Business owners and city residents have a chance Tuesday to put in their two cents about the city’s design guidelines that determine what’s allowed for business signs, awnings and more. A BZA meeting scheduled for the same day has been canceled
Architectural Review Board Seeks Input for Guidelines
The Architectural Review Board is in the process of updating its Design Review Guidelines and seeks public input.
The board will host a public hearing at 7 p.m. March 5 in the third-floor Conference Room at the Williamsburg Municipal Building, located at 401 Lafayette Street.
The guidelines, last updated in March 2006, dictate what’s acceptable in the Architectural Preservation and corridor protection districts. The guidelines also provide guidance on façade designs, signs and awnings for businesses. To see a current copy of the Design Review Guidelines, click here.
Tornado Drill Scheduled for March 12
Businesses and organizations, schools and colleges, and families and individuals are encouraged to practice taking cover from tornadoes during the Statewide Tornado Drill, set for 9:45 a.m. on March 12.
At that time, the National Weather Service will send a test tornado warning that will trigger a tone alert and broadcast message on NOAA Weather Radio. The message will be picked up by TV and radio broadcasters, simulating what listeners will hear during an actual tornado warning.
When the test tornado warning is sounded, move as quickly as possible to a safe area in a sturdy building. Safe areas are basements, interior rooms, bathrooms, closets or hallways on the lowest level of a building. Stay away from windows. Once in the safe area, crouch down or sit on the floor, facing down, and cover your head with your hands.
In 2012, 11 tornadoes were recorded in Virginia, with six occurring in June. Property damages totaled $3 million. In 2011, tornadoes caused serious damage to homes in the Grove area of James City County and a middle school in Gloucester.
For help in conducting a tornado drill and to register for the statewide drill, go to www.ReadyVirginia.gov. Although registration is not required, people participating in the statewide drill are encouraged to sign up to show their support.
BZA Meeting Canceled
A Board of Zoning Appeals meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. March 5 has been canceled.
City Hosts SKYWARN Training March 27
The City of Williamsburg is hosting Basic SKYWARN Training at 6 p.m. March 27 at the Williamsburg Regional Library. The class is free of charge and lasts approximately two-and-a-half hours, with all materials provided.
Training will cover:
- Basics of thunderstorm development
- Fundamentals of storm structure
- Identifying potential severe weather features
- Information to report
- Basic severe weather safety
SKYWARN is a volunteer program with nearly 290,000 trained severe weather spotters. These volunteers help keep their communities safe by providing timely and accurate reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service. The main responsibility of a SKYWARN spotter is to identify and describe severe local storms.
Residents interested in attending or learning more about the training should contact Jim Tuttle, SKYWARN District 3 Manager, at [email protected] or 757-229-7313. Information about the SKYWARN program is available online.
