An Old Landmark In West Charlotte Could Go Away

It’s been a beacon for decades at the corner of Freedom and West Morehead, in West Charlotte an old VW Beetle on top of an old garage. Some neighborhood groups call it a landmark, well the city says it may have to come down.

Dave Rhames and the owner of the popular Penguin restaurant off of Central Avenue, want to turn the old garage into a restaurant but the problem is, if they do the city says they’ll have to remove the old VW bug from it’s rooftop.

According to the city ordinance, the bug is a sign and no rooftop signs are allowed. Right now the bug is grandfathered in, so it can stay but if the building changes uses, from a garage to the restaurant that’s proposed the grandfathering ends and the bug must go.

The current owner, John Nichols, is requesting a variance from the city’s zoning board asking that the bug be designated a landmark sign.

Rhames hopes that instead of taking away a part of Charlotte’s history, the committee, will allow them to keep the quirky VW bug and let a part of West Charlotte’s history remain.