by Mark Boone
WCNC.com
Posted on November 10, 2009 at 10:50 PM
Updated
Wednesday, Nov 11 at 8:27 AM
Charlotte, N.C. -- After thirty-five years at the corner of W. Morehead and Freedom Drive, a unique landmark could be heading for a scrap yard.
Painted red, white, and blue, the 1960's-era Volkswagen Beetle sits on the roof of a former car repair shop, most recently operated as Triple G Volkswagen.
Restauranteur David Rhames wants to renovate the garage and open a new eatery in the building. He said he did not put much thought into the rooftop remnant until a city inspector told developers the car had to go.
"We didn’t consider it until they told us we had to take it down," Rhames told NewsChannel 36. "We’re really tired of watching cool, old, historic things being destroyed because of one line in the zoning law.
Zoning inspectors believe the VW Beetle, which was placed on the roof in 1974, is a commercial sign which violates an 11 year-old Charlotte ordinance.
Signs installed before the ordinance was passed are allowed to remain in place until the business ceases operations for one year or the building gets a new occupant.
The owner of the former garage attempted to apply for a variance from a city zoning board which would allow the car to remain at the new restaurant, but last month the request was denied.
Developers can appeal to Mecklenburg Superior Court or petition city leaders for a zoning change.
Brian Fincher, President of the Camp Greene Neighborhood Association, said he hopes an agreement can be reached to save an icon that is often used as a waypost when giving directions to his home.
"I'll tell them I'm near the place with the Volkswagen on the top, they say ‘oh, I know exactly where it is’," Fincher said.
Neighbors are especially sensitive to the potential loss of a monument, he said, after the recent demolition of the Coffee Cup restaurant and the removal of the JFG Coffee billboard.
"We’ve lost a lot already," Fincher told NewsChannel 36. "We don’t want to be a suburban neighborhood where everything is clean and pristine and exactly laid out, we want some quirky stuff."
Rhames, who plans to open his business next spring, said he is not sure if his development team will pursue a lengthy appeals process or a rezoning request.
"We’ve got to get going on the restaurant," he said. "We want the bug to stay up there, but at the same time we can’t wait six months to rezone the property or a year to redo this or that or the other," he said.
