not.  

Attorney Robert Barclay who represented Smith and his company said, “As the attorney for the applicant, obviously we are very disappointed.  We wish the facility would have gone forward.  We think there is a need for that type of facility in Portsmouth, and we think the people of Portsmouth would have appreciated having it.”

Art Anthony and his fellow swim dads seemed surprised they won.

“The area over there really does need a great facility to be used by the youth … we will continue operation where we are operating the pool. We will continue working to get our financial package together to make an offer on the building as well.”  

Jack Granger has supported the pool and spoke out in favor of denying the variance, thus keeping the pool.

“I’m a little surprised,” Granger said. “I do think the community center brings parents in to go shopping … parents will leave their children and shop and run errands.  That is significant to the area and to shopping.”

Kyle Lippiatt grew up in the area, and spoke in favor of the pool, “The city of Portsmouth needs more amateur athletic endeavors. Everything is in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth always is left behind in swimming.”

So here’s what happens now. The property owners are down in Florida. The members of the LLC are probably very upset the deal didn’t got forward.  They will be looking for a new buyer.

They wanted to sell the property, and now this is the chance for Anthony and his swim team supporters to come up with a financial plan to buy the property and make it more than what it is today.