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October was an active month for sustainability issues in Chesapeake (see full newsletter below for details):
November starts with the all-important elections for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Delegates, 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. Read more about all these topics, as well as upcoming Planning Commission and City Council agendas, Action Alerts, Upcoming Events, Volunteer Opportunities, and what's In the News in our full newsletter below. |
November Newsletter
In this edition ● Elections ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Comp Plan - Next Steps ● Data Center Policy ● Energy in Virginia ● Planning Commission ● City Council ● Green Drinks ● Action Alerts ● Upcoming Events ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News
Comp Plan - Next Steps
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The draft Chesapeake Comprehensive Plan was reviewed by the Planning Commission on October 8th. Several of the issues we raised in our comments letter were addressed in the draft presented on October 8th, including policy modification to
- [edit] "Connect residents and businesses to existing resources on tree care and maintenance ..."
- [new] "Encourage the use of native plantings and conservation landscaping in public and private projects."
- [new] "Coordinate with utility providers to plan for future utility corridor and infrastructure expansions"
- [edit] "Use parking lots as an opportunity to create treed and vegetated areas, capturing stormwater runoff and aggregating required landscaping into usable space where plants can thrive, as opposed to only building small parking islands
- [edit] "Develop a City energy policy that includes renewable energy and energy efficiency goals and a mechanism for publicly reporting energy use.
- [edit] state that for Conservation Districts, "Only limited passive and nature-based recreation and access is appropriate on these sites."
However, several important recommendations were not addressed. A key area is educating and connecting residents, businesses, and institutions with conservation landscaping practices such as the use of native plants, creating pollinator gardens, rain gardens, and reducing erosion. Many local organizations are working on this today, and we need continued support from the City.
Other recommendations that were missed in the draft were
- Connecting farmers with cost-share programs to implement best practices that improve the City's environment and help farmers preserve their land.
- The wording related to the City modeling renewable energy through rooftop solar
- The value, including to taxpayers, of reducing residential yard waste going to the landfill
- Encouraging community solar
- Evaluating the impact of sea level rise on the Northwest River Water Treatment Plant, a risk identified by the Department of Homeland Security, to protect our water supply.
Some uncompleted policies from the 2035 Comp Plan that we should carry forward are to
- "Educate residents and officials about the importance of protecting wetlands and riparian areas"
- "Identifying city-owned land that can be set aside for tree preservation."
- "Encourage the establishment of farmers’ markets and community gardens
We raised these issues at the Planning Commission, and there was a good discussion among the commissioners. We were called up to answer follow-up questions. Commissioners asked the Planning Department if additional changes could be made to the document between now and the final City Council approval and got an affirmative response. Ultimately, they recommended approval of the draft as is. Since then, the Planning Department has said they were not intending to make any more changes.
At the City Council Retreat on the morning of October 8th, the City Manager gave a detailed presentation to the Council Members on the impact of data centers. As the former Deputy County Executive of Prince William County, he has firsthand experience with data centers. He touched upon all the key issues we included in our Data Center Fact Sheet and Analysis Paper: that data centers could now be developed by right across all business, industrial, and office and institutional zones in Chesapeake, their high power demand, noise, water usage, impact to residential areas, and the need for power transmission line and substation infrastructure to support data centers. He also raised the fact that Dominion Energy will use eminent domain to build infrastructure to provide electricity to new customers, if necessary. He also outlined possible Land Use management recommendations the City can adopt, including making data centers a Conditional Use, developing a Data Center Policy, and/or establishing certain overlays (pre-designated areas) where Data Centers would still be allowed by right as long as standards and requirements are met. Finally, he raised the concern that the City currently has an intentionally low ($0.40 per $100) equipment tax on data centers and recommended raising it to be more in line with Northern Virginia tax rates, while staying competitive.
After the discussion, the City Manager indicated he will present an Initiating Resolution to the City Council to allow the Planning Department to start work on developing Land Use management recommendations. The first step will be creating a map of locations in the City that could support data centers with the least impact. No specific timeline for next steps was given. We will continue to follow this as it progresses.
Planning Commission
Going to Planning Commission on November 13, applications of interest include:
- PLN-USE-CT-2025-005 in Western Branch to build a 199’ tall Communication Tower on City Property. Potential canopy loss of about 0.2 acres
- PLN-SUBV-2025-003 in Deep Creek to subdivide a 3.2 acre lot into 2 lots for single family homes. Potential canopy loss of about 1.5 acres when homes are built.
Find the full agenda at Planning Commission Agenda
City Council
In October the City Council:
- Voted to approve extending the Use and Support Agreement with Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) for 25 years in support of the proposed Alternative Waste Disposal program. (See SPSA Briefing Slides here). This is contingent on SPSA finalizing a contract with Commonwealth Sortation LLC to provide a mixed waste sorting facility using AI and robotics to remove recyclables and organics. This contract would guarantee a waste diversion rate of 50%, with 20% of the waste sent for recycling and 30% of the waste (the organic material) processed by pyrolysis to create Biochar (to be used to make concrete and provide long-term carbon sequestration). Half of Chesapeake's waste would start to be handled at the pilot facility by July 2026, and all of our waste will be sent to the future processing facility by 2028. This will actually entail an increase in tipping fees for Chesapeake, but it will essentially restore recycling for City residents at a rate higher than was achieved with blue bins.
- Voted to approve revisions to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act Ordinance to enhance tree preservation and incorporate sea level rise in planning.
- Was briefed on a draft of the City's Legislative Priorities for the General Assembly. The Chesapeake Sustainability Network has recommended several additions and two of our recommendations will likely be incorporated - support for increased funding for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP), Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share (VACS), and staffing in Soil and Water Conservation Districts to implement these programs; and support for legislation to enable localities to prohibit hunting from state waters adjacent to any subdivisions of a city that are so heavily populated. The City Council will vote on the final version of this policy document in November.
Coming up at City Council in November of interest, following its review at the Planning Commission in October, we will see:
- PLN-REZ-2024-014 along Elbow Road to rezone 18.8 acres from A-1 to R-10 for low-density residential. (Continued from October agenda)
- 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 and protected by the CBPA. 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. (Planning Commission recommended Denial).
- Sign a petition to let your elected officials know that you support a Bottle Bill for Virginia. Sign the Petition - The Bottle Bill Virginia
- Are you taking steps to help improve the Chesapeake environment with the landscaping in your yard? If you are, we would love to recognize your efforts and share tips on what more you can do. Sign up for our new Chesapeake Healthy Landscape program at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/1254/Chesapeake-Healthy-Landscape-Program
- 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
- Wednesday, November 12, 6:30 pm - The final installment of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Climate Lecture Series at the Brock Environmental Center. Dr. Jeremy Hoffman, a leading climate scientist and expert in urban microclimatology, equity, and science communication, will explore how climate change intensifies challenges in cities—especially for vulnerable communities—and share community-driven solutions for a more just and resilient future. Register at https://events.cbf.org/climateimpacts-111225
- Friends of Indian River Volunteer Opportunities
- Chesapeake Parks, Recreation, and Tourism has ongoing efforts for invasive species management and tree planting on multiple dates through 2026. Sign up at Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Tourism: Volunteering Opportunities
In the News
- Energy bills in Virginia could increase $1,100 annually by 2040, new report says - Virginia-Pilot
- Virginia could show how to manage data center growth. So far, it’s a case study in stalling legislation - Virginia Mercury
- First-of-its-kind offshore wind turbine vessel arrives in Hampton Roads - Virginian-Pilot