Hampton City Council Legislative Session – August 12, 2026

The City Council of Hampton, Virginia, held its legislative session on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers, 22 Lincoln Street, with Mayor Jimmy Gray presiding and all seven council members present. The meeting included consent approvals, public hearings on five development applications, a lengthy public comment period, adoption of the 2026 Strategic Plan, and deferral of all scheduled appointments.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously (7-0) a consent agenda including: FY 2026 third quarter budget adjustments; acceptance of $5,600,000 in additional state funds for the FY 2027 school operating budget; authorization of a $9,388,971 advance from the General Fund unassigned fund balance to the FY27 capital projects fund; issuance of up to $22,000,000 in multifamily housing revenue bonds (Century Plaza Apartments Series 2026) by the Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority; the Eighth Amended Charter Agreement of the Hampton Roads Workforce Council; a code amendment allowing residential parking permit fees to be waived for public safety concerns; vacation of the city’s interest in a portion of Lawrence Avenue (14,197+/- sq ft) with a vacation agreement among the city, HRHA, and North Mallory Quay, LLC; initiation of zoning ordinance amendments on revocation of zoning administrator permits; extension of the City Manager’s employment agreement; corrections to July 8, 2026 minutes; and approval of minutes from six prior meetings.
• Item 26-0252 (formal Municipal Naming Policy) was removed from the consent agenda and deferred to September 9, 2026, by a 7-0 vote.

Presentations & Proclamations

• Mayor Gray read a proclamation designating August 26, 2026, as Women’s Equality Day in Hampton.
• The Mayor welcomed the SportsPlug Elite 6U Flag Football Team, the first flag football team from Virginia to win a Gold Medal at the AAU Junior Olympic Games, and announced the 100th anniversary Hampton Cup Regatta and Bash on the Bridge, September 4–6, 2026.

Public Hearings

• 13. 26-0095 North Mallory Quay, LLC rezoning – Approximately 14 acres on Sargeant Street and Lawrence Avenue from R-11 to R-4 and MD-4 with conditions, to redevelop vacant land (former College Court property) into 41 single-family detached homes and approximately 35 townhomes. No public speakers. Approved 7-0 subject to 11 proffered conditions.
• 14. 26-0176 Prillaman’s Property Management, LLC rezoning – Approximately 5.19 acres at 618–638 Aberdeen Road and 2303 60th Street from M-2, C-2, and R-11 to M-2 with conditions to expand an existing crane and rigging business. No public speakers. Approved 7-0 subject to 14 proffered conditions.
• 15 & 16. 26-0218 / 26-0219 Old Town Development, LLC – Rezoning of 1534, 1538, and 1540 W Queen Street (approx. 5.5 acres) to MD-4 with conditions and a use permit for 68 multifamily dwelling units. Considered jointly. No public speakers. Approved 7-0; rezoning with 18 conditions and use permit with 8 conditions.
• 17. 26-0221 Canopy Development use permit – Use permit for 255 multifamily dwellings at 1044 Von Schilling Drive (former Cinema Cafe site). Applicant Hal Yuill presented. Public speaker Brenda Marks raised concerns that “affordable” rents remain unaffordable for entry-level teachers and police, and questioned impacts on police, fire, schools, and citywide insurance (ISO) ratings. Approved 7-0 subject to 21 conditions.
• 18. 26-0226 Car Farmer & Sales use permit – Use permit for used car sales at 690 Bell Street in the C-3 district. No public speakers. Councilmember Bowman and Vice Mayor Brown expressed concerns about blight, safety near a school, and absence of a traffic study. Approved 5-2 (Aye: Brown, Campbell, Ferebee, Harper, Gray; Nay: Bowman Sr., Mugler). Staff and motion referenced 11 conditions, while the official minutes record 21 conditions; the discrepancy is noted.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Caroline Peabody, Neighborhood Commission appointee, recommended streamlining event permit processes and costs for private-property events, aligning Hampton with sister cities, and forming a joint business/citizen review committee.
• Aleksander Cheremeteff demanded removal of Flock surveillance cameras, citing national incidents of misuse by police officers and calling them an unconstitutional privacy breach.
• Linda Seely and Tonya Marafka (Freed Veterinary Hospital) and Melanie Paul described unsanitary conditions at the Peninsula Regional Animal Shelter and animals being turned away; Paul cited Hampton’s FY2026 payment of $1,155,673 and a 68% save rate.
• Iisha Garcia, a veteran, proposed converting the former Fire Station 3 at 1430 Kecoughtan Road into a transitional housing and services hub for homeless veterans at little or no city cost.
• Jadin Smith, Versability Resources intern, invited Council to its October 22 gala; praised the nonprofit’s workforce programs for people with disabilities.
• Johnnie Carroll proposed building a horse racing track in Hampton (“Tidewater Downs”), arguing it would generate revenue for schools.
• Teresa Roundy discussed Elmerton Cemetery historical marker obstacles, claiming no owner of record exists and asking the city attorney to review old deeds.
• Chris Bowman questioned the need for two layers of pedestrian fencing on Mercury Boulevard and suggested adding end caps near Sellendale.
• Brenda Marks requested that Hampton Social Services adopt a policy to have a sister agency investigate CPS complaints involving Hampton City Schools to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest.
• Aaron Weaver raised concerns about the city blocking repair permits for residents on tax repayment plans, 311 complaints being “weaponized,” and his mother’s code enforcement prosecution; he demanded amendments and reviews.
• Joan Weaver criticized code enforcement and city attorneys, alleged selective enforcement and use of white-out on court documents, and said she would not be silenced.
• Jeannie Belgrave thanked Vice Mayor Brown for prayers for Venezuela, praised city landscaping, and sang an original song about Hampton.
• John Rodenburg and Scott Sewell did not appear when called.

City Manager Mary Bunting responded to many comments, including: the city is investigating an electronic permit process; Flock cameras are constitutional and data is purged after 21 days with no unauthorized access; the regional animal shelter is run by Newport News, not Hampton, but she contacted its manager and confirmed a March 18 state inspection found no violations; regional sheltering is cost-effective and the city remains responsible for building debt; a racetrack would require state approval, while Rosie’s is expected to generate about $6 million for the city this year; Mercury Boulevard fencing was a state-funded VDOT safety project with two fences to prevent mid-block crossings; and she is researching the Weavers’ code enforcement and 311 concerns and plans to follow up.

Discussion Items

• Strategic Plan (26-0260) – Deputy City Manager Brian DeProfio presented the 2026 Strategic Plan update. The only amendment since the July presentation strengthened strategy 4.6 to “build a culture of data informed decision making.” Approved 7-0.
• Appointments – All five scheduled appointments (Hampton Animal Response Team Advisory Committee, Neighborhood Commission, Citizens Police Advisory Group, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Citizens Unity Commission) were deferred to September 9, 2026, by a 7-0 vote.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved unanimously, with the Municipal Naming Policy deferred to September 9, 2026.
• All four rezoning/use permit applications (items 13–16) and the Canopy Development use permit approved unanimously; the Bell Street used car use permit approved 5-2.
• 2026 Strategic Plan adopted 7-0.
• All appointments deferred; next legislative session scheduled September 9, 2026.
• Meeting adjourned at 9:03 p.m.