Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Hampton City Council Meeting Transcript Summary - November 12, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, November 12, 2025

BodyHampton, Virginia

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, November 12, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:18:29

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:44

Good evening and uh welcome to the Hampton City Council legislative session.

0:48

I will ask the clerk to call the roll, please.

0:51

Councilman Bowman.

0:52

Present Vice Mayor Brown.

0:53

Here.

0:53

Councilwoman Campbell.

0:55

Present.

0:55

Councilwoman Fairby.

0:56

Present.

0:57

Councilwoman Harper.

0:58

Present.

0:58

Councilwoman Muggler.

0:59

Present.

1:00

Mayor Gray.

1:01

President.

1:02

And this evening, uh the invocation will be given by Councilwoman Martha Muggler, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:09

So if you'll please stand and uh join us for both.

1:14

Let us pray.

1:16

Lord, we give you our land, our homes, our labor, and our city.

1:21

Look with favor on our community and protect our citizens and leaders, our first responders, teachers, zoning and officials, and all of our civil servants.

1:30

Enrich our communities so that we may be a blessing to others.

1:34

Give the mayor, city leaders, and this city council wisdom so that we may solve problems and bring stability and prosperity to our community.

1:43

May you give us sound counsel and good judgment to help us make good decisions.

1:48

May you also give us greater knowledge, understanding, and power so that we may live skillfully and give back what is good and excellent to our community.

1:57

Amen.

2:37

Hef Fest is uh is a musical festival uh that raises funds for teacher grants and scholarships for Hampton City School teachers and students uh that attend one of our four high schools.

2:52

As you can see from the uh picture up here on the screen, uh I was uh one of the guest musicians and uh along with uh former mayor Donnie Tuck and uh so we uh got on the stage.

3:02

This was our fourth year participating uh in the event, and uh it's always a grand time and uh really does a great job for the community.

3:10

But health, the fourth annual Health Fest celebrates the educators, students, and community members who make Hampton City Schools shine.

3:18

We are raising more than sixty thousand dollars to support teacher innovation and student success through the Hampton Education Foundation's grants and scholarships.

3:28

The event embodies the power of community collaboration, uh uniting local leaders, alumni, families, all come together to share in the commitment to invest in education and honors Hampton's legacy of learning.

3:41

As a Hampton Education Foundation signature event, the Health Faith Health Fest raises the majority of private contributions to fund more than $40,000 in teacher grants, and these grants go to teachers in Hampton City schools and over $7,000 in scholarships each year supporting post-secondary education for Hampton students, uh particularly uh specifically Hampton students who attend one of the four high schools and are planning to attend college.

4:08

And so this is uh picture of our 22-piece Hef Fest All-Star band, of which I'm proud to be a part of, and uh it's good to see many of my council members and the city manager all come out to uh celebrate uh that big event with us once again in supporting uh education in Hampton.

4:26

So just wanted to bring that to your attention and show you one of the good things happening in our city, uh supporting our school division and uh you know it's all a big um you know, thanks to the support from everyone in the Hampton community and beyond.

4:39

We make this a big success every year.

4:41

So thank you for that.

4:43

And uh I'd like to uh before I get started.

4:45

I want to acknowledge uh Virgil Thornton, who's sitting in our audience.

4:49

Uh Virgil standing raise your hand.

4:51

Uh Virgil was elected to uh represent portion of Hampton uh and Picosan in York County, uh representing the 87th uh district.

5:00

I'm sorry, 86th district, I'm sorry, Virgil, 86th House District.

5:04

Uh and uh so congratulations and uh welcome this evening.

5:13

So with that, I am going to call upon the clerk to read the protocol for the consent agenda.

5:18

The consent agenda consists of routine non-controversial items requiring council approval.

5:23

These items are typically adopted with one motion and without discussion.

5:27

Tonight, your consent agenda approves the fiscal year 2025 fourth quarter budget adjustment.

5:32

It accepts a donation of camera equipment valued in excess of $7,300 from Canon, Virginia, to the Hampton Police Division, which will be used by the forensics unit.

5:41

It amends and reenacts a chapter of the code entitled Wetlands to amend the requirement require regarding the number of alternate members to the appointment to be appointed to the wetlands board.

5:52

It initiates amendments to the Hampton City zoning ordinance regarding the regulation of tobacco and hemp product sale locations.

5:59

It approves the minutes of five, I'm sorry, it approves the City of Hampton 2026 General Assembly legislative priorities and approves the minutes from five sessions of the Hampton City Council.

6:15

Mr.

6:15

Mayor, move approval of tonight's uh consent agenda.

6:18

Second councilman Bowman, Vice Mayor Brown.

6:24

All right, Councilwoman Campbell.

6:26

Aye.

6:26

Councilwoman Pierre.

6:27

Aye.

6:28

Councilwoman Harper.

6:29

Aye, Councilwoman Muggler.

6:30

Aye, Mayor Gray.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Zoning and Land Use███████████████████████████████████████████43%

Procedural████████████████████20%

Public Engagement███████████11%

Arts And Culture███████7%

Community Engagement█████5%

Education And Workforce Development███3%

Engineering And Infrastructure███3%

Public Health██2%

Transportation Safety██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Hampton City Council Meeting Summary - November 12, 2025

The Hampton City Council convened for a legislative session to deliberate on several routine and substantive agenda items, including the approval of a consent calendar, the declaration of Diabetes Awareness Month, and a public hearing regarding a private museum. The meeting also featured a comprehensive presentation on proposed zoning ordinance amendments to introduce accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and establish mandatory community meeting requirements for future developments. The council voted unanimously to defer the museum application for further review while approving the zoning amendments and the new community meeting protocol.

Consent Calendar

Approved the fiscal year 2025 fourth-quarter budget adjustment.
Accepted a donation of camera equipment valued in excess of $7,300 from Canon, Virginia, for the Hampton Police Division forensics unit.
Amended the wetlands code regarding the appointment of alternate members to the wetlands board.
Initiated amendments to the Hampton City zoning ordinance concerning the regulation of tobacco and hemp product sale locations.
Approved the City of Hampton's 2026 General Assembly legislative priorities.
Approved minutes from five sessions of the Hampton City Council.
Action taken unanimously by voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

Councilmember Mayor Gray: Acknowledged the election of Virgil Thornton to the 86th House District, representing portions of Hampton and York County.
Councilwoman Mayor Gray: Read a proclamation declaring November as Diabetes Awareness Month, citing personal experience with type 2 diabetes and the health risks associated with the condition. Invited Tiffany Smith Stokes from Sentera CarePlex Hospital to accept the proclamation.
Pauline Antamate (Member of the Public): Spoke on behalf of the community regarding the density of vape shops in the Buckrow Beach area. Expressed concern over the proximity of these businesses to public tourist areas and stated a personal preference against vape shops, though acknowledging the legality of business operations.

Discussion Items

Use Permit 25-0-266 (Margaret LaFranc Art Foundation):
- Applicant Status: Sandra Mackenzie (President/CEO) presented the project to establish a 3,750-square-foot private museum at 1609/1611 Aberdeen Road, featuring galleries, a cafe, and a classroom. She emphasized the project's goal of community legacy building and youth education.
- Staff Position: City Planner Han Vu recommended approval with 15 conditions, noting the project aligns with community policies regarding educational facilities and youth opportunities.
- Council Concerns:
  - Councilman Bowman: Expressed strong opposition due to traffic concerns on Aberdeen Road and limited parking on the dead-end Edgewood street. Stated he would deny the vote if not for the deferment motion because it is "not the right fit for the community" given the potential for backup sewage and traffic from the nearby Totter Center.
  - Councilwoman Ferraby: Expressed hesitation regarding traffic circulation, drainage, and sewage issues raised by neighbors during the July 8th community meeting. Clarified that while neighbors had no opposition to the building itself, they had general concerns about neighborhood infrastructure.
  - Vice Mayor Brown: Raised concerns regarding drainage plans and the ability of the site to accommodate emergency or bus access without blocking the narrow Edgewood exit. Expressed worry about residents facing flooding or blocked streets.
  - Surveyor Donald Davis: Clarified that the development's drainage design meets DEQ standards to keep runoff on-site and that the concerns regarding sewage were general neighborhood issues, not specific to the museum's construction.
Zoning Ordinance Amendments (Items 25-0018, 25-0019, 25-0268, 25-0269 - Accessory Dwelling Units):
- Presenters: Monica Mayhark (Community Engagement Manager) and Gwen Heinrich (City Planner) presented a phased approach to allowing ADUs.
- Key Provisions Discussed:
  - Permit one ADU per lot (detached or attached).
  - Cap ADU size at 800 square feet or 50% of the principal dwelling.
  - Prohibit short-term rentals for new ADUs.
  - Require owner-occupancy (owner must live in principal or accessory unit).
  - Eliminate additional parking requirements in most cases.
- Community Feedback: Staff reported a survey of 350+ responses indicating significant interest (48%) in ADUs, with "multi-generational living" and "housing affordability" ranking as top priorities.
Zoning Ordinance Amendment 25-0267 (Community Meetings):
- Proposed Change: Mandate a community meeting for all use permit, rezoning, and conditional zoning applications prior to formal public hearings.
- Requirements: Applicants must notify property owners and neighborhood groups within a quarter-mile; at least one city staff member must attend as an observer.
- Exceptions: City government projects may exempt themselves, though City Manager Gray clarified this is for rare cases involving confidentiality or public safety, and the City intends to volunteer to follow the same process unless an exception is granted.
- Council Concerns: Councilwoman Campbell expressed concern about the 45-day timeline extension added by the new requirements and the strict weekday 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM window for meetings, suggesting it might exclude night-shift workers.

Key Outcomes

Deferment: The motion to defer Use Permit 25-0-266 (Margaret LaFranc Art Foundation) to the January 28, 2026, council meeting passed with a 7-0 vote. This deferral allows staff and the applicant time to address council concerns regarding traffic, parking, drainage, and sewage.
ADU Ordinance Adoption: The motion to adopt zoning ordinance amendments 25-0018, 25-0019, 25-0268, and 25-0269 (Accessory Dwelling Units) with an effective date of December 31, 2025, passed with a 7-0 vote.
Community Meeting Protocol Adoption: The motion to adopt zoning ordinance amendment 25-0267, requiring community meetings for specific land use applications, passed with a 7-0 vote.
Proclamation: Diabetes Awareness Month for November was officially proclaimed.
Adjournment: The meeting concluded with no further new business after public comment.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening and uh welcome to the Hampton City Council legislative session. I will ask the clerk to call the roll, please. Councilman Bowman. Present Vice Mayor Brown. Here. Councilwoman Campbell. Present. Councilwoman Fairby. Present. Councilwoman Harper. Present. Councilwoman Muggler. Present. Mayor Gray. President. And this evening, uh the invocation will be given by Councilwoman Martha Muggler, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. So if you'll please stand and uh join us for both. Let us pray. Lord, we give you our land, our homes, our labor, and our city. Look with favor on our community and protect our citizens and leaders, our first responders, teachers, zoning and officials, and all of our civil servants. Enrich our communities so that we may be a blessing to others. Give the mayor, city leaders, and this city council wisdom so that we may solve problems and bring stability and prosperity to our community. May you give us sound counsel and good judgment to help us make good decisions. May you also give us greater knowledge, understanding, and power so that we may live skillfully and give back what is good and excellent to our community. Amen. Hef Fest is uh is a musical festival uh that raises funds for teacher grants and scholarships for Hampton City School teachers and students uh that attend one of our four high schools. As you can see from the uh picture up here on the screen, uh I was uh one of the guest musicians and uh along with uh former mayor Donnie Tuck and uh so we uh got on the stage. This was our fourth year participating uh in the event, and uh it's always a grand time and uh really does a great job for the community. But health, the fourth annual Health Fest celebrates the educators, students, and community members who make Hampton City Schools shine. We are raising more than sixty thousand dollars to support teacher innovation and student success through the Hampton Education Foundation's grants and scholarships. The event embodies the power of community collaboration, uh uniting local leaders, alumni, families, all come together to share in the commitment to invest in education and honors Hampton's legacy of learning. As a Hampton Education Foundation signature event, the Health Faith Health Fest raises the majority of private contributions to fund more than $40,000 in teacher grants, and these grants go to teachers in Hampton City schools and over $7,000 in scholarships each year supporting post-secondary education for Hampton students, uh particularly uh specifically Hampton students who attend one of the four high schools and are planning to attend college. And so this is uh picture of our 22-piece Hef Fest All-Star band, of which I'm proud to be a part of, and uh it's good to see many of my council members and the city manager all come out to uh celebrate uh that big event with us once again in supporting uh education in Hampton. So just wanted to bring that to your attention and show you one of the good things happening in our city, uh supporting our school division and uh you know it's all a big um you know, thanks to the support from everyone in the Hampton community and beyond. We make this a big success every year. So thank you for that. And uh I'd like to uh before I get started. I want to acknowledge uh Virgil Thornton, who's sitting in our audience. Uh Virgil standing raise your hand. Uh Virgil was elected to uh represent portion of Hampton uh and Picosan in York County, uh representing the 87th uh district. I'm sorry, 86th district, I'm sorry, Virgil, 86th House District. Uh and uh so congratulations and uh welcome this evening. So with that, I am going to call upon the clerk to read the protocol for the consent agenda. The consent agenda consists of routine non-controversial items requiring council approval. These items are typically adopted with one motion and without discussion. Tonight, your consent agenda approves the fiscal year 2025 fourth quarter budget adjustment. It accepts a donation of camera equipment valued in excess of $7,300 from Canon, Virginia, to the Hampton Police Division, which will be used by the forensics unit. It amends and reenacts a chapter of the code entitled Wetlands to amend the requirement require regarding the number of alternate members to the appointment to be appointed to the wetlands board. It initiates amendments to the Hampton City zoning ordinance regarding the regulation of tobacco and hemp product sale locations. It approves the minutes of five, I'm sorry, it approves the City of Hampton 2026 General Assembly legislative priorities and approves the minutes from five sessions of the Hampton City Council.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com