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

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
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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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.

Action Alerts
Upcoming Events
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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May Newsletter

 Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Our next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, May 28, 6 pm, AT A NEW LOCATION - Recovery Sports Grill,1672 Sentinel Drive ,(across from the Kroger's near the I-64/Battlefield interchange).    

Our guest speaker will be Cameron Kania from Tidewater Compost.  Tidewater Compost is the area’s first residential and commercial organic waste diversion and compost company.   For those who don't have the time, space, or energy to manage their own composting, Tidewater Compost offers at-home pick-up and local drop-off services to do the composting for you, while facilitating educational programs to help grow the community composting movement.

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.

Greenbrier Area Plan

Mark your calendars for the Planning Commission on Wednesday, May 14, 7 pm.  The Greenbrier Area Plan will be on the agenda.  Extensive comments on the draft plan were submitted regarding environmental concerns.  As of this writing, we've not yet gotten any feedback on the comments, so we don't know if any of these comments have been incorporated into a revised draft.  If these are topics of concern to you, please come out to the Planning Commission meeting to let them know that you care.

Concerns included:

  • The continued loss of tree canopy in the Greenbrier area without any significant mitigation strategies.  Business as usual will result in the loss of another 300 acres of tree canopy when vacant parcels are developed.  Strategies that we recommended adding to the plan included:

    • 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.
    • Add new project: Work with VDOT to reforest interchanges at I-64 and Battlefield Blvd, I-64 and Greenbrier Parkway. Creates about 15 acres of tree canopy.
    • Add new project: Reforest areas of City Park along the railroad line and along Greenbrier Parkway next to Executive Blvd. Creates about 3 acres of tree canopy.
    • 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.
    • In Areas of Enhancement, set Policy to " Preserve the existing tree canopy in already developed areas." 

  • The Cape Henry Audubon Society submitted comments on the need to adopt Design Guidelines that reduce bird deaths due to building and window collisions.  Their recommendations were to adopt best practices to make windows, including street-level windows, more visible to birds and reduce unnecessary nighttime illumination, specifically to:
    • Adopt Dark Sky principles like the City did for the Virginia Commerce Park Design Guidelines (at the former FT Williams site on Rt 17) .
    • Require or recommend that new buildings incorporate bird-safe window treatments which range from decals to films applied to glass to screens or nettings to specially designed glass.
    • Require street and parking lot lighting to follow American Medical Association recommendations that "encourages the use of 3000K or lower [color temperature] lighting for outdoor installations such as roadways. All LED lighting should be properly shielded to minimize glare and detrimental human and environmental effects, and consideration should be given to utilize the ability of LED lighting to be dimmed for off-peak time periods."

  • The City's Bicycle and Trails Advisory Committee submitted comments on the Plan.  Overall they were pleased with the Plan's strong emphasis on creating human-scaled neighborhoods and retail areas that are walkable, safe, and welcoming to all that prioritizes the pedestrian experience while accommodating vehicles.  Street designs all included both pedestrian and bicycle facilities.  The Committee's comments focused on
    •  aligning the Greenbrier Area Plan with the Trails and Connectivity Plan adopted last November including incorporating key bike routes and paths.  
    • Design Guidelines should include requirement for bicycle parking at businesses and facilities.
    • Roadway intersection changes, such as at Jarman and Greenbrier, Battlefield and Volvo, and Greenbrier and Kempsville, must include accommodations for both pedestrian and bicycle crossings.
More Planning Commission

Also at the Planning Commission in May are two zoning/conditional use applications of interest:
  • PLN-REZ-2024-019 is a rezoning to let Virginia Natural Gas build a Compressor Station off Military Highway just north of Eva Gardens/Newton Creek neighborhoods.  This is in support of the Virginia Reliability Project which is building a replacement gas pipeline into the region. Net tree canopy loss is about 1.6 acres.  Find more info on the project at
  • PLN-REZ-2025-002 to build a Data Center at the corner of Centerville Turnpike and Etheridge Manor Boulevard.  Net tree canopy loss about 3.9 acres.


City Council

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

Also, at the May 13 City Council Work Session before the main meeting (check for meeting time), Hampton Roads Transit plans to brief the City Council on their recommendations on Connecting Chesapeake - A Study of High-Capacity Transit

In April the City Council approved:

  • PLN-REZ-2024-003 Southern Chesapeake, Single Family Home, loss of about 0.8 acres
  • PLN-REZ-2024-016 Great Bridge, Multi-family Residential on 21 acres of 31 acre parcel.  Preserves existing forested area.  Adds landscape buffer.  Plan drawings of 12/18/24 shows street trees; these are missing in 1/9/25 drawings,  Net canopy gain of about 2 acres with street trees (?)
  • PLN-USE-2024-033 South Norfolk, southeast corner of the Battlefield Boulevard North and Robert Hall Boulevard intersection. Fueling Station (“gas station”), loss of about 2.5 acres tree canopy
  • PLN-USE-2024-052 Great Bridge,  1217 Cedar Road, Oil Change Facility.  Add more landscaping, for about 0.2 acre gain in canopy
  • PLN-USE-2024-056 Southern Chesapeake, 657 Johnson St., Contractor Office and Gravel Storage.  Preserves existing woods.  Add more landscaping, for about 0.1 acre gain in canopy

May is Bike Month

Chesapeake is planning 3 events for Bike Month: 

  • BikeFest on Sunday, May 4 at the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail 
  • Historic Bike Ride on Saturday, May 10 at the Dismal Swamp Canal Trail
  • New this year, the Ride of Silence to honor those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways on Wednesday evening, May 21.   
Visit https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/3092/Bike-Month to get details and register for the May 10 and May 21 events.

LS Greenlinks Tower

On April 22 the City Council approved an Initiating Resolution to consider an ordinance change to permit external lighting on non-residential structures.  This was specifically to permit external illumination for the planned 700' tall LS GreenLink tower along the Southern Branch.  This industrial tower will be used to manufacture undersea power transmission cables for offshore wind farms.   The Cape Henry Audubon Society raised the concern that this lighting proposal presents the risk of turning the LS GreenLink tower into the "tallest bird hazard in the state of Virginia".

Chesapeake is along the Atlantic Migratory Flyway.  Birds primarily migrate at night and urban lights, especially lights high in the sky cause migratory bird flocks to veer off course and circle the illuminated structure, exhausting themselves and crashing into the structure.  The Cornell Lab of Ornithology estimates that hundreds of millions of birds die every year in building collisions, and tall building lights are a major contributing factor.  The Cape Henry Audubon asked to be included in discussions on this proposed ordinance change so safeguards can be incorporated.  

SPSA Alternative Waste Management Proposal

Several of us got to go on a tour of the Amp Sortation pilot facility in Portsmouth.  Today this facility takes trash collected curbside in Portsmouth and sorts out recyclable material using AI-based technology.  SPSA is negotiating to make this the primary waste management process for our area taking in all our trash and recyclables in a single bin and separating out the recyclables, the organic material from what can't be recovered.  The day we visited, the facility was doing a special pilot to only separate out plastic bags from waste stream and seemingly doing a pretty good job of it.  The photo to the right is the final output stream of plastic bags separated from the trash.  On a normal day, it would be separating out the usual recyclables - bottles, cans, cardboard.    The plant appears to function as advertised to recover recyclables and reduce the volume of material heading for the landfill.  But there is still a lot of stuff that has no recycling market.  Another concern is the amount of microplastics that will end up in the organic stream, one target market for that being the creation of biochar. 

Regardless of this technology, we need to continue to look at reducing the amount of plastic that we produce and purchase.  "AI" is not a substitute for source reduction.

Action Alerts
  • As part of its Climate Pollution Reduction Grant study, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission is investigating strategies to reduce vehicle miles traveled and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Please take this short 5-minute survey on how active transportation like walking and biking can help! https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/dfce775f333c4229a22aaee85efd8bfb
  • Chesapeake residents in the Elizabeth River watershed can receive a free native tree from the Elizabeth River Project.  Limit one tree per home; homeowners are responsible for planting and providing proof of planting within 30 days. Free Tree Program - Elizabeth River Project
Upcoming Events
  • CBF’s Climate Lecture Series "Solar Energy: Challenges and Opportunities" - Wed., May 14th - 6:30 PM - CBF’s Brock Environmental Center (Virginia Beach).  Arrive at 6:00 for a light reception. Speakers include Angela Navarro, Virginia League of Conservation Voters, Quan McLaurin, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, and Jay Ford, Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Planetary and CMA CGM sponsor this series. Free and open to the public. Register at https://events.cbf.org/energy
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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April Newsletter

Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Our next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, April 30, 6 pm, at YNot Italian in Greenbrier. Our guest speaker will be Christina Trapani, the new Program Director for Clean Virginia Waterways.  Many of us know Christina through her sustainable products company Eco Maniac and her relentless efforts to tackle plastic litter and pollution in our area.  Now, she is the new leader of Clean Virginia Waterways statewide efforts to enhance the health of Virginia’s water resources through pollution prevention.  Come out and learn about efforts to deal with our plastics problem. 

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.

Greenbrier Area Plan

The draft of the Greenbrier Area Plan is now available for review through April 9th.  The Planning Department held an open house on March 24th.  You can find the Plan and Design Guidelines at Greenbrier Area Plan | Chesapeake, VA

From a pedestrian and bicycle perspective, the draft does a pretty good job.  It has a strong emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle friendly policies and projects.  It needs some tweaking to align with the Trails and Connectivity Plan, but it's starting from a good place. It also acknowledges the value of transit referencing potential projects for "micro-transit" and the Connecting Chesapeake Study, although it doesn't go into any detail on matter such as routes or frequency.

From the standpoint of preserving Greenbrier tree canopy, it falls short.  The draft Plan on p.6 sets the Goal to "create a superior connected open space and park system and enhance the existing tree canopy" and on p. 31 states a Desired Outcome to "implement guidelines that preserve existing tree canopies and strategies that leverage natural features for recreational purposes."  However, the policies and strategies in the draft Plan will fail to achieve this Goal and Desired Outcome. Business as usual will result in the loss of another 300 acres of tree canopy when vacant parcels are developed, translating to tens of thousands of tree cut down.  The draft the plan only actively preserves a single 10-acre parcel as a park, notes that Areas of Transformation will have street trees, and call for tree preservation in Areas of Preservation, i.e. residential areas not slated for re-development.  If it is to meet the stated Goals to enhance and preserve tree canopy, the Plan should adopt more proactive measures to preserve the remaining tree canopy cover, wherever possible plant new trees on streets public open space, and incentivize commercial property owners to preserve and plant more trees than the minimum required by law.   

Another area of concern are guidelines for lighting and bird-safe building construction.  The Cape Henry Audubon Society, in cooperation with multiple partners including the Elizabeth River Project, the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Dark Sky Virginia, and the Friends of Indian River kicked off the Bird Safe/Lights Out Hampton Roads program in 2024 to make Hampton Roads safer for birds that live in our area or pass through during the annual spring and fall migrations.  Key factors in protecting birds from death and injury due to collisions with building include adopting Dark Sky protocols and promoting bird-safe window treatments.  The Plan does not address either of these factors.  The brightness and color of new LED street lighting is another issue be raised by residents in cities including in Norfolk.  The Plan should address these issues.

City Budget

The City Manager has released his proposed budget for Chesapeake.  The headline grabbing news is a potential 2-cent increase on the real estate tax rate to fund staffing and equipment needs for the police and fire departments.  From environment and sustainability side, there are some noteworthy new projects in the Capital Improvement Program, including 

-#20-300 Urban Forestry [Master Plan] & Tree Inventory Plan - will provide the framework for managing the green infrastructure of the City for the next 20 years and beyond [and] ensure a cohesive approach towards tree management and preservation.  - budget $500K in 2026

- #15-300 Chesapeake Pedestrian Access Improvements - funds improvements to pedestrian crossings at 33 signalized intersections in the City and include high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian signal poles, push buttons, and curb ramps with detectable warnings. - budget $4.125M in 2026 via VDOT Reimbursements.  More details at Highway Safety Improvement Program - VDOT Smart Portal

- #27-300 Wayfinding Signage - implementation of a scalable wayfinding sign ‘family’ consisting of entryway, gateway, and both pedestrian and vehicular wayfinding signage [to] connect areas in the City to a cohesive Chesapeake identity while highlighting unique community features - budget $350K in 2026

The CEIC and Tree Board have been calling for the creation of an Urban Forestry Master Plan for several years.  Safer pedestrian crossing and wayfinding signage were both in the Bicycle/Trails Advisory Committe wish list during the review process for the Trails and Connectivity Plan.  

The City Council typically acts on the proposed Budget in May.

SPSA Alternative Waste Management Proposal

We had an excellent turnout at our March Green Drinks meeting and got an informative briefing on SPSA Waste Solutions proposed Alternative Waste Disposal Solution by Director Dennis Bagley and AMP Robotics Founder Matanya Horowitz. SPSA, the Southeastern Public Services Authority is responsible for our regional waste management programs including the regional landfill. The Alternative Waste Disposal bid process is now focused on going to a single bin waste system where trash and recyclables are collected together and then sorted out using AI technology. SPSA is currently negotiating with AMP Robotics on a contract for this effort.

Here are the slides presented by SPSA to a City of Chesapeake Council Work Session in early March: 03-11-25-SPSA-Recycling-Presentation-and-PW-Recycling

WHRO just published a good article on the current state of negotiations: Hampton Roads waste authority finalizing deal that could eventually phase out curbside recycling bins

This recent news report has a good video of the operation of the pilot AMP Robotics plant in Portsmouth Portsmouth uses AI to manage waste, streamline recycling

AMP Robotics published this website to show how the process works.  This video appears to be their facility in Cleveland which is a secondary sorting facility. https://ampsortation.com/ and this article from three years ago has more information on that Amp Robotics launches two secondary sorting facilities - Recycling Today 

General Assembly Updates

The Governor vetoed many of the environmental related bills after this years General Assembly, or recommended significant modifications to them. See our post on the status of some of the environmental related bills of local interest at General Assembly Update 

Planning Commission Updates 

It's a short agenda for the April Planning Commission - Meeting Agendas & Videos | Chesapeake, VA. Of interest: 
  • PLN-2232-2025-001 - A "2232 Comprehensive Plan Review" for Converting the private road, Watts Brother Lane, to a public road that intersects with Gum Road.   Widening of this private road would likely result in loss of some tree canopy, perhaps about 0.2 acres.  This "2232 Comprehensive Plan Review" doesn't include any site plans or funding to widen the road but validates that converting this private road to a public road is compatible with the Comp Plan.  Note: funding for acquiring and widening this street is in the proposed Capital Budget.
City Council Updates

At the City Council in April are 

  • PLN-REZ-2024-003 Southern Chesapeake, Single Family Home, loss of about 0.8 acres
  • PLN-REZ-2024-016 Great Bridge, Multi-family Residential on 21 acres of 31 acre parcel.  Preserves existing forested area.  Adds landscape buffer.  Plan drawings of 12/18/24 shows street trees; these are missing in 1/9/25 drawings,  Net canopy gain of about 2 acres with street trees (?)
  • PLN-USE-2024-033 South Norfolk, southeast corner of the Battlefield Boulevard North and Robert Hall Boulevard intersection. Fueling Station (“gas station”), loss of about 2.5 acres tree canopy
  • PLN-USE-2024-052 Great Bridge,  1217 Cedar Road, Oil Change Facility.  Add more landscaping, for about 0.2 acre gain in canopy
  • PLN-USE-2024-056 Southern Chesapeake, 657 Johnson St., Contractor Office and Gravel Storage.  Preserves existing woods.  Add more landscaping, for about 0.1 acre gain in canopy
At the City Council in March, they Approved
  • PLN-USE-2024-031 Homestead Pet Crematorium.  Revised site plan does increase tree planting along road frontage.  Net tree loss is about 0.5 acres.

Action Alerts
  • Chesapeake residents in the Elizabeth River watershed can receive a free native tree from the Elizabeth River Project.  Limit one tree per home; homeowners are responsible for planting and providing proof of planting within 30 days. Free Tree Program - Elizabeth River Project
Upcoming Events
  • The Elizabeth River Project compiled a great list of upcoming plant sales - click image to enlarge.


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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