Council OKs Zoning Change for Restaurant

By: Debra McCown/Bristol Herald Courier | TriCities.com
Published: March 03, 2008

The Town Council gave final approval Monday for a zoning change that will allow a new restaurant to be built downtown.

Approved 4-0 with Councilman French Moore absent, the ordinance allows restaurants in Sub-District 4 of the town’s Old and Historic District. A restaurant is planned for the site of a car wash on Main Street.

“It’s going to be a fine dining restaurant and bar,” said Lisa Silcox, who plans to open Willa Jacks with her business partner, Sharon Livingston.

“We really want to focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients and quality beef and seafood. At the bar, we want to cater to more of a mature crowd.”

Livingston said the restaurant will include a sidewalk cafe with “a very European feel.”

Planning Director Garrett Jackson said in an interview the town is in need of restaurants.

“It’s part of what makes a downtown vital and gives it life,” Jackson said. “When we’ve got a theater that starts productions in the evening and there’s no restaurants within walking distance of the theater, that kind of takes away from the experience of downtown.”

In other action Monday, the council recognized a retiring U.S. Air Force veteran for two decades of service.

“It speaks well, not only of Ms. [Tammy] Karamarinov, but of Abingdon and our community, that she represents what our country is about,” said Emmitt Yeary, speaking for the Veterans Memorial Foundation of Abingdon.

Yeary presented Karamarinov, who is breaking tradition to hold her retirement ceremony in her hometown, with an Abingdon phone book and a framed copy of the book’s cover, which features the bronze yellow ribbon statute at the Veterans Memorial Park in town.

“Major, we would like to present you with our medal,” said Mayor Lois Humphreys, who gave Karamarinov an Abingdon pin.

In an interview before the meeting, Karamarinov, 47, recalled how few women were in the military when she joined as an Abingdon High School student more than 25 years ago – and how far they’ve come since.

“The communities here in this area, I think it’s wonderful how they support their military,” she said. “I think they just need to continue that and not to forget every day that we have people in harm’s way.”

dmccown@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0701

Council OKs Zoning Change for Restaurant

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