Showing posts with label Newsletter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newsletter. Show all posts

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





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September Newsletter

In this edition ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Data Center Policy ● Comp Plan ● Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Ordinance ● Planning Commission ● City Council ● Green Drinks ● Action Alerts ● Upcoming Events ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News

Chesapeake Sustainability Network

Join the Chesapeake Sustainability Network on Thursday, September 4, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, for a virtual meeting to discuss our local efforts.  We'll use Google Meet with this link https://meet.google.com/izm-fjyg-tgs

Our agenda for Thursday will include:
- Introductions
- Data Center Policy - update on meetings with City Council Members
- Comp Plan Comments and Sign-on Letter
- Revised Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Ordinance
- Legislative Agenda Input

Data Center Policy

We've met with several City Council members to discuss changing City ordinances to make data centers a Conditional Use that would require a Permit from City Council and shared our Data Center Fact Sheet and Analysis Paper with them.  We need the City to develop a Data Center Policy similar to the Solar Energy Policy the City developed for solar farms.  Join us at our virtual meeting on Thursday, September 4 to discuss details and next steps.   

Comp Plan

The DRAFT Chesapeake Comprehensive Plan is now published and in a 60-day public comment period thru September 26.  You can find the draft document and learn more at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3275/Comprehensive-Plan-Update 

We will have a sign-on letter with comments available later this week.  The Comprehensive Plan lays out a roadmap for the City for the next twenty years.  We applaud the draft for providing a strong vision for creating a high-quality future for the City that is proactive about developing necessary infrastructure, protects green and open space, works to connect people, and respects the unique character of different parts of the City.   The policies presented adopt the principles of Smart Growth, focus on moving people on Complete Streets that provide safe access to all, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users. The document includes good policies related to the environment, resilience, and supporting rural areas.    There are several key areas in which we would like to see improvements, including promoting healthy landscapes, planning for energy infrastructure and green infrastructure, dealing with sea level rise, particularly at the Northwest River Water Treatment Plant, and supporting energy efficiency and solar.  You can find a draft of the comments we collected at Chesapeake Comp Plan - Working Copy of Comments

Click to enlarge

Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Ordinance

The Planning Department also released proposed Ordinance changes for the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area.  In 2020, the Virginia General Assembly amended the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act to incorporate new guidelines for "coastal resilience and adaptation to sea-level rise and climate change".  Localities have until 2025 to adopt the changes and the revised guidelines are expected to be presented to the City Council in October.  The draft ordinance generally adheres to the content in the Model Ordinance provided by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.    One area where the adherence to the Model Ordinance was less complete was regarding tree preservation in the required landscape plans.    We've submitted comments on the draft.  If necessary, we may ask people to speak on this when it goes to the City Council in October. 

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission in September has an application of interest:
  • PLN-REZ-2024-014 - rezoning 18.8 acres from A-1 to R-10 for low-density residential along Elbow Road in Greenbrier.  
Find the full agenda at. Planning Commission Agenda

City Council

At the City Council on August 19th, the council approved 
  • PLN-COMP-2025-002 - Greenbrier Area Plan 
  • PLN-TXT-2025-005 - changing the Zoning Ordinance to increase the permitted density of single-family homes in the urban overlay district (generally Indian River, South Norfolk, Greenbrier, Riverwalk, Deep Creek north of I-64) from 7 homes per acre to 9 homes per acre.
In August, Vice Mayor John de Triquet passed away following a very brief illness. Dr. de Triquet was a long serving council member, first elected in 1994. Outside the Council, he is remembered as a dedicated doctor and for nearly 40 years as a pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital of The Kings Daughters where he treated thousands of children over the years and solidified a legacy of compassion.

In September, as per the City Charter, the Council will appoint someone to fill the vacancy due to Dr. de Triquet's death. The appointed council member must be a qualified voter of the city and will serve on the Council until a successor is elected in November 2026.   The City Council will also select one of its members to serve in the role of Vice Mayor.  

Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, September 24, 2025

The next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, September 24, 6 pm - 8 pm.  We're trying a new venue, Taqueria La Patrona - Grassfield, at 648 Grassfield Pkwy #9, Chesapeake, VA 23323 (next to the Grassfield Walmart).  Our guest speaker will Liz Williams who will will talk to our group about water and soil pollution from the PFAS and PFOA "Forever Chemicals," how the City of Chesapeake may be affected by them, and what can be done about it. She is a technical consultant and environmental health advocate for military affiliated communities. She has served as a former state regulator in California and Virginia, specializing in water compliance issues. She has also served as a consultant to the USEPA Office of Water.

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.
  • Chesapeake Celebrates Trees will be on September 27, 2025, noon to 4 pm at Judge Eileen Olds Courtyard Park at the municipal center.  Activities will include tree climbing demonstrations, interactive butterfly exhibit, portable sawmill demonstrations, forest bathing, tree trail tours, information tables, food truck, giveaways and more.  Chesapeake Celebrates Trees | Chesapeake, VA
Volunteer Opportunities

In the News

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




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August Newsletter

In this edition ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Data Center Policy ● Virginia Natural Gas Compressor Project ● Comp Plan ● Planning Commission ● City Council ● Virginia Conservation Assistance Program ● Action Alerts ● Green Drinks ● Upcoming Events ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News

Chesapeake Sustainability Network

Join the Chesapeake Sustainability Network on Thursday, August 7, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, for our first virtual meeting to discuss our local efforts.  We'll use Google Meet with this link https://meet.google.com/pde-wnhm-cms

Our agenda will include:
- Introductions
- What is the Chesapeake Sustainability Network?
- Data Center Policy - an effort to require Conditional Use Permits for data centers
- Comp Plan Update
- What's on your mind?
- Planning Commission/City Council Agenda update (see below)

We are building a network of organizations, individuals, and businesses advocating for environmentally responsible growth in the City of Chesapeake and the Hampton Roads region.  Our vision is to create a "green" city that provides a high quality of life for everyone who lives, learns, works, farms, and plays in our city.  This includes sustaining a healthy and livable environment with clean air, clean water, ecologically vibrant green spaces, and climate resiliency for all. 

Data Center Policy

In June, the City Council voted down the proposed Etheridge data center, but that was probably not the last data center proposal in Chesapeake.  Today, data centers are a permitted use in areas zoned as Office, Institutional, Business, or Industrial Districts and could be built BY RIGHT.  The only reason the Etheridge data center came to the City Council was because the land was zoned Agricultural.  Furthermore, the City Noise Ordinance specifically exempts from regulation HVAC and backup generator operation, the major source of noise pollution from data centers.  We have drafted a Data Center Fact Sheet and Analysis Paper to detail the benefits and issues related to data centers.  

We've started to reach out to City Council members to discuss changing City ordinances to make data centers a Conditional Use that would require a Permit from City Council and develop a Data Center Policy similar to the Solar Energy Policy the City developed for solar farms.  Learn more about the status of efforts at our virtual meeting on Thursday, August 7.  

Virginia Natural Gas Compressor Project

The reconsideration by the City Council of the controversial Virginia Gas Compressor application brought out dozens of opponents, many raising pollution and environmental justice concerns, to the July 15th City Council meeting.  The City Council approved the rezoning in a 6-3 vote after originally denying the project in June.   

The State Corporation Commission (SCC) will hold a public hearing in Chesapeake on August 14 to receive public testimony on a request by Virginia Natural Gas to construct and operate the Chesapeake Compressor Project.  The public hearing is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Chesapeake Conference Center, 700 Conference Center Drive. Persons intending to testify as public witnesses should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the hearing and register with the Commission’s bailiff. Witness statements will be limited to five minutes.  Written comments may be submitted through the SCC’s website by 5 p.m. on August 5, 2025.  https://www.scc.virginia.gov/about-the-scc/newsreleases/release/vng-local-hearing/vng-compressor-project.html

Comp Plan

The DRAFT Chesapeake Comprehensive Plan is now published and in a 60-day public comment period thru September 26.  There will be several open houses across the City between August 14 and August 28.  See the draft document and learn more at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3275/Comprehensive-Plan-Update .

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission has a light agenda in August consisting of three conditional use permit applications and a zoning ordinance change.   The zoning ordinance change is to modify requirements for external lighting on structures, and it is of concern for its potential impact to wildlife safety and Dark Sky goals; however, the proposed ordinance has not yet been drafted, and the agenda item is expected to be Continued to a later date. Planning Commission Agenda

City Council

At the City Council on July 15th, all the following, plus the reconsideration of the Virginia Natural Gas Compressor Station, were approved:
  • PLN-REZ-2023-024 - a Hotel on Gum Road in Western Branch; net tree canopy loss about 2.2 acres
  • PLN-REZ-2024-009 Residential (Multi-Family – 96 units) /Commercial off Centreville Turnpike; net tree canopy loss about 5 acres but the project does preserves 6.9 acres forested wetlands
  • PLN-REZ-2024-010 Residential (Townhouse – 26 units) off Centreville Turnpike; farm site, likely adds about 0.5 acres tree canopy.
  • PLN-REZ-2024-018 Residential (Multi-Family – 137 units) on Elbow Road, near Centreville Turnpike; net tree canopy loss about 9 acres; project sets aside 9.2 acres as Conservation-Recreation zoning
  • PLN-USE-2025-004 Contractor/Storage Yard in Camelot; 0.5 acre site, does plant buffer, no significant change in tree cover.
  • PLN-REZ-2024-019 - a Virginia Natural Gas Compressor Station located off Military Highway just north of Eva Gardens/Newton Creek neighborhoods; results in a net tree canopy loss about 1.6 acres
At their July 22 meeting, the City Council approved a Resolution recommending that Hampton Roads Transit proceed with Phase Two of the Connecting Chesapeake Study, to include feasibility analysis-planning.   Phase Two looks at two potential bus rapid transit routes connecting the Greenbrier area to downtown Norfolk.  The study is funded by regional resources and requires no financial commitment from the City.

In August, some items expected on the City Council agenda include:
  • PLN-COMP-2025-002 - Greenbrier Area Plan - continued from the July 15 City Council meeting to August 19 due to time constraints
  • PLN-TXT-2025-005 - changing the Zoning Ordinance to increase the permitted density of single-family homes in the urban overlay district (generally Indian River, South Norfolk, Greenbrier, Riverwalk, Deep Creek north of I-64) from 7 homes per acre to 9 homes per acre 
Virginia Conservation Assistance Program

At our July Green Drinks meeting, Emily Johnstone-Brown from the Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) gave an excellent presentation on the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP).  VCAP is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners to address problems like erosion, poor drainage, or poor vegetation that impact water quality.  

Public, private, non-profit, and commercial landowners in Chesapeake - including residential properties, businesses, and schools - may be eligible for 80% cost-share and some practices provide a flat incentive payment up to the installation cost.  Practices include Conservation Landscaping, Living Shorelines, Rain Gardens, Rainwater Harvesting, Impermeable Surface Removal, Permeable Pavement, Vegetated Conveyance System, Dry Wells, Infiltration, Bioretention, Constructed Wetlands, Green Roofs.  Some practices can reimburse costs up to $30,000.  

The process starts with an application and site assessment by SWCD staff.  Applications are reviewed by SWCD Board and VCAP Steering Committee for approval.  They are looking for more applications in Chesapeake, so this can be a great time to apply.  Learn more at  Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and apply at Program Year 2026 Urban Conservation Programs | Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District.

Action Alerts

Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, September 24, 2025

We're taking off August and the next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, September 24.  Location and speaker TBA.

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.

Upcoming Events
  • The next Chesapeake Bay Foundation Climate Lecture Series presentation will be on Coastal Solutions: Protecting Our Shores, exploring the importance of protecting tidewater habitats and how green infrastructure solutions—such as living shorelines, rain gardens, and tree plantings— build coastal resilience. Tuesday, August 12, 6:30 PM at the Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach.  Register at https://events.cbf.org/shoreline
Volunteer Opportunities

In the News

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



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July Newsletter

In this edition ● Green Drinks ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Greenbrier Area Plan ● Data Centers ● Planning Commission ● City Council ● Action Alerts ● Upcoming Events ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News

Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Our next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, July 30, 6 pm at El Toro Loco Mexican Restaurant.  Our guest speaker will be Emily Johnstone-Brown from the Virginia Dare Soil and Water Conservation District to talk about the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP).

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.

Chesapeake Sustainability Network

We're working on organizing the new Chesapeake Sustainability Network.  The goal is to create a network of organizations, individuals, and businesses advocating for environmentally responsible growth in the City of Chesapeake and the Hampton Roads region.  Our vision is to create a "green" city that provides a high quality of life for everyone who lives, learns, works, farms, and plays in our city.  This includes sustaining a healthy and livable environment with clean air, clean water, ecologically vibrant green spaces, and climate resiliency for all. 

Our Steering Committee is working on laying out the Network's ground rules.  We've also started to revamp our website at https://www.greeningchesapeake.com/.  You can also join the conversation on our Facebook Group.  

Greenbrier Area Plan

The Greenbrier Area Plan will be presented to the City Council for approval at their July 15 meeting.  

The draft plan does an excellent job of defining human-scaled neighborhoods and commercial districts that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly, balancing the needs of people while accommodating vehicular traffic.  Practically all the comments from the Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee were incorporated in the draft.  At the May 14th Planning Commission review of the plan, there were several speakers asking for revisions to the plan to do more on tree preservation, outdoor lighting policies, and bird-safe building practices.  While one commissioner acknowledged that "we'll never get the perfect document", the Planning Commission recommended the approval of the document as presented by a vote of 7-0, without any additional changes.  

Read more about the Greenbrier Area Plan and concerns about tree preservation, outdoor lighting, and bird-safe buildings at Greening Chesapeake: Greenbrier Area Plan

Data Centers

In a big win, the Etheridge data center was voted down 7-0 by the City Council.  Nearly 50 speakers gave two and a half hours of comments on how the data center would negatively impact the community.  Chesapeake City Council rejects data center proposal - WHRO 

But the push for data centers in Chesapeake isn't dead. Council Members specifically asked if there were other possible locations to build. When the next data center project comes along and if it's on land already zoned industrial, it can get built BY RIGHT - no City Council action needed, no Proffers, no noise restrictions. There is a need to continue to educate Council Members on the overall impact of data centers.  As one of the Planning Commissioners suggested, the City should consider making data centers a Conditional Use so that the City can set standards for these facilities. The City should also consider developing a Data Center Policy on where and how to build data centers, akin to the Solar Energy Policy that was written for solar farms.  

Planning Commission

Of interest at the Planning Commission in July:
  • PLN-REZ-2025-007 asks to downzone 22 acres from RE-1 Residential Estate District to A-1 Agricultural District. 
  • PLN-TXT-2025-005 would change the Zoning Ordinance to increase the permitted density of single-family homes in the urban overlay district (generally Indian River, South Norfolk, Greenbrier, Riverwalk, Deep Creek north of I-64) from 7 homes per acre to 9 homes per acre.   
  • PLN-TXT-2025-003 looks to modify the Ordinance for parking requirements to "reduction of and flexibility in required parking", but the proposed text is available at the time of this writing.
City Council

Under consideration at the City Council in July we will see:
  • PLN-REZ-2024-019 - a Virginia Natural Gas Compressor Station located off Military Highway just north of Eva Gardens/Newton Creek neighborhoods.  Net tree canopy loss of about 1.6 acres.  Returns for reconsideration after vote to Deny in June.  Chesapeake council to reconsider Virginia Natural Gas project (Virginian-Pilot) 
  • PLN-REZ-2023-024 - a Hotel on Gum Road in Western Branch; tree canopy loss of about 2.2 acres
  • PLN-REZ-2024-009 Residential (Multi-Family – 96 units) /Commercial off Centreville Turnpike; tree canopy loss of about 5 acres; the project does preserve 6.9 acres of forested wetlands
  • PLN-REZ-2024-010 Residential (Townhouse – 26 units) off Centreville Turnpike; farm site, project likely adds about 0.5 acres tree canopy.  
  • PLN-REZ-2024-018 Residential (Multi-Family – 137 units) on Elbow Road, near Centreville Turnpike; tree canopy loss about 9 acres; sets aside 9.2 acres as Conservation-Recreation zoning
  • PLN-USE-2025-004 Contractor/Storage Yard in Camelot; this 0.5 acre site will include a planted buffer and no significant change in tree cover.
Action Alerts
Upcoming Events
  • The next Chesapeake Bay Foundation Climate Lecture Series presentation will be on Cooling Our Cities with Tree Canopy.   Anne Little, Founder of Tree Fredericksburg, Ann Jurczyk, CBF's Virginia Urban Restoration Manager, and Daniel Brooks, Virginia Department of Forestry Community Forestry Specialist will explore the growing challenges of urban heat islands, how climate change intensifies these effects, and the critical role that urban tree canopy plays in cooling cities, improving air quality, and enhancing community resilience.   Tuesday, July 8, 6:30PM at the Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach.  Register at https://events.cbf.org/treecanopy
  • The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is holding a virtual session of its Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards (VoiCeS) program.  This multi-week adult education course is designed to deepen your understanding of the Chesapeake Bay and how you can make a difference in its restoration. Held virtually over six consecutive Wednesday evenings, this interactive course features expert speakers covering a wide range of environmental topics relevant to Virginia, plus chances to get out in the field. Wednesdays, July 9–August 13, 6:00–8:00 p.m. Online via Zoom. Register at https://events.cbf.org/vavoices25
  • Live along the water?  Want to help restore the oyster population in our river in the Chesapeake Bay?  The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is hosting Oyster Gardening training in June and July.    Sign up at https://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/virginia/oyster-restoration/oyster-gardening/hampton-roads-oyster-gardening-seminars-new-gardeners.html
  • Chesapeake Farmers Market opens June 7 - Chesapeake Farmers' Market at City Park
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June Newsletter

Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Our next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, June 25, 6 pm at Recovery Sports Grill,1672 Sentinel Drive, (across from the Kroger's near the I-64/Battlefield interchange).  We'll discuss a new, local Chesapeake Sustainability Network.  

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.

In May, our guest speaker was Cameron Kania from Tidewater Compost.  Tidewater Compost offers residential and commercial food waste composting services to Hampton Roads residents and businesses.  Residential subscribers receive a composting starter kit that includes a 5-gallon bin with airtight lid, 2-gallon kitchen caddy, compostable liners, and a Compostables List fridge magnet.  Depending on the option selected, compost is picked up weekly, bi-weekly, or can be dropped off at one of their drop-off sites.  Subscribers receive 5 gallons of compost 2x a year upon request through their “compost give-back” program. To learn more or sign up, visit Tidewater Compost | Food Waste Recycling and Compost Materials

Greenbrier Area Plan

On May 14, the Planning Commission recommend Approval of the May draft of the Greenbrier Area Plan.  It will probably be presented to the City Council at a Work Session in June and go for approval in July.  

The May draft did an excellent job of defining human-scaled neighborhoods and commercial districts that are pedestrian and bicycle friendly and balancing the needs of people while accommodating vehicular traffic.  Practically all the comments from the Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee were incorporated in the draft.  

But the Plan falls short on taking proactive steps on tree preservation, adopting healthy lighting standards, and protecting birds.   Business as usual will result in the loss of another 300 acres of tree canopy when vacant parcels are developed around Greenbrier.  The only tree preservation recommendations our group made that were incorporated were suggestions for tree planting at the highway interchanges and the edges of City Park.  They also added a mention of increasing tree canopy in Areas of Enhancement. 

Not included were recommendations to 

  • Expand Oak Grove Lake Park to preserve 94 to 110 acres of City and State-owned forested wetlands adjacent to Oak Grove Lake Park.  Although owned by City and State, the land is currently zoned for residential development.
  • Add new project: Implement a street tree planting program in medians along Battlefield Blvd, Knell's Ridge Blvd, Volvo Parkway, Greenbrier Parkway, Military Highway, and Kempsville Road.  Planting 500 trees creates about 5 acres of tree canopy which will help mitigate urban heat island effects, calm traffic, reduce runoff, improve air quality, and beautify the area.
  • Identify incentives to encourage development projects in Areas of Transformation and Areas of Enhancement to a) preserve mature trees during development and b) voluntarily plant tree canopy at coverage percentages higher than the 10% to 20% required by ordinance. 
  • Identify incentives to encourage retrofits of existing parking lots to plant new trees and implement stormwater management best practices.
Part of the rationale the Planning Department shared was that the vision was for Greenbrier to absorb more expected growth in the City and thereby reduce development pressure in the southern part of the City.   Regarding expanding Oak Grove Lake Park, they felt that required more intensive consultation with Parks, Recreation, and Tourism.  

For lighting standards, in the Design Guidelines they added that "Lighting fixtures associated with buildings should consider Dark Sky recommendations, surrounding land uses, and limit light pollution", but only as a "recommended", i.e. not required, guideline.    They did not include the level of detail found in the recently approved Virginia Commerce Park Design Guidelines.   Added to the Building Design section, it is not obvious that this applies to parking lot lighting and it wouldn't directly apply to street lighting, since there is a separate section of the document for the Public Realm and Streets.  It does not address the street lighting color temperature to recommend warmer (<3000K) lighting.  

For bird-safe window design, in the Design Guidelines they added a mention of "building materials and detailing that support the natural habitat and wildlife such as bird-friendly window designs" but with no further detail and only as a "recommended", i.e. not required, guideline.  

You can find the current draft of the documents at Greenbrier Area Plan | Chesapeake, VA

Data Center in Etheridge Manor

Another hot topic at the Planning Commission meeting on May 14 was a proposal to build a 350,000 sq. ft. data center at the corner of Etheridge Manor Blvd. and Centerville Turnpike.  The Council chambers were filled to near capacity with residents opposed to the project.  Over 50 speakers came to explain why this was the wrong place to locate this facility.  A key argument was the high level of uncertainty about the project.  It was unclear how much power or water the data center would consume and if we don't know that, how can one calculate how much noise it would generate?  Are the proffers, based on proposed ordinances in Prince William County, really strict enough to eliminate the negative noise impact?  And what would be the remedy if the data center creates more noise than allowed in the proffer and there is no practical way to reduce the noise further?   A significant comment from one resident with a medical background was how the noise issue is as much a problem of feeling the noise 24x7 as it is hearing it; and that the low-frequency vibrations travel through the ground as well as the air.  

After voting down a motion to Continue the application, the Planning Commission ultimately voted to recommend Denial of the project.  One of the Planning Commissioners suggested that the City should make data centers a Conditional Use.   In this case, the developer needs a zoning change but, if this property were already zoned Industrial, or perhaps even Commercial, under the current regs, the developer could probably build the data center by right with even less oversite. 
The City should probably develop a data center policy, like they developed a solar farm policy, to guide future approvals. 

But the debate on this data center application will now move to the City Council in June.  The City Council will have the final say on whether this project moves forward.   https://www.whro.org/business-growth/2025-05-15/chesapeakes-planning-commission-says-no-to-data-center-proposal

More Planning Commission

Also at the Planning Commission in May was the application for a Virginia Natural Gas Compressor Station located off Military Highway just north of Eva Gardens/Newton Creek neighborhoods.  The Planning Commission recommended Approval.

Going to the Planning Commission in June 
  • PLN-REZ-2023-024 - a Hotel on Gum Road in Western Branch; tree canopy loss of about 2.2 acres
  • PLN-REZ-2024-009 Residential (Multi-Family – 96 units) /Commercial off Centreville Turnpike; tree canopy loss of about 5 acres; preserves 6.9 acres forested wetlands
  • PLN-REZ-2024-010 Residential (Townhouse – 26 units) off Centreville Turnpike; farm site, likely adds about 0.5 acres tree canopy.  
  • PLN-REZ-2024-018 Residential (Multi-Family – 137 units) on Elbow Road, near Centreville Turnpike; tree canopy loss about 9 acres; sets aside 9.2 acres as Conservation-Recreation zoning
  • PLN-USE-2025-004 Contractor/Storage Yard in Camelot; 0.5 acre site, does plant buffer, no significant change in tree cover.
City Council

On May 13, the City Council approved the City Budget.  See a summary of environment-related items in the Capital Improvement Budget in our post on the 2025 City Budget.  

At the Work Session before the May 13 City Council Meeting, Hampton Roads Transit provided a report on the Tier 2 Alternatives for the Connecting Chesapeake Study.  Their recommendation was to do further study on the Bus Rapid Transit options on Alignments A and B.  The next step is for the City Council to formally endorse the recommendations and ask Hampton Roads Transit to proceed with more studies in preparation for potential grant applications.  

On May 20, they approved the new Indian River Design Guidelines addressing topics such as building setbacks, spacing, orientation, façade treatment, site circulation (vehicular and pedestrian), parking, landscaping, lighting and signage in commercial areas along Indian River Road and Military Highway.  The City Council did approve an amendment to include wording on bird-safe window treatments. 

At City Council in June we will see
  • PLN-REZ-2024-019 - a Virginia Natural Gas Compressor Station located off Military Highway just north of Eva Gardens/Newton Creek neighborhoods.  Net tree canopy loss of about 1.6 acres
  • PLN-REZ-2025-002 - Data Center at corner Centerville Turnpike and Etheridge Manor Boulevard.  Net tree canopy loss of about 3.9 acres.  Planning Commission recommend Denial.  
General Assembly

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters has issued its annual General Assembly Conservation Scorecard, ranking all 140 lawmakers based on how they vote on pressing conservation issues during the 2025 legislative session.  See how your lawmaker voted on key conservation issues at 2025 Conservation Scorecard - Virginia LCV - Conservation's Political Voice.

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