In this edition ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Millstone Battery Energy Storage System ● LS Greenlink Tower ● Planning Comission ● City Council ● Green Drinks ● Action Alerts ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News | |||||||||
Topics of Interest
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June Newsletter
In this edition ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Millstone Battery Energy Storage System ● LS Greenlink Tower ● Planning Comission ● City Council ● Green Drinks ● Action Alerts ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News
Chesapeake Sustainability Network
Join the Chesapeake Sustainability Network for a call on Thursday, June 4, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, to discuss our local efforts. We'll use Google Meet - see the e-mailed newsletter for the link or reach out to us at greeningchesapeake@gmail.com
The agenda will include the Data Center Policy Comments, Urban Forestry Updates, We Are All Plastic Screening, City Council Candidate Questionnaire, and organizational Bylaws
Millstone Battery Energy Storage System
On June 10th, the Planning Commission will be considering a conditional use permit application to construct and operate a Battery Energy Storage System on a 31-acre portion of a 179-acre property, consisting of 4 parcels, off Centerville Turnpike, north of Hickory Middle/High School. The proposed facility will provide 150 megawatt / 600 megawatt-hour of energy storage, enough to power nearly 112,500 homes for a 4-hour period. For comparison, Chesapeake has about 95,000 households.
To speak or submit comments on the project, see the Planning Commission links below.
Greenlight America is a proponent of the project and is holding a Virtual Action Night on Wednesday, June 3, 7–8 pm, via Zoom, to discuss the project and help draft public comments to submit to the Planning Commission. To participate in this Virtual Action Night, RSVP to https://www.mobilize.us/greenlightaction/event/959455/
Learn more about the project at
LS Greenlink Tower
In May, the Planning Commission considered an ordinance change to permit the illumination of landmark buildings in Chesapeake that are at least 500' in height. This is specifically written to permit the illumination of the 660-foot-tall LS Greenlink tower being built along the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, just south of Paradise Creek Park. The tower is a vertical manufacturing facility designed specifically to produce high-voltage submarine power cables for offshore wind farms.
The Cape Henry Audubon Society, along with Dark Sky Virginia, raised concerns that illuminating the tower poses the risk of turning the structure from the tallest building in Virginia into the tallest bird hazard in Virginia. Building lights, especially those of tall buildings, are a deadly hazard to migrating birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology estimates that hundreds of millions of birds are killed each year in building collisions. Well-lit skyscrapers such as the Greenlink tower pose a severe threat. Chesapeake is along the Atlantic Migratory Flyway, and birds primarily migrate at night in huge flocks. Lights on tall buildings disorient and attract these migrating flocks, often causing them to circle the building endlessly until exhausted. Birds also crash into the structure and are killed. The situation becomes even worse during low cloud or foggy weather conditions.
The City Comprehensive Plan, pp. 213-214, recognizes this threat and clearly states that "while lights may be a nuisance for residents, for wildlife it can be more serious, rendering habitat unlivable or confusing animals’ natural patterns. Birds in particular may be susceptible to light pollution as most migratory birds fly at night, and can be disoriented or stressed by lights. Where there are known migratory paths, habitats, and highly natural areas, even more care should be given to lighting choices and ensuring lights are used only when necessary." Policy DES 31 calls for us to "Develop an ordinance directed towards reducing light pollution."
For wildlife, the best practice would be not to light up the tower. If the building must be lit, the Cape Henry Audubon Society strongly urged that the ordinance incorporate key safeguards to reduce the number of birds killed at the site and the wildlife disturbed in neighboring parks and along the river. Safeguards they recommended included: turning off the lights after 10 pm, minimizing the illumination levels permitted, using lighting with a warmer color temperature of 2700K or less, requiring lighting to be downward oriented to not illuminate clouds above the building, and, as per FAA standards, using flashing anti-collision lighting.
The Planning Commission did listen to the concerns and did amend the proposed ordinance to require the lights to be turned off after 10 pm, the top request. But it took no action on the other safeguards.
The request now goes to the City Council, and the Cape Henry Audubon Society will seek additional changes to the ordinance, especially to reduce the allowed brightness level. The draft ordinance now specifies a 0.5 foot-candle brightness limit on adjoining residential properties; an improvement would be to also set this limit for adjoining parkland, i.e. Paradise Creek Park.
This item is expected to be considered by the City Council on June 23.
Planning Commission
Some agenda items of interest for the Planning Commission on June 10 include:
- PLN-REZ-2025-021 in Western Branch at the western terminus of Woodland Drive, builds Low Density Residential - 22 lots, minimum 8000 sq. ft. The current tree canopy covers about 10.5 acres; the potential tree canopy loss is 7 acres.
- PLN-REZ-2025-019 in Western Branch at 4733 Charlton Drive, builds Low Density Residential on a 1.1-acre lot. The current tree canopy covers about 0.9 acres; the potential tree canopy loss is 0.7 acres.
- PLN-USE-2025-009 in South Norfolk at 2651 S. Military Highway, along the waterfront. Requests a conditional use permit to utilize the site for concrete crushing and recycling, and a request to allow a height exception for 170-foot-tall silos and tanks. Parcel is 46 acres, including 20 acres of tree canopy; potential tree canopy loss of 8 acres. Note, this site is about 320' from the Reunion townhouse community (located on the other side of the railroad tracks).
- PLN-USE-2025-049 in Deep Creek at 1500 Steel Street, along the waterfront. Requests a conditional use permit to allow container stacking on 54-acre parcel. The current tree canopy is about 7 acres; the site plan keeps the existing buffers, and the tree canopy loss is ~0 acres.
- PLN-USE-2026-002 in Great Bridge at 1912 Centerville Turnpike S. A conditional use permit to construct and operate a Battery Energy Storage System on an approximately 31-acre portion of a 179-acre property covering 4 parcels. Current tree canopy of about 167 acres; potential tree canopy loss of 25 acres.
Find the full agenda at Planning Commission Agenda
To submit comments to the Planning Commission online, visit https://cityofchesapeake.jotform.com/210536857544057
City Council
Some agenda items of interest at the City Council in June:
- PLN-REZ-2025-009 in Great Bridge to build Low Density Residential on a 25.3 forested lot. The site contains forested wetlands. This is not in CBPA. The plan sets aside 3 acres for a park site and 4.2 acres for conservation. Potential Canopy loss -16 to -18 acres. Planning Commission recommended Denial, partially due to loss of open space, trees, and wetlands from development. City Council CONTINUED to the June 16, 2026
- PLN-REZ-2025-015 in Great Bridge at 1401 Battlefield Blvd S., the Great Hope Baptist Church. Requests rezoning, but with no definitive site plan. An earlier site plan showed the addition of 486 parking spaces, accessory buildings, and ball fields to the existing church. Current tree canopy approx. 0 acres; no new landscaping shown in the initial site plan.
- PLN-USE-2025-048 in Greenbrier at Old Sears at Greenbrier Mall. Costco is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to operate a gas and service center next to a new Costco. Minimal impact to the tree canopy; Costco may add more tree islands.
- PLN-TXT-2025-004 - External Building Lighting on Structures and Sign to permit illumination of landmark buildings at least 500' in height, specifically for the LS Greenlink manufacturing tower under construction along the Southern Branch.
In May, the City Council approved:
- PLN-COMP-2026-001 Deep Creek Area Plan
- PLN-USE-2025-003 in South Norfolk for in-fill development of 1413, 1417,1421, 1420 Bainbridge Blvd (north of Lakeside Park) with Single Family Homes. Total area, 0.6 acres. Potential canopy gain of 0.06 acres.
City Council meeting details are posted to the City Council agenda page.
Green Drinks
Our next Green Drinks Meeting will be on Wednesday, June 24 at 6 pm. Location TBA.
Action Alerts
- Data Centers: Contact state legislators to hold data centers responsible for their impacts on the state's power grid and environment: https://valcv.org/actions/tell-lawmakers-to-finish-the-job-on-data-centers-2/
- State Budget: Contact state legislators today and urge them to support clean water investments - https://cbf.quorum.us/campaign/vaspecialsession/
- Federal Budget: Urge Congress to do the right thing and uphold environmental funding for the Chesapeake Bay restoration. The administration's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget slashes critical funding to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Park Service (NPS). Contact your congressional representatives now - https://cbf.quorum.us/campaign/trumpbudget/
- Federal Budget: Oysters: Ask Congress to Keep the Chesapeake Bay’s Oyster Sanctuaries Protected. The U.S. House Appropriations Committee recently passed a Fiscal Year 2027 funding bill for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that includes two harmful provisions (Sec. 586 and 587). One would open up protected oyster sanctuaries to commercial fishing; the other would cut off restoration funds for oyster sanctuaries most in need of investment. Contact your congressional representatives now - https://cbf.quorum.us/campaign/noaafunding/
- Healthy Landscapes: Are you taking steps to help improve the Chesapeake environment with the landscaping in your yard? If you are, we would love to recognize your efforts and share tips on what more you can do. Sign up for our new Chesapeake Healthy Landscape program at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/1254/Chesapeake-Healthy-Landscape-Program
- Oyster Gardening: Live on salt water? Want to get involved in oyster gardening? The Chesapeake Bay Foundation—Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore, VA will be hosting Oyster Gardening Seminars around Hampton Roads in June and July to get you set up. https://www.cbf.org/resources/virginia-oyster-gardening-seminars/
Volunteer Opportunities
In the News
- Community meeting held for proposed battery energy storage facility in Chesapeake - WAVY
- Wildlife advocates raise concerns about LS Greenlink building and potential danger to migrating birds - WTKR
- Chesapeake’s Deep Creek, Camelot area plan envisions future mixed-use opportunities- Virginian-Pilot
- Dominion Energy to merge with Florida company, creating a utility titan - WHRO
- Pricey transmission upgrades are stalling much-needed energy projects in Virginia, report says - WHRO
- Blue crab population booms in Chesapeake Bay by 100 million, report finds - Virginian-Pilot
- How Soil and Water Conservation Districts can help homeowners - WHRO
Comp Plan Environmental Summary
See the full 2045 Comp Plan at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3275/2045-Comprehensive-Plan
See the Chesapeake Sustainability Network comments on the plan at https://www.greeningchesapeake.com/2025/07/chesapeake-comp-plan.html
See local area plans at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/564/Long-Range-Planning-Policy
Jump to Plan Policy Overview:
- Connectivity - Complete Streets, Pedestrian and Bicycle Connectivity, Public Transit
- Infrastructure: Utilities
- Economic Prosperity: Underperforming Commercial Properties, Data Centers, Brownfields
- Environment and Resilience: Wetlands, Living Shorelines, Riparian Buffers, Green Infrastructure, Sea Level Rise, Flooding, Environmental Justice, Trees, Wildlife Habitat, Waste Reduction, Energy Policy
- Growth Management and Rural Areas: Agricultural and Environmental Sensitive Land, Redirect Higher Density Development
- Housing: Energy Efficiency, Affordability
- Placemaking: Preserve developments’ natural spaces, Encourage walkable, mixed-use, and people-oriented development, Light Pollution, Noise Pollution, Parking Minimums, Wildlife Crossing, Streescaping and Landscaping, Native Plants
- Quality of Life: Natural Amenities, Parks, Water Access
Connectivity
CON 1: The City will move people with an efficient multi-modal transportation system that reflects the local users and development patterns.
CON 3: Consider the priorities of automobiles, cyclists, and pedestrians when designing roadways based on the land use and development patterns and the user needs and preferences.
CON 4: Make connections between streets and neighborhoods to improve safety, efficiency, and community design. Avoid culde-sacs where possible.
CON 6: Develop a Complete Streets policy, which will look different across different areas of the City and under different development circumstances.
Complete Streets: This is an approach to transportation planning that provides streets that are safe, comfortable, and accessible for all users regardless of age and ability. There is no single design for complete streets; each one is unique and responds to its community context. A complete street may include sidewalks, bike lanes, multi-use paths, dedicated bus lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops and shelters, frequent and safe crossing opportunities, median islands, and more. A complete street in a rural area will look different from a complete street in an urban area, but both are designed to balance safety and convenience for everyone using the road.
CON 7: Adopt a traffic safety plan that sets a goal to reduce/eliminate traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries.
CON 14: Invest in an interconnected, alternative transportation network throughout the City.
CON 15: Develop a multi-modal hub policy to set goals to provide equitable connections for micromobility, transit, active transportation, and roadway users.
CON 16: Provide a safe, efficient, and equitable active transportation network for all travelers regardless of age, income, ability, race, where they live, or how they choose to travel. The network should connect all of Chesapeake and be accessible to everyone.
CON 17: Implement the Trails & Connectivity Plan to develop an integrated active transportation network and to design active transportation facilities
CON 18: Incorporate active transportation facilities within new developments and City projects, particularly when connections can be made to the following: existing or future Trails & Connectivity facilities, existing and future neighborhoods, commercial areas, open spaces, waterways and water access points, public facilities (schools, libraries, community centers, etc.), transit routes, and regional and national trail networks.
CON 19: Consider active transportation facilities in the design of all future roadway improvements, both public and private, based upon location, destination, context and their proximity to a facility depicted on the Trails & Connectivity Plan.
CON 20: If a roadway connection is not feasible, encourage active transportation connections between private developments.
CON 21: Use public utility corridors and infrastructure easements for active transportation facilities when feasible.
CON 22: Develop a safety campaign that educates all users on appropriate use of roadways and other facilities.
CON 23: Encourage additional bicycle infrastructure in new developments.
CON 24: Prioritize closing existing sidewalk gaps and installing crosswalks that create connections to schools, parks, senior activity centers, transit stops, and other pedestrian generators.
CON 25: Provide and maintain sidewalks giving priority to projects based on the City’s Sidewalk Project Evaluation Guide.
CON 26: During the site plan review process, require sidewalk installation on all existing and proposed road frontages in the Urban and Suburban Overlay districts as development and redevelopment occurs.
CON 27: Applicants should proffer and/ or staff should stipulate the installation of new sidewalks or improvement of existing, substandard sidewalks that create connections between communities and key destinations such as schools, retail, parks, public transportation, and City services.
CON 28: Include safe intersection crossing and necessary public improvements when designing sidewalk connections.
CON 29: Encourage increased development
along public transportation routes to both
serve more residents and bolster the use of
such services.
CON 30: Work with HRT to review existing
and potential transit stops in order to
maximize ridership and understand the
barriers to their success. Prioritize and
create safe connections between public
transportation stops and activity centers.
CON 31: As development occurs along
existing or proposed transit lines, set
aside required space and build required
infrastructure to support HRT installation of
standard bus stops, passenger amenities,
and micromobility corrals.
CON 32: Continue to work with HRT to
assess the feasibility of high-capacity transit
based on existing and future anticipated
land use conditions.
CON 33: Evaluate demand responsive
services, like microtransit, as an option to
fill in public transit gaps, particularly in
suburban and rural areas where fixed-route
service is not feasible.
CON 36: Acquire abandoned railroad
right-of-way the City has legal claim to or
that railroad companies are interested in
disposing of for public use.
Infrastructure
INF 2: Encourage and facilitate utilities being
located or moved underground, particularly
when work is being done near existing
utilities
INF 3: Prioritize areas of visual importance
for retroactive undergrounding utility
projects.
INF 6: Coordinate with utility providers
to plan for future utility corridor and
infrastructure expansions.
INF 9: Apply additional scrutiny and require
additional hydrology information as needed
when a proposed development would likely
alter hydrology (such as borrow pits).
INF 10: Review volumetric capacity and
request additional information as needed
when a proposed development may
consume large amounts of water and
potentially impact the flow of water in the
City’s distribution system.
Economic Prosperity
ECON 6: Prioritize repositioning large
underperforming commercial properties,
such as shopping malls, into mixed-use
developments that increase pedestrian
activity.
ECON 11: Study and make recommendations
on potential siting criteria and sample
stipulations for data centers.
ECON 19: Identify and assess the viability of
existing brownfields for cleanup and reuse.
Environment and Resilience
ENV 1: Protect, maintain, and improve
the quality of the natural environment
and increase the opportunities for green
infrastructure and nature-based solutions,
while also protecting residents and
structures from natural hazards.
ENV 2: Protect wetlands in all future
development to the maximum extent
practicable; developers should provide
information on the purpose and need
of wetlands impacts, avoidance and
minimization measures taken during design
to avoid wetland impacts, and what wetland
mitigation options are being considered to
provide no net loss of wetlands function and
value.
ENV 3: Living shorelines are the preferred
method for stabilizing eroding shorelines
and must be the first design alternative
considered for shoreline projects. Project
managers should refer to the Comprehensive
Coastal Resource Management Guide
prepared by the Virginia Institute of Marine
Science for further direction on preferred
shoreline design.
ENV 4: Protect riparian vegetation,
particularly where continuous stretches
can be maintained, and preserve natural
topography, providing opportunities for
vegetation to migrate and adapt landward
as sea levels rise.
ENV 5: Partner with non-profit and academic
organizations to identify sites where
wetlands rehabilitation and restoration are
possible.
ENV 6: Protect water bodies that are
sources of drinking water from potential
contamination.
ENV 7: Establish and maintain an adequate
vegetated buffer around all source waters.
ENV 8: Maintain a water source protection
plan.
ENV 9: Avoid land uses that can potentially
contaminate the City’s source waters.
When necessary, these land uses should
be placed away from bodies of water and
have significant vegetated buffers and other
protections.
ENV 10: Work with the Virginia Department
of Health and the Department of
Environmental Quality to proactively monitor
groundwater and to develop strategies to
address concerns.
ENV 11: Adopt and follow design standards
for drainage facilities that reflect best
available science and data, which indicate a
need for more stringent requirements based
on the impacts of storm events as they
presently occur and are expected to occur in
the future.
ENV 12: During the development review
process, limit pavement and other
impervious surface that does not serve a
necessary purpose in the development.
ENV 13: Promote green infrastructure other
than stormwater retention ponds as a means
of managing stormwater. The larger and
more complex a project, the more
consideration should be given to treatment
trains, wetlands bioretention, and other
creative stormwater solutions.
ENV 14: Design stormwater management
facilities to provide additional benefits
beyond stormwater treatment and retention,
such as wetlands ecosystems, wildlife
habitat and recreation.
ENV 15: Encourage piped stormwater
management over ditches when reasonable
to reduce stormwater maintenance
requirements for the City.
ENV 16: Identify locations where regional
stormwater management facilities are
necessary or beneficial and proactively
construct those facilities in coordination
with developers as feasible.
ENV 17: Plan for the following anticipated
future sea level rise scenarios as
recommended by the Hampton Roads
Planning District Commission:
- 1.5 feet of SLR for near-term planning, occurring by 2050
- 3.0 feet of SLR for medium-term planning, represented by the timeframe 2050–2080
- 4.5 feet of SLR for long-term planning relevant to timeframes beyond year 2080
ENV 18: Direct development towards higher
ground to the greatest extent practicable
while discouraging development in Special
Flood Hazard Areas. No new critical
infrastructure should be built where there
is an anticipated sea level rise impact
that would occur in the lifespan of the
facility unless required by the nature of the
infrastructure.
ENV 19: Consider flood risk when reviewing
new developments and work with developers
to minimize risk.
ENV 20: Achieve Class 5 in the Community
Rating System (CRS), particularly through
preserving open space in the floodplain,
preserving wetlands, maintaining drainage
systems and completing mitigation activities
for buildings within the floodplains
ENV 21: Work with communities anticipated
to be affected by sea level rise to proactively
adapt to future conditions through
implementation of Resilient Area Plans.
ENV 22: Develop a program to assist
homeowners in flood-prone areas in making
their homes more resilient to flooding.
ENV 23: Utilize a variety of flooding
adaptation strategies that are both
structural and non-structural and meet the
definition of “no adverse impacts”.
ENV 24: Review and revise as necessary the
Floodplain Management section of the City
Code to appropriately mitigate flooding risk
to citizens.
ENV 25: Plan future landscaping and other
vegetation to reflect anticipated future
conditions, particularly in the Special Flood
Hazard Area.
ENV 26: New City facilities located outside
of storm surge and flood zones should be
considered and, if appropriate, designed to
serve the community as emergency shelters.
ENV 27: Protect new and existing public
and private infrastructure and facilities
from hazards by prioritizing site selection,
followed by construction and other
protective or mitigation techniques.
ENV 28: Implement hazard awareness and
risk reduction principles into the City’s
daily activities and processes to promote
life safety during hazardous events, and to
enhance community-wide understanding
and awareness of community hazards.
ENV 29: Maintain a disaster response and
recovery plan that describes recovery efforts
during, immediately following, and postevent.
ENV 30: Identify environmental justice
populations that are underserved by tree
canopy and prioritize them for future
plantings. Encourage new developments and
redevelopments in these areas to go above
and beyond ordinance-required landscaping
requirements.
ENV 31: Identify areas experiencing the
Urban Heat Island effect and develop
strategies to mitigate impacts.
ENV 32: Develop and adopt an Urban
Forestry Plan that includes inventorying
existing trees and sets guidance on
enhancing and restoring urban forest quality
through age and species diversification,
among other tasks and policies.
ENV 33: When verges are included in
development, they should be of sufficient
width for healthy tree planting and future
tree growth.
ENV 34: Proactively monitor and remove tree
pests, particularly those that are likely to
have wide-ranging impacts on the entire tree
canopy.
ENV 35: Preserve and maintain existing
healthy mature trees, while also
supplementing with public and private
reforestation efforts to promote a healthy
and diverse tree canopy across the City.
ENV 36: Update the City’s landscaping and
buffering ordinance to include additional
invasive species on the “Undesirable Tree
Species” list, and clarify the planting of which
cannot contribute to required landscaping.
ENV 37: Encourage opportunities for
additional tree plantings in appropriate
natural environments as part of the
development review process.
ENV 38: Adopt an ordinance establishing
a tree canopy fund for the purposes of
collecting fees from developers that cannot
provide their canopy requirements on site
and using them to plant trees elsewhere in
the City.
ENV 39: Educate residents and officials
about the negative impacts of invasive
species, and implement programs for their
strategic, targeted removal.
ENV 40: Connect residents and businesses
to existing resources on tree care and
maintenance, and work with neighborhood
groups to support their local tree canopy
goals.
ENV 41: Identify and highlight historic,
champion, and significant trees within
local communities to increase likelihood of
protection and maintenance.
ENV 42: Work with developers to protect
green space that could serve as habitat or
part of a contiguous wildlife corridor during
the development process, prioritizing this
land to satisfy landscaping and tree canopy
requirements.
ENV 43: Partner with environmental
organizations to fund water quality and
aquatic habitat projects, particularly in
conjunction with industrial users.
ENV 44: Support the acquisition of
properties that expand wildlife habitat and
protect migration patterns.
ENV 45: Work with regional partners
to ensure long-term solutions for safe,
sustainable, efficient solid waste disposal.
ENV 46: Continue to implement strategic
solutions that allow for residents and
businesses to continue recycling.
ENV 47: Develop and implement a waste
reduction strategy with education and pilot
programs to help reduce waste going to the
landfill.
ENV 48: Develop a City energy policy that
includes renewable energy and energy
efficiency goals and a mechanism for
publicly reporting energy use.
ENV 49: Encourage the use of solar panels
on top of buildings and in other unused or
underutilized spaces such as parking lots.
ENV 50: Model renewable energy usage in
the City by proactively installing renewable
energy throughout public areas, such as
solar panels in City parking lots.
ENV 51: Support Electric Vehicle technology
and review City codes and ordinances
that may need to be amended to allow the
implementation of EV infrastructure.
Growth Management and Rural Areas
GMRA 1: Prioritize the protection of
agricultural and environmentally sensitive
land by limiting development in those areas,
and also encouraging development in more
suitable areas to minimize suburban sprawl.
GMRA 2: Support and focus density in a
few strategic areas of the City as indicated
in Character Districts and Overlay Districts
and prioritize infrastructure improvements
needed to support that density.
GMRA 4: Evaluate the existing requirements
for a Planned Unit Development in the Urban
Overlay District to make creating such
developments more feasible.
GMRA 5: Develop a Transfer of Development
Rights program to ensure density occurs
in the parts of the City where it is most
appropriate, and rural landowners are
compensated for preventing development of
their land.
GMRA 6: Achieve a pattern of compatible
land use and growth that is balanced
between uses and follows a logical pattern
without “leap frogging” to parts of the
City unserved by appropriate utilities and
infrastructure.
GMRA 8: Review the Zoning Ordinance and
make necessary changes to implement
the “Reinvest and Preserve” development
strategy in which housing, commercial, and
industrial land use densities are slightly
increased to preserve open space, create
pockets of density, and increase community desired outcomes such as walkability.
GMRA 15: Assess the Zoning Ordinance for
any regulations that should be in place to
protect agriculture, such as buffers from
incompatible uses, as well as opportunities
to find flexibility in standards for typical
rural- and agriculture-related uses in
the Rural Overlay, where conditions may
necessitate different requirements.
GMRA 17: Give special consideration to the
unique recreation needs of rural residents,
and continue to plan for the equine
community.
GMRA 18: Support and expand tools such as
the Open Space and Agriculture Preservation
(OSAP) and the Transfer of Development
Rights (TDR) programs to protect agriculture,
open spaces, and rural landscapes.
GMRA 19: Develop an ordinance to allow
for farming villages, a unique style of
development that allow for residences while
protecting large tracts of agricultural land.
GMRA 20: Preserve essential elements of
rural character including distant views
of the countryside, topography, natural
drainage patterns, country roads, open
space including agricultural fields and
pastures, fences and hedgerows, barns and
other farm buildings.
GMRA 22: Encourage developers to
construct cluster subdivisions rather than
piano key development, taking care to
minimize visual impact and preserve natural
features.
GMRA 24: When developing rural property
for non-agricultural uses, to the greatest
extent possible, preserve fences, hedgerows,
tree lines, and natural vegetation to
protect these landscape features during
construction. Retain treed areas between
roads and buildings and protect these areas
during construction.
Housing
HOU 6: Encourage energy efficient
building practices to assist with long-term
affordability of housing.
HOU 7: Review the Zoning Ordinance for
amendments that allow for smaller unit and
lot size in appropriate zoning districts
HOU 8: Support the development of
multifamily housing that includes five or
more units.
HOU 10: Support the development of missing
middle housing, and consider Zoning
Ordinance amendments that are needed to
allow for these housing types.
HOU 17: Encourage the adaptive reuse
of existing non-residential buildings for
residential use where appropriate.
HOU 22: Expand and promote the real estate
tax abatement and grant programs to
provide additional incentives for low-income
homeowners to improve their homes, and
encourage adaptive rehabilitation/reuse of
historic structures.
HOU 23: Implement an energy efficiency
improvement program for existing housing.
HOU 40: Provide and fund housing
rehabilitation programs that assist senior
homeowners to repair, modernize, and
improve the energy efficiency of their homes,
and remove barriers to aging in place.
Placemaking
DES 3: Preserve developments’ natural
spaces for community use or conservation,
whichever is appropriate.
DES 12: Support decreased lot sizes and
flexibility of lot alignment when it will
protect sensitive environmental features
and not increase the overall density that
would be allowed on the tract or be directly
incompatible with surrounding uses.
DES 13: Emphasize connection to the
public right-of-way in Urban and Suburban
Overlays communities, with front entrances
connected to pedestrian walkways and
sidewalks.
DES 15: Encourage more walkable, mixed use, and higher intensity commercial
development, particularly in areas of the
City near existing or proposed Employment
Centers in the Suburban and Urban Overlay
Districts.
DES 17: Implement form-based code in
areas of City where it is most impactful,
particularly areas that should be walkable,
mixed-use, and people-oriented.
DES 20: Promote interior sidewalk
connections throughout commercial and
mixed-use developments.
DES 21: Encourage developers to provide
reciprocal access between commercial and
mixed-use developments in order to enhance
connectivity, prioritizing the consolidation
of existing vehicle access points and limiting
new vehicle access points.
DES 22: Aggregate required green or open
space to make it more usable and increase
environmental benefits.
DES 29: Review all development and City
construction projects for impacts based
on the Environmentally Sensitive Overlay
and provide mitigation for those impacts or
refrain from developing in those areas.
DES 30: Encourage developers to reduce light
pollution by limiting the brightness of exterior
fixtures and promoting full cut-off fixtures
when practical. Where a development will
occur in a highly natural area or where wildlife
may be impacted, even greater consideration
should be given to such practices.
DES 31: Develop an ordinance directed
towards reducing light pollution.
DES 32: Ensure the City continues to manage
detrimental impacts from noise.
DES 33: When a development would impact
existing natural areas or known habitat,
consideration should be given to whether or
not wildlife-vehicle collisions will increase,
and thus whether a dedicated wildlife
crossing or other measure needs to be
considered.
DES 34: Direct higher commercial and
residential density around future or current
areas served by public transit with the
greatest focus around transit hubs or
transfer stations.
DES 35: Review Zoning Districts to lower
parking minimums where appropriate, and
unless provided reasonable justification,
require the use of structured parking in the
Urban Mixed-Use Character Districts.
DES 36: Encourage high-quality
streetscaping for parking areas and include
continuous, visible, internal pedestrian
walkways.
DES 37: Use parking lots as an opportunity to
create treed and vegetated areas, capturing
stormwater runoff and aggregating required
landscaping into usable space where plants
can thrive, as opposed to only building small
parking islands.
DES 39: Encourage developers to include
enhanced landscaping in their projects as a
way to create unique places and a sense of
community pride.
DES 40: Ensure the City sets the tone for
landscaping by going above the minimum
code-required efforts on City-owned property
that residents and customers often frequent.
DES 41: Identify existing major roadways
and medians for enhanced landscaping
and streetscape treatment and require
landscaping in strategic future roadway
projects.
DES 42: Encourage the use of native
plantings and conservation landscaping in
public and private projects.
DES 44: Establish and fund a citywide policy
for the planting and maintenance of street
trees. As a starting point, staff will refer to the
Virginia Department of Transportation and
City Landscape guidelines when designing
street sections and the need for any planting
of street trees.
DES 45: Include appropriate landscaping
when roadway projects require the
installation of public utilities or otherwise
create the opportunity
DES 46: Review the street sections and
related guidelines in the Public Facilities
Manual for possible amendments that
clarify the expectations for road design and
accompanying facilities, such as sidewalks,
underground utilities, and street trees.
DES 47: Promote the use of wayfinding and
signage in key areas that reflect the unique
character of each area. Invest in wayfinding
that functions at both pedestrian and
vehicular levels.
PLC 6: Inventory and evaluate vacant
lots and large parking areas that can be
used by neighborhoods for gathering and
beautification, and work with residents to
activate those spaces.
PLC 7: Extend the scope of traditional land
banking activities to include the creation of
public spaces that provide opportunities for
residents to gather, particularly where such
places are scarce.
PLC 26: Continue to support tourism
marketing strategies that highlight
Chesapeake’s historic resources, birds and
wildlife, green space, and other attractive
attributes.
Quality of Life
QOL 2: Design and landscape sustainable
City facilities so they are a landmark of the
community, are accessible for all, and
provide community spaces as needed.
QOL 24: Build on Chesapeake’s existing
natural amenities and recreational assets to
provide a parks and recreation system that
serves all of Chesapeake’s population with a
variety of facilities and programs.
QOL 28: Determine where public access to
the water is needed, and develop a plan to
acquire it and provide amenities such as
boat ramps and kayak and canoe launches.
QOL 31: Create multi-functional parks that
store stormwater, reduce flooding, and
improve water quality where appropriate.
See also the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Master Plan: https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3460/PRT-Master-Plan
May Newsletter
May Newsletter
In this edition ● Energy Storage 101 ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Bike Month ● General Assembly Update ● Tree Preservation ● Environmental Town Hall ● Data Center Update ● Green Drinks ● Planning Commission ● City Council ● Action Alerts ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News
Energy Storage 101
Join the Chesapeake Sustainability Network for a call on Thursday, May 7, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, to discuss our local efforts. We'll use Google Meet - see the e-mailed newsletter for the link or reach out to us at greeningchesapeake@gmail.com
The agenda will include the Data Center Working Group Update, Urban Forestry Updates, and planning for future activities of the network.
Chesapeake will be hosting 4 events for Bike Month this year
- BikeFest, Sunday, May 3, 1-4 pm @ Dismal Swamp Canal Trail
- Glow Ride, Friday, May 8, 7-8:45 pm @ Oak Grove Park
- Bike Ride of Historic Great Bridge, Saturday, May 16, starting from the Great Bridge Community Center (registration required)
- Chesapeake Ride of Silence, Wednesday, May 20, 6:30-8:30 pm starting from City Park (registration required).
Get all the info and register at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3092/Bike-Month
General Assembly Update
See the final round-up of environmental bills we've been tracking, as well as links to the bills, on our General Assembly page.
Tree Preservation
 |
| Tree clearing at housing development site |
But for these new levels to take effect, a locality must opt in and adopt the requirement in its local ordinances. In other words, the Chesapeake City Council must approve this change. We will plan to advocate for in the coming months. Stay tuned for how you can help.
Environmental Town Hall
Some key areas that still need to be addressed include setback distances, how noise analysis is performed, enforcement of noise limits, and water usage. We will be discussing this at our next Chesapeake Sustainability Call on May 7.
Green Drinks
Our next Green Drinks Meeting will be on Wednesday, May 27 at 6 pm. Location TBA.
Planning Commission
Some agenda items of interest for the Planning Commission on May 13 include:
- PLN-REZ-2025-015 in Great Bridge at 1401 Battlefield Blvd South at the Great Hope Baptist Church. Per the initial site plan, this includes the addition of 486 parking spaces, accessory buildings, and ball fields to an existing church.
- PLN-REZ-2025-021 in Western Branch at the western terminus of Woodland Drive. Project builds Low Density Residential - 22 lots of a minimum 8000 sq. ft. each. The site currently has 10.5 acres of tree canopy. There would be a loss of about 7 acres of tree canopy in the plan. It sets aside a riparian buffer in CBPA.
- PLN-USE-2025-048 in Greenbrier at Old Sears at Greenbrier Mall. Costco is requesting a Conditional Use Permit to operate a gas and service center next to a new Costco.
Find the full agenda at Planning Commission Agenda
City Council
Some agenda items of interest at the City Council in May
- PLN-REZ-2025-009 in Great Bridge to build low-density residential on 25-acre forested lot, including forested wetlands. The site plan sets aside 3 acres for a park site and 4.2 acres for conservation. Potential tree canopy loss of 16 to 18 acres. The Planning Commission recommended denial, partially due to the loss of open space, trees, and wetlands from development. The City Council CONTINUED the application to the May 19, 2026 City Council Meeting.
- PLN-USE-2025-003 in South Norfolk for in-fill development of lots at 1413, 1417, 1420, and 1421 Bainbridge Blvd (north of Lakeside Park) with single family homes. Planning Commission Recommended Approval on 4/8/2026
Proposed City Budget
- City Manager presented the proposed City Budget at the City Council's March 24 Work Session. The presentation and proposed budgets can be found at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/176/Budget-Department. A vote on the budget is planned for May 12.
City Council meeting details are posted to the City Council agenda page.
Action Alerts
- Healthy Landscapes: Are you taking steps to help improve the Chesapeake environment with the landscaping in your yard? If you are, we would love to recognize your efforts and share tips on what more you can do. Sign up for our new Chesapeake Healthy Landscape program at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/1254/Chesapeake-Healthy-Landscape-Program
Volunteer Opportunities
In the News
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation sues Trump administration over rollback of climate pollution protections - WHRO
- Chesapeake wants to preserve land with transfer of development rights program - Virginian-Pilot
- Chesapeake neighbor raises safety concerns over the lack of sidewalks and bike lanes in Deep Creek - WTKR
- Zero Waste Wardrobe collects clothes for Virginia Beach families - WHRO
- 'Green Line' project illustrates how marshes will migrate in Portsmouth - WHRO
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