Hampton City Council Legislative Session - September 9, 2026

The Hampton City Council held its legislative session on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers. All seven council members were present. The meeting included consent agenda approvals, proclamations, public hearings on housing and development use permits, a subdivision code amendment, public comment, and numerous board appointments. The meeting adjourned at 8:16 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Approved a formal Municipal Naming Policy (26-0252).
• Amended the FY2027 budget to accept $10,242 in additional state aid from the Library of Virginia for library materials (26-0268).
• Approved the Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board FY2026 and FY2027 performance contract and supplemental documents with the Department of Behavioral Health and Development Services (26-0272).
• Authorized an advance of $6,287,500 from the city’s General Fund unassigned fund balance to the FY27 Capital Budget for Hampton City Schools maintenance and technology investments, to be reimbursed from bond proceeds (26-0287).
• Amended Chapter 2 of the City Code regarding special event permit requirements (26-0280).
• Approved the minutes from the June 10, 2026 work session (26-0290). All consent items were approved unanimously (7-0).

Presentations & Proclamations

• Mayor Gray read and presented a proclamation declaring September 2026 as Suicide Prevention Month in Hampton. The proclamation was presented to Daphne Cunningham (Executive Director, Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board) and staff, as well as representatives from the Sarah Michelle Peterson Foundation.
• A proclamation was also presented recognizing September 21–26, 2026 as International Week of the Deaf in Hampton. It was presented to members of the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and the Virginia State School of Hampton Alumni Association.

Public Hearings

1. CDBG & HOME 2025 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) Review (Item 26-0271) Travis Rash, Chief Neighborhood Development Specialist, presented the CAPER covering July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. The city received $1,386,643 in federal funds ($897,498 CDBG, $489,145 HOME). All performance goals were met or exceeded: 43 households served for housing services (goal 21), 13 housing program units (goal 9), 1,621 code enforcement inspections (goal 1,200), 7 homeowner rehabs (goal 4), 11 home buyer assistance (goal 6). No public speakers. Council voted unanimously to direct staff to incorporate any public comments and finalize the CAPER for HUD submission.

2. Bonaventure Development Purchase & Development Agreement (Item 26-0279) Leonard Sledge, Chief Officer for Community and Economic Development, presented a resolution to sell four acres of city-owned property near the H2O development in Coliseum Central to Bonaventure Development LLC for $1.7 million. The developer will build 100–132 multifamily residential units (Phase 2 of Pinnacle) with a minimum capital investment of $20.3 million. The property’s current assessed value is $296,700. One public speaker (Andrew Bolton, Bonaventure representative) spoke in support. Council voted unanimously to approve the agreement.

3. Use Permit for Faith Baptist Church Private School (Item 26-0234) Quinn Henrich, City Planner, presented the application for a private preschool and after-school program at 100 Blackburn Lane. Up to 90 children (ages 3–12) would be served in five classrooms within the existing church building, plus a new 91'x54' playground. No traffic study was required. A community meeting was held on May 19, 2026 with 20 attendees. No public speakers. Council voted unanimously to approve the use permit subject to 13 conditions.

4. Use Permit for Pawn Shop at 1531 E Pembroke Avenue (Item 26-0249) James Randolph, Senior City Planner, presented the application by Shevan Sindy for a pawn shop in a 1,500 sq ft retail unit. The business would operate Monday–Saturday 10 AM–6 PM, creating two jobs. A condition prohibits the buying, selling, or trading of firearms. A community meeting on August 6, 2026 had no attendees despite 200 invitations. Applicant Shevan Sindy spoke in support. Council voted unanimously to approve the permit subject to 7 conditions.

5. Subdivision Ordinance Amendment (Item 26-0238) Suheir Diyab, Chief Site Plan Agent, presented amendments to Chapter 35 (Subdivisions) to align the city code with state requirements. Key changes include formalizing parcel legality determinations, requiring digital submissions, shortening review timelines (staff review from 60 to 40 days, planning manager decision within 14 days, final subdivision review from 45 to 30 days), and clarifying that burial sites must be identified by a qualified archaeologist. Public speaker Teresa Roundy requested stronger language on documented historical cemetery boundaries and raised concerns about past cemetery management. Council discussed the issue; a motion to defer to October 28, 2026 failed for lack of a second. Council then voted unanimously to approve the ordinance as presented.

Public Comments

Six citizens spoke during the public comment period:

• Teresa Roundy discussed ongoing cemetery preservation efforts and provided updated documents on abandoned cemeteries.
• Rayvoughn Piarson described difficulties his wife faced organizing a pop-up shop event at Buckroe Beach, including unexpected insurance and promotion license fees and poor communication from the city. He requested a clearer and more upfront process.
• Kaelon Johnson requested sidewalks on Greenbrier Avenue, noting safety concerns for children walking to the bus stop. He presented a petition with 25 signatures and said previous attempts had failed.
• Joan Weaver supported Mr. Johnson and criticized the city for lack of responsiveness, stating she had sent emails with no reply.
• Kenya Delvalle (founder of Love Association Inc.) offered to partner with the city to create multi-generational programs and volunteer opportunities.

Deputy City Manager Brian DeProfio responded, acknowledging the issues raised and noting that the special event permitting process is being reviewed, a Shell Road Corridor infrastructure study is underway that may address sidewalks on Greenbrier, and staff will follow up with Ms. Weaver and Ms. Delvalle.

Appointments

Council approved the following appointments unanimously (except where noted):

• Planning Commission: Linwood Williams to a first term until September 30, 2030.
• Hampton Animal Response Team Advisory Committee: Dr. Irina Gorbunova-Ford (until Dec 31, 2028) and Pamela Withrow (until Feb 28, 2027).
• Neighborhood Commission: Myss Stephens for District 6 (Buckroe) until Feb 28, 2028; Alesia Miller for District 9 (Greater Wythe) until Sep 30, 2029.
• Hampton Clean City Commission: Michelle D'Antonio until June 30, 2027.
• Board of Zoning Appeals: Jonathan Oliveras until Dec 31, 2029; two alternate term appointments deferred to Oct 28, 2026.
• Citizens Unity Commission: Reappointed Stephanie Donati, Walter Dickerson, and Kathreen Tadrous to second terms until Aug 31, 2030; two unexpired terms deferred to Oct 28.
• Peninsula Agency on Aging: Kathryn Weismann to a first term until Sep 30, 2029.
• Hampton Redevelopment & Housing Authority: Jeffrey Sandford reappointed to a second term until Sep 30, 2030.
• Citizens Police Advisory Group: Action deferred to October 28, 2026.

Key Outcomes

• All votes on agenda items were unanimous (7-0) except the motion to defer the subdivision ordinance, which failed for lack of a second.
• The city approved the sale of four acres for $1.7 million to Bonaventure Development for a $20.3 million multifamily project (100–132 units).
• The subdivision ordinance was updated to align with state code, including a new requirement for qualified archaeological identification of burial sites.
• Council deferred action on several appointments (BZA alternates, CUC unexpired terms, CPAG) to the October 28, 2026 legislative session.
• The public comment period raised ongoing concerns about special event permitting clarity, sidewalk infrastructure on Greenbrier Avenue, and cemetery preservation.