November Newsletter

October was an active month for sustainability issues in Chesapeake (see full newsletter below for details):


  • The City Council approved a 25-year extension in its Use Agreement with SPSA to support switching to the "Alternative Waste Disposal" program that brings "AI" supported recycling to Hampton Roads.
  • The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area ordinance was updated to enhance tree preservation and plan for sea level rise.
  • The City's official Legislative Priorities package was presented by the City staff to the City Council, including several items addressing Environmental Responsibility.
  • Data Center Policy was a key topic at the City Council Retreat early in the month.
  • The draft City Comprehensive Plan was reviewed by the Planning Commission; our coalition is still seeking additional policy improvements before its final approval in January.
  • At our Green Drinks gathering, we heard about the looming energy crisis in Virginia with data centers proliferating across the state.   

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

Elections

Have you voted yet?  Early Voting ends Saturday, November 1st.  The last day to vote is Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, 6 am to 7 pm, at your regular polling place.  Get all the official election information at Voter Registrar | Chesapeake, VA.  One centralized source for candidate information and profiles is Ballotpedia - Virginia election, 2025.


Comp Plan - Next Steps

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.

The next step is a presentation by the Planning Department to the City Council at a Work Session to be scheduled, likely in December.  Between now and then, we have an opportunity to reach out to City Council members to ask for their support on the above issues.   

Data Center Policy

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.


Energy in Virginia

At the October Green Drinks Chesapeake, we had an excellent conversation with Alden Cleanthes, founder of Norfolk Solar LLC, Legislative Director of the Virginia Distributed Solar Alliance, and past Chair of the Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council.  The proliferation of new data centers is causing energy demand in Virginia to rise rapidly, and as a result, electricity prices may also increase significantly.  The Virginia Conservation Network reports that modeling shows that zero-carbon energy can meet this projected increase more cost-effectively and reliably than proposals focused on fossil-fuel power generation.   We can expect this to be an important topic at the General Assembly in January.  

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).

Green Drinks Chesapeake - Wednesday, January 28, 2026
The next Green Drinks meeting will be on Wednesday, January 28, 2026.  Speaker and location to be announced.

Action Alerts

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
Volunteer Opportunities

In the News

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

To unsubscribe from this newsletter, e-mail greeningchesapeake@gmail.com with Unsubscribe in the subject line.
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Legislative Priorities 2026

  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 the City's draft Legislative Priorities here.

We are asking for a short list of items to be added 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
The draft document is being presented to the City Council at their Work Session on Tuesday, Oct 28.   There is an opportunity for Citizen Comments on Non-Agenda items later that evening at their Council's regular meeting starting at 6:30 pm.  See the meeting agenda at https://chesapeake.granicus.com/DocumentViewer.php?file=chesapeake_f24dd328fe7f013b978571bffdc7204b.pdf&view=1
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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.  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: Black Pelican Greenbrier, 1625 Ring Rd (at the mall). 

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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