Hampton Planning Commission Meeting - August 24, 2022

The Hampton Planning Commission met on August 24, 2022. (Note: The transcript opens by referencing the meeting as August 18, 2022; the date provided for this summary is August 24, 2022.) The meeting included approval of the July 21, 2022 minutes, one public hearing that resulted in a deferral, and informational briefings on the Hampton 2040 community plan update and the Resilient Hampton Initiative.

Consent Calendar

• The commission unanimously approved the minutes from the July 21, 2022 Planning Commission meeting. The motion was made and seconded, and all commissioners voted aye. (A verbal slip referred to "January" minutes, but the correction to July was made.)

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public addressed the commission regarding the use permit deferral. The applicant was not present, and no one signed up to speak.

Discussion Items

• Use Permit Application 21-00009 (MCG Virginia Sears LLC): This application seeks a use permit for a storage facility at 5112 West Mercury Boulevard. The property is zoned C2 limited commercial district, which permits storage facility two with an approved use permit. The Hampton Community Plan recommends business industrial uses. The application had been previously deferred from June 16, 2022, and the applicant requested another deferral to continue working with staff. The commission held the public hearing as required and unanimously voted to defer the item to the October 20, 2022 Planning Commission meeting.
• Hampton 2040 Community Plan Update Briefing: The community development director presented an update on the plan's two components: a short-term strategic plan (5–10 year horizon) and a long-range comprehensive plan (20+ years) mandated by state code. The process restarted after being paused by COVID. Seven strategic topic areas from 2016 were reviewed, with two changes: "educated and engaged citizenry" became "educated citizenry" with "engaged citizenry" moved under "excellence in government," and "good government" was changed to "excellence in government" because "good isn't good enough." The next public event is September 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hampton Coliseum to form steering groups for each topic area. Sign-up is online at Hampton.gov/Hampton2040. The event is in-person only. Commissioners asked about recruitment of subject matter experts, participation of youth commissioners, and outreach methods.
• Resilient Hampton Initiative Briefing: The director highlighted the city's recognition as Virginia Resilient Community of the Year by the American Planning Association. The initiative's timeline includes the 2015 Dutch Dialogues, the 2018 Living With Water policy, and the New Market Creek plan. Current planning focuses on downtown, Phoebus, and Buckrow. Staff described a community mapping exercise using an interactive map to collect input on flooding, heat, and tree canopy. Strategies are organized into six categories: slow, store, redirect, adaptation, buffer, and protection. Preliminary goals were shared. Staff acknowledged gaps in participation from some neighborhoods (e.g., north of Interstate 64 in downtown) and are planning targeted outreach, including in-person sessions for elderly or less tech-savvy residents. The final plan is expected in late winter/spring. Commissioners asked about working with Hampton University and ensuring equitable participation.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the July 21, 2022 meeting minutes unanimously.
• Deferred Use Permit 21-00009 to the October 20, 2022 Planning Commission meeting unanimously.
• No other formal actions were taken; the briefings were informational.