The Virginia Beach Planning Commission held an informal session on September 9, 2026, chaired by John Coston. The commission reviewed 20+ agenda items, including subdivision variances, conditional rezonings, street closures, and conditional use permits. Staff recommendations and commissioner comments guided the assignment of items to the consent calendar or formal hearing. A cannabis zoning update and a proposal to change speaker order were also discussed. Key outcomes include deferrals, consent designations, and identification of items for formal hearing.
(No public testimony was taken during this informal session. However, the following items have registered speakers who will be heard at the formal hearing:)
Good morning, everyone, and thank you, planning commissioners and staff for your participation today. My name is John Coston, and I'm the chair of the Virginia Beach Planning Commission. Welcome to the September 9th informed session of the Virginia Meet Planning Commission. All this meeting to order. Just a couple quick things. We're working on that. So if we could get an update on that to make sure, you know, we plan accordingly. Um I'd like that. Then a reminder, I know we're a little early, but your November meeting is on the second Thursday, not the second Wednesday due to Veterans Day. So just gonna I'll remind you again next month. Um, and then the other thing, and Tori can speak to it a little bit more, but I wanted to touch on you've got two um proposed versions of amendments to your policies and procedures. Um as staff had discussed, and I think we've discussed it informally here, um, but that I asked Tori to include for your consideration is that when someone signs up to represent a group, it's somewhat self-explanatory when you're representing an HOA or some organization. Um, but I had some clarifying language proposed to say if you're representing a group of people, you need to um specifically identify what individuals you are representing. That way we make sure that that person then doesn't sign up to speak as well. I think we had that come up at one meeting, so that was just something for your consideration. Well, since I'm the author of the other version, I don't object to what you're saying. So can we simplify our proceedings by dispensing with the other one? And just working with the one that you are suggesting. Um Commissioner Camp had also quoted additional language for consideration, so I'm gonna have those uh printed out for you as well for you to see with the the document that you're considering. Is that okay? So the one Caitlin, of these two, one of them is like smaller font. Are we working from the bigger font one? Is that yours? Yes. Okay, so we can talk H three, the language for clarifying that. So we can discard the one that has the gray bar on the right side. All right, thank you. While we're waiting, if you wanted that update, uh Commissioner Anderson and myself uh had not had an opportunity to find a time that would rework for both of us to meet. So we're planning on meeting after he gets back from his vacation. Reason why he's not here. So we can have an update on that, but we did decide that it should only be an hour. Sure. Commissioner Anderson retreat. Oh yeah, just Commissioner Anderson just sent me a text saying he's thinking of us, but he's walking in historic Prague at the moment. What a guy. Just one of the brainwork. Okay, we're ready to move on. All right now. Item one. This was the request for a subdivision variance in section 4.4B and D of the subdivision regulations to allow the creation of two lots that are deficient in lot width, street line frontage, and lack of direct access to a public street. The subject properties are zone AG1 and AG2 and have access to existing private ingress egress easements along Dolly Road and Gun Branch Road. Although the properties are shown on the recorded plats, the plats were not signed by the Princess Anne County planning director prior to recordation, um, as was was required at that time. Therefore, the properties are considered to be improperly subdivided by D. The applicant is proposing to vacate the interior lot lines and create two new lots identified as lot X-1 and lot A-1 in order to legally establish the lots for future sale. Both proposed lots exceed the minimum one-acre lot area requirement. However, neither meets the required 150-foot width or 120-foot street line frontage. Additionally, neither lot has direct access to a public sheet street, therefore, a subdivision variance is required. Egress easement, which is along Dolly Road, while the which the applicant intends also to increase by 10 feet. The proposed lots will be required to comply with all other requirements of the zoning ordinance and the subdivision regulations. Any future residential development will also be subject to the AG1 and AG2 requirements, including the one-acre minimum lot area and the density limitations.