April Newsletter - Earth Month

In this edition ● Chesapeake Sustainability Network ● Earth Month ● Green Drinks Earth Day ● General Assembly Update ● Urban Forestry ● Composting Facilities ●  Data Center Update ● Planning Commission ● City Council ● Action Alerts ● Volunteer Opportunities ● In the News


Chesapeake Sustainability Network

Join the Chesapeake Sustainability Network for a call on Thursday, April 2, 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, to discuss our local efforts.  We'll use Google Meet - see the e-mailed newsletter for the link or reach out to us at greeningchesapeake@gmail.com

The agenda will include the Support Letter for Composting Facilities, Earth Month Planning (Earth Day Festival, Mayor's Proclamation, Green Drinks on Earth Day), Data Center Working Group Update, and General Assembly Updates.

Earth Month

There is a ton of stuff happening in Chesapeake for Earth Month, including cleanups, Chesapeake Recycles Day, plant sales, Big Tree Tour, Fix-It-Fair, nature walks and contests.  A few events we're highlighting include
  • Saturday, April 18, Earth Day Festival @ Lakeside Park
  • Sunday, April 19, The Lorax Movie “Speak for the Trees” screening @ Central Library
  • Tuesday, April 21, Earth Day Proclamation at the City Council Meeting
For the formal Earth Day Proclamation on April 21, 6:30 pm, we would love to fill the City Council Chamber with people who care for the environment.  Come out, wear your favorite environmental t-shirt, or something green or blue, and join us in standing up for a Greener Chesapeake!

Get the full schedule of events for the entire month here and check back for updates - we keep hearing about more events!

Green Drinks Earth Day

Our next Green Drinks Meeting falls on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22.   We're brainstorming what we can do to celebrate the day. Stay tuned for details on the gathering!

General Assembly Update

A lot of strong environmental bills made ti through the General Assembly this session.   You can find disposition of various bills we've been tracking as well as links to the bills on our General Assembly page.  A few key bills include 
  • rejoining RGGI, 
  • allowing "Balcony Solar", 
  • streamlining rooftop solar permitting, 
  • requiring permitting to ensure no net loss of wetlands.  
  • enabling localities to protect more tree canopy during development.  (see Urban Forestry below).
The Governor has until April 13 to sign, amend, or veto bills. 

WHRO's Katherine Hafner wrote up a great summary of the session in her article -Virginia lawmakers passed big changes to energy and environment policy this year. Here’s a look.

Urban Forestry

Tree clearing at housing development site
Using data from TreeCanopy.US, compiled by the Arbor Day Foundation, PlanIT Geo, and the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry program, we find that the City of Chesapeake has lost over 700 acres of tree canopy between 2018 and 2023 across its urban and suburban areas.  The overall tree cover has dropped from 35% to 33.8%  across this area.

Preserving and protecting trees is essential to reversing this loss. Coming out of the General Assembly this year, pending the Governor's signature, is HB 549, a bill that will allow localities to increase the tree canopy that needs to be preserved or established after low-density development.  The current law limits how much tree canopy developers are required to preserve or replace to no more than 20% of a residential site zoned 10 units or less per acre.   The new law would increase this to preserving or replacing 25% tree canopy for a site zoned for more than 2 but less than 5 units per acre, and 30% tree canopy for a site zoned 2 or fewer units per acre.

But for these new levels to take effect, a locality must opt in and adopt the requirement in its local ordinances.  In other words, the Chesapeake City Council must approve this change. We will plan to advocate for in the coming months.  Stay tuned for how you can help.

Composting Facilities

Composting provides significant environmental benefits by recycling organic waste into nutrient-rich soil. It reduces the amount of material going into landfills and reduces methane emissions coming out of landfills.  The use of compost in gardens and farms improves soil and reduces the need for fertilizers.  But not everyone has the space and time to compost at home.  Business have sprung up to provide composting service to residents by collecting food scraps and composting the material at a central facility.  One such business, Tidewater Compost, which is a participant in the Chesapeake Sustainability Network, has expressed interest in establishing a compost facility in Southern Chesapeake; they currently haul the material they collect to a commercial facility in Waverly.  

The challenge is that the City currently treats compost facilities as a solid waste management facility, the same as landfills.  This means that a mid-sized compost facility needs to meet all the setback, buffer, and other requirements as a large land landfill operation.  The situation has been discussed at the Chesapeake Agriculture Advisory Commission (CAAC) has draft a letter recommending that the City consider a Zoning Ordinance Review for composting facilities that would create a distinct use category for “Composting Facilities" seperate from landfills.   This review process could evaluate potential standards—such as setbacks, buffering, and operational requirements—that appropriately reflect the nature of composting operations while maintaining the City’s commitment to responsible land use planning.

At our next Chesapeake Sustainability Network call on April 2, we will consider writing a letter supporting the CAAC letter.  

Date Center Update

The City has started holding stakeholder meetings to consider amendments to the Chesapeake zoning Ordinance to make Data Centers a conditional use in appropriate zoning districts when certain conditions are met.  The first two meetings have been held and the first-cut on ordinance language should be shared with the stakeholder in the coming month.  One of our network members is participating in the stakeholder meetings.

Planning Commission


Agenda items for the Planning Commission on April 8:

  • PLN-USE-2025-003 in South Norfolk for in-fill development of lots at 1413, 1417,1421, 1420 Bainbridge Blvd (north of Lakeside Park) with Single Family Homes.  

Find the full agenda at Planning Commission Agenda


City Council


At the City Council in March


  • PLN-REZ-2025-017 in Great Bridge at 1733 & 1737 Battlefield Boulevard South, to build General Business District (4.2 acres), Multifamily Residential (10.6 acres), and Single Family Residential District (11.3 acres).  Potential Canopy loss - 6 acres.  City Council Approved 
  • PLN-REZ-2025-009 in Great Bridge to build low-density residential on 25.3 acre forested lot, including forested wetlands.  The site plan sets aside 3 acres for a park site and 4.2 acres for conservation. Potential tree canopy loss of 16 to 18 acres. The Planning Commission recommended denial, partially due to the loss of open space, trees, and wetlands from development.  The City Council CONTINUED the application to the May 19, 2026 City Council Meeting.


Proposed City Budget

  • City Manager presented the proposed City Budget at the City Council's March 24 Work Session.  The presentation and proposed budgets can be found at https://www.cityofchesapeake.net/176/Budget-Department.  Work Sessions and Public Hearings are planned in April, with a vote on the budget planned for May 12.

City Council meeting details are posted to the City Council agenda page.

Action Alerts

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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