A committee will recommend the Planning Commission approve a change to county ordinances that will specify pawn shops and payday lenders must acquire special-use permits in order to open in two types of industrial zones.
On Friday, the James City County Planning Commission Policy Committee voted to recommend pawn shops and payday and title lenders be specially permitted uses in the limited business/industrial district and the general industrial district only.
The committee met Friday to discuss whether pawn shops, payday lenders and title lenders had a place in the county–a discussion continued from last month when all the members showed skepticism.
The topic came to the committee’s attention after a business owner began the process to open a pawn shop in the shopping center at the intersection of Olde Town and Longhill roads. The county’s ordinances currently have no policy pertaining to pawn shops, payday lenders or title lenders.
Following the Jan. 17 meeting, county staff prepared a definition of pawn shops and payday lenders and informed the committee, after consulting with the county attorney’s office, pawn shops could not be outright prevented in the ordinances.
The definition of a pawn shop, as recommended by the policy committee, is a retail establishment where a person lends or advances money on the pledge and possession of tangible property. The definition of a payday and title lender is an establishment that advances or lends a small maturity loan on the security of a check, assignment of income or a motor vehicle.
“I’m a big enough person to admit when I’m fairly off-base about not wanting them anywhere near New Town. … They do have purposes and I think as long as we can deal with them with SUPs, it gives them a lot of flexibility and discretion.”
The ordinance changes will go before the Planning Commission at a future meeting.
Read a previous WYDaily article on pawn shops and payday lenders.
