1. Considering data center ordinance changes under consideration in Chesapeake, what policies would you support regarding the siting of data centers and the management of associated impacts, such as setbacks, noise, pollution, water use, energy demand, backup generators, environmental impacts, and infrastructure costs?
Answer: I am entirely opposed to allowing the establishment of large-scale data centers in Chesapeake.
Evidence proves that data centers don’t offer anything valuable to residents: they will only provide short-term gig employment throughout the construction process. Once they are built, the need for employees drastically decreases, while the harm to residents and eco-systems is immeasurable.
Technology is constantly changing.
Why on earth would any city council entertain damaging quality of life on such a massive scale to appease any desire to profit from an evolving “resource” that draws closer to obsolescence every day?
2. How would you promote making more clean energy available to residents, businesses, and institutions in Chesapeake? What is your position on siting of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and utility scale solar? What do you believe the City can do to promote rooftop, balcony, and parking lot solar?
Answer: To promote clean energy buy-in among our residents, businesses, and institutions, we should first look to Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudon Counties in order to inform ourselves about incentives that did and did not work for them. An informative public advertising campaign encouraging residents to explore clean solar energy would likely reap benefits.
I recognize the need for BESS as we move away from fossil fuels and don’t see a reason to be particularly concerned about the sites. HOWEVER, our public has almost no faith in city council’s motives, so we must tread lightly through this process. Citizens watched city council ignore all citizen input to force a VNG compressor station into a magically re-zoned residential area. The residents in the area the city was looking at for the BESS site are still stung by a fly-ash debacle. Those two instances alone are more than enough to tell residents they have no reason to trust the council has their best interest in mind.
While BESS sites are necessary, our city council has misrepresented their motives and project outcomes for years, justifiably losing the trust of their constituents.
With regard to utility scale solar, I think constituents will surprise us and be tolerant of a resource that will reduce our cost of living.
3. Between 2014 and 2021, the City had a net loss of over 800 acres of trees, largely to development. What polices will you support to protect tree canopy during development? Would you support increasing the tree canopy requirement on site plans for low-density single-family home development?
Answer: Tree canopies are essential. Therefore, I would argue to protect any mature tree within reason.
We can’t champion infrastructure improvements without also championing the tree canopies that will facilitate walking, outdoor recreation, and protecting our residents from the heat and sun.
As we provide needed infrastructure in northern areas of the city, I will advocate for the necessary tree canopies to accompany the upgrades.
I would certainly advocate for an increased tree canopy requirement on site plans for low-density single-family home development. An increase in cost at the outset would quickly pay for itself and shift to dividends both families and properties will enjoy.
4. Our region faces a significant shortage of housing that is affordable to people earning the area median income or less. How would you promote building more housing in communities that maintains a high quality of life and a healthy and livable environment?
Answer: I’d like to avoid more new construction. I prefer we explore opportunities to renovate existing structures.
5. Chesapeake continues to experience flooding, sea level rise, and increasingly intense rainfall. What are your priorities for improving flood resilience to protect neighborhoods, businesses, and natural resources?
Answer: It is important to improve flood resilience as naturally as possible. The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act provides environmentally-conscious methods to protect communities from flooding, and exploring those options would allow Chesapeake to qualify for mitigation grants from the Commonwealth.
6. One of the top resident priorities is "Preservation of large areas of open space and forest.*" How should Chesapeake balance continued economic growth with the preservation of open space, forests, wetlands, farms and rural character? How would you expand the City's urban forestry and natural lands management, such planting and maintaining trees, managing invasive plants, maintaining natural trails, and training staff on best practices? * As reported in the Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Master Plan study.
Answer: Chesapeake does not need to physically expand in order for us to grow. Chesapeake can continue to foster economic growth by focusing on overlooked areas of our city. By providing infrastructure to include school improvements, sidewalks, tree canopies, and community centers, Chesapeake will improve the beauty of the areas and entice businesses to explore the areas - a massive upside would ultimately be eliminating the food desert that folks in the northern areas of Chesapeake are forced to cope with. Furthermore, by addressing the lack of infrastructure in northern areas, we will be relieving the pressure infrastructure is struggling under in the southern areas.
7. Considering that many daily trips that people make are over short distances, often less than 1 or 2 miles, how would you work to make our streets safer and more connected for people walking, biking, and using mobility devices?
Answer: The number of neighborhoods in Chesapeake that lack sidewalks is a huge problem. The obvious place to start is to install sidewalks with tree canopies in order to encourage safe walking and mobility scooters.
8. How would you improve access to public transportation in our City?
Answer: By expanding it. Chesapeake needs to recognize that unless our people who depend on public transportation can get around the city, they will not be able to live here long term.
9. Considering the new 25-year contract the City signed with SPSA for combined single-bin trash and recycling collection, and considering the steadily increasing tipping fees (cost per ton collected) associated with the new contract, what steps should the City take to encourage residents, businesses, schools, and institutions to REDUCE the amount of solid waste put out for collection?
Answer: An educational ad campaign with coupons for supplies to encourage residents to start composting could be a place to start. Educational institutions and high school culinary classes and cafeteria staff might also be able to explore the viability of composting.
Businesses could have a clause built into their contract that outlines solid waste management.
10. Would you support implementing a 5¢ fee on plastic bags to encourage the use of reusable shopping bags and to fund local environmental cleanup, litter and pollution mitigation, or environmental education efforts, and/or to provide reusable bags to recipients of SNAP or WIC benefits? Why or why not?
Answer: Given the rising cost of living, I don’t feel comfortable imposing any fees on our people at this point.
Answer: City council has countless options to support improved transparency and public engagement in land use and development decisions. A simple, helpful fix would be a city council Instagram account that announces meetings, agendas, time, location, and information about registering to speak.
12. What other sustainability, environmental, or quality-of-life issue do you believe deserves greater attention? Please elaborate.
Answer: Coal dust and groundwater contamination