The Chesapeake Planning Commission held a public hearing on November 13, 2024, at 7:00 PM in the City Council Chambers. Chairman Joshua Gerloff presided. Six commissioners were present (Gerloff, Crews, Barefield, Gilbert, Hackworth, Steiner); three were excused (Forbes, Sgueglia, Stichler). The meeting adjourned at 8:26 PM. The commission considered ten applications, including one continuance request, five consent items (after two were moved to the regular agenda), and four regular agenda items. All votes were unanimous (6–0).
The consent agenda originally included items 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10. Item 6 (Tranquil Pooch) was moved to the regular agenda because three or more speakers were opposed. During the hearing, a commissioner moved item 8 (Steel Street Containers) to the regular agenda for further discussion. The final consent calendar comprised the following items, all approved 6–0:
Public comments on consent items:
Items 2 & 3 – Yadkin BESS (Rezoning and CUP)
Item 6 – Tranquil Pooch (Dog Grooming CUP)
Item 8 – Steel Street Containers (Container Stacking CUP)
Yadkin BESS (Items 2 & 3) fell under regular discussion. Commissioners questioned the applicant on power generation (enough for 30,000–45,000 homes for four hours), battery life (15–20 years, then recycled), fire risk (defensive strategy, no specialized training needed), and emergency access (fire department approved the emergency response plan). Staff confirmed the fire marshal reviewed and approved all documents.
Tranquil Pooch – Commissioners discussed enforcement of home occupations. Jay Tate (Development & Permits Director) noted no complaints had been received; the business was flagged during license renewal. Commissioner Hackworth asked about monitoring – Tate said neighbors should report suspected businesses. Staff explained the stipulated hours (8 AM‑6 PM Mon‑Sat) are code‑based and difficult to enforce if more restrictive.
Steel Street Containers – Commissioner Steiner clarified that no rezoning was needed (M‑2 zoning) and the CUP only covered stacking. He noted the site had undergone site plan review, which addressed stormwater and landscaping. Commissioner Hackworth asked about the timeline of improvements; Mr. Palmer stated site plan was approved in late 2023/early 2024.
Note: All votes were 6–0; commissioners Forbes, Sgueglia, and Stichler were excused and did not participate.
See, did that do that every day? Everyone. Planning Commission pre-meeting for November thirteenth, twenty twenty-four is now in session. Welcome to our pre-meeting tonight. She and her husband are expecting their first child. She is on any day status now, so hopefully that's sooner rather than later. I know she is ready to get it over with. So our thoughts are certainly uh with her this evening. So the first order of business tonight is the agenda overview discussion. We have a total of 10 applications, of which one application is for continuance or withdrawal. Mr. Bostwick, would you please provide the commission with an overview of the continuance application? Yes, good evening, Mr. Chairman and Commissioners. We have one request by staff for a continuance of a comprehensive plan amendment, and there are no applications being withdrawn. Thank you, sir. Commissioners, any comments or questions regarding this item. All right. Without any objection, this item will be placed on the continuance and with and withdrawal portion of the agenda. All right, so now we will review the remaining items and we'll determine uh placement on either the consent or regular agenda. First item is item number one, minor subdivisions. Mr. Bostwick, back to you. Any updates? We have no updates, and I did receive one email that stated, I'm really liking what I have read regarding minor subdivision facing. All right. Positive. Yes. So I sent it to our IT department because some didn't look right, and it's a suspicious email, so I don't know what to think about that. Oh, okay. Suspiciously positive for minor subdivision phasing. Yes. Very good. Uh commissioners, any conflicts with the application? Any questions for staff? Any discussion? Any objection to placing on the consent agenda? All right. Seeing none, item one will be placed on the consent agenda. All right, next items. Items two and three, Yadkin Bess. Ms. Neal, any updates for us? Ah, let me see how to work this. I feel like I need to squat down a little bit. Good evening, Commissioners. Um, no updates. We've received a couple of uh public comments. We've received two phone calls, just general inquiries, one email in opposition, and then one letter from the Virginia Department of Energy, and that was really just um supporting Chesapeake's proactive approach to battery energy storage development and highlighting the importance of the technology to um for the Commonwealth's energy reliability and sustainability goals. All right, very good.