October Newsletter

In this edition ● Comp Plan ● Data Center Policy ● Elections ● Legislative  Priorities ● Tree Canopy ● Forever Chemicals ●  Planning Commission ● City Council ● Green Drinks ● Action Alerts ● Upcoming Events ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News

Comp Plan

The Chesapeake Sustainability Network submitted comments on the Draft Chesapeake Comprehensive Plan.  Six organizations and 39 individuals added their names to our letter.  The Planning Department thanked us for our detailed comments and is taking them into consideration.  If you would like to add your name, you can do so here.

The Comp Plan will be presented to the Planning Commission on Wednesday, October 8. This is an opportunity for citizens to come out and add support to our comments.  Some key points that you can emphasize include: 
  • Nature and wildlife co-exist with people throughout the city and the City needs to adopt policies that connect residents, businesses, farmers, institutions, and officials with resources to implement these conservation landscaping practices, such as planting native plants, preserving trees, and protecting wildlife
  • The City should continue to encourage the establishment of farmers’ markets and community gardens
  • The City should proactively plan for, rather than simply react to, the expansion of energy infrastructure across the city (such as electric transmission lines, pipelines, power generation facilities, etc.)
  • City facilities should be the model for energy efficiency and also encourage residential solar, shared solar, and community-scale solar
  • Stormwater projects should incorporate best management practices, including green infrastructure, to meet pollution control requirements
  • The City should evaluate the impact of sea level rise on the Northwest River Water Treatment Plant
If you can attend the Planning Commission meeting on October 8 and speak, please let us know so we can coordinate.  The meeting starts at 7 pm and you must register to speak before the meeting starts.

Data Center Policy

We've met with most of the City Council members to share our Data Center Fact Sheet and Analysis Paper and ask them to make data centers a Conditional Use that would require City Council approval. We heard in the later meetings that this will be one of the topics topic discussed at the City Council Retreat planned for Wednesday, October 8.  The public is welcome to attend and observe the meeting; however, there will be no opportunity for public comments at this meeting. The Retreat will be from 9 am to 4:30 pm at the Chesapeake Conference Center.  An agenda has not been published.

Elections

Early Voting is currently underway in Chesapeake at the Voter Registrar's Office at 411 Cedar Rd.  Early Voting at satellite locations at Central Library, Indian River Library, Major Hillard Library, Russell Memorial Library, and Dr. Clarence V. Cuffee Community Center begins on October 20.  The last day for early voting is November 1st.  October 24 is the last day to register to vote, update your address, or request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you.  The last day to vote is Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, and would be at your regular polling place from 6 am to 7 pm that day.  Get all the official election information, including How to Vote (including Early Voting, Absentee Voting, and Where to Vote), Election Information (including Sample Ballots), and how to Register to Vote at Voter Registrar | Chesapeake, VA.

On the ballot are the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Delegate, Commonwealth Attorney, Sheriff (a major party write-in candidate is also running), Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, and a Special Election for one School Board position.   Ballotpedia - Virginia election, 2025 is one centralized source for candidate information and profiles.  The Virginia Mercury also ran the following story: Virginia governor candidates weigh in on Chesapeake Bay Foundation conservation goals - Virginia Mercury

Legislative Priorities

Every year, the City prepares a set of Legislative Priorities, its official wishlist for next year's General Assembly in Richmond.  You can see last year's priorities here.  We are working on a short list of items to suggest adding to the priorities for 2026.  These include requests to support:
  • Legislation to give localities the option to set stronger standards to preserve and expand tree canopy
  • Staffing for the Virginia Department of Forestry's Urban and Community Forestry program, threatened by federal funding cuts  
  • Increased funding for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP), Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share (VACS), as well as sufficient staffing in Soil and Water Conservation Districts to implement these programs.
  • Legislative initiatives that protect non-data center customers from rising electricity costs caused by the need to expand electricity infrastructure to support large data centers
  • Legislation to have the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) establish regulations on PFAS and PFOA "Forever Chemicals,” to protect residents from water and soil pollution
  • Legislation to enable localities to prohibit hunting from state waters adjacent to any subdivisions of a city that are so heavily populated as to make such hunting dangerous to the residents
Tree Canopy

WHRO recently ran a story on the persistent loss of tree canopy across Virginia and how tree planting efforts can't keep up with losses.  Between 2018 and 2023, the City of Chesapeake lost over 700 acres of tree canopy across our urban and suburban areas, based on the National Urban Tree Canopy Assessment. While planting new trees is very important, equally, if not more, important is preserving existing mature trees.  

On the positive side, the Virginia Department of Forestry is working on a statewide Forestland and Urban Tree Canopy Conservation Plan.  The draft City Comprehensive Plan (see above) also recognizes the many benefits of trees and includes policies calling for the preservation of mature trees.  The City is also about to start work on developing an Urban Forestry Plan. However, for any of these plans to result in measurable increases in tree cover will require significant changes from governments, developers, and property owners.  It will also require us to be strong advocates for trees.  So stay tuned!

Forever Chemicals

At the September Green Drinks Chesapeaker, our speaker will Liz Williams briefed us on the water and soil pollution coming from PFAS and PFOA "Forever Chemicals".   Ms. Williams is a technical consultant and environmental health advocate for military affiliated communities. She has previously served as a former state regulator in California and Virginia and as a consultant to the USEPA Office of Water.

PFAS are a group of over 15,000 chemicals that are dangerous to human health and the environment. They are commonly known as “forever chemicals” because, unlike most other chemicals, they do not break down but instead build up and persist in our bodies, soil, water, and wildlife. PFAS, even at very low levels, can cause significant human health harm, including cancers, impacts to the heart and the liver, developmental harm to infants and children, and reduced immune function.  In 2016, the confirmation of PFAS contamination in the groundwater near the Fentress Airfield resulted in residents having to abandon multiple water wells and the City having to extend municipal water service to the Fentress area.   PFAS pollution enters the environment from sources like industrial and residential wastewater and stormwater discharges, landfill leachate, and land-applied biosolids.  Residential sources include waterproof and stain-resistant fabrics, food packaging, and non-stick cookware. Ms. Williams urged greater diligence in both monitoring and regulating these chemicals.  A source for information on advocacy to address PFAS pollution is the organization Wild Virginia. PFAS regulation is a topic for which we included our suggestions for the City's Legislative Priorities (see above).   

Planning Commission

Going to the Planning Commission on October 8, of interest:
  • PLN-REZ-2024-001 in Grassfield seeks to rezone 43 acres from A-1 to Residential.  Potential canopy loss of about 3.4 acres. 
  • PLN-REZ-2025-012 in Great Bridge seeks to rezone 5.5 acres from M-2 to Residential to build 2 homes.  Most of the property is wetlands in CBPA and is protected.  Potential canopy loss of about 0.3 acres
  • PLN-USE-2025-021 in Rivercrest asks for a Conditional Use Permit for a Gas Station and Car Wash on Battlefield between Bypass Interchange and Great Bridge Blvd.  Potential canopy loss of about 0.1 acres
  • PLN-USE-2025-024 in Southern Chesapeake asks for a Conditional Use Permit for a meeting and banquet hall with an alternative parking surface. No significant tree canopy impact.
  • PLN-COMP-2025-003 2045 Chesapeake Comprehensive Plan (see above)
  • PLN-TXT-2025-003 Parking Requirements Amendment to provide for appropriate reductions of and flexibility in required parking
Find the full agenda at Planning Commission Agenda

City Council

Following the passing of Vice Mayor John de Triquet in August, the City Council appointed Chesapeake Police Officer E. R. “Jeff” Jefferies to the nine-person city council, in a 7-1 vote.  In last year's City Council election, Jefferies had received the next most votes of any candidate, after the three winners of the race (Ritter, Smith, and King).  Subsequently, the City Council appointed long-serving Council Member Debbie Ritter to serve as Vice Mayor.  

Coming up at City Council in October of interest, following its approval at the Planning Commission in September, we will see:
  • PLN-REZ-2024-014 asks to rezone 18.8 acres from A-1 to R-10 for low-density residential. 
We may also see the proposed ordinance change to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance (see our September newsletter for information).  

Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, October 29, 2025

The next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, October 29, 6 pm.  Tentatively, our speaker will be Alden Cleanthes, Co-Founder of Norfolk Solar, LLC and Legislative Director of the Virginia Distributed Solar Alliance, to discuss efforts to implement rooftop solar in Virginia.  Location is TBD. 

What is Green Drinks?  Green Drinks is mostly for people working on environmental issues, but anyone can come -- people from environmental groups, businesses, government, academia, and as individuals. There is no 'us and them'. Green Drinks is a chance to mingle, share insights, inspire and delight each other. Come out and order some food or a drink (each participant pays for their own drinks and food; if drinking, please do so responsibly!) and join the conversation. Please do share the invite with others who may be interested.

Action Alerts

Upcoming Events

  • The fall "Bird Safe/Lights Out" campaign runs through November 15.  As part of this voluntary program, the Cape Henry Audubon Society and its partners urge property managers, businesses, tenants, government agencies, and residents to join us in helping to prevent night-time bird collisions with building by turning off and/or blocking as many external and internal building lights at workplaces as possible at night to help prevent injury and death of migrating birds, especially from 11 pm to sunrise.   Visit https://www.birdsafehr.org/ to learn how you can get involved.
Volunteer Opportunities

In the News

Stay on top of the latest news and join the conversation in our Facebook group at Greening Chesapeake





at
Labels: