HomeMy WebLinkAboutComprehensive Plan UpdatePlanning Commission Workshop
January 9, 2025
Comprehensive Plan Overview
City Council Briefing October 14, 2025
Agenda
o Public meeting presentation review
o Summary of public meeting comments
o Draft update status
o Planning Commission briefing
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Public Meeting Presentation
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Public Meeting Agenda
o What is imagineVB (Comprehensive Plan)?
o Why is it being updated?
o How was it updated?
o What stays the same?
o What has changed?
o How do we implement the 2040 Comprehensive Plan?
o What’s next in the update process?
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What is imagineVB (Comprehensive Plan)?
Focus is on land use and
development patterns and how
they influence…Residential
Civic
Commercial
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What is imagineVB (Comprehensive Plan)? (1)
o Environmental sustainability
▪Loss of natural land and
wetlands
▪Flooding
▪Water quantity and quality
Stormwater
run-off
Wetlands,
water flow
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What is imagineVB (Comprehensive Plan)? (2)
o Travel
▪How trips are made (walking,
biking, transit, auto)
▪Network demand and
performance (congestion / bus
ridership)
Access between
buildings and a
transit stop
Number of cars
added to the
road
Number of places
within easy
walking distance
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What is imagineVB (Comprehensive Plan)? (3)
o Housing, livability, and security
▪Types and costs of housing
▪Safe streets (sidewalks,
crosswalks, bike lanes, lighting)
▪Access to parks, schools, shops
Safe streets,
sidewalks,
buffers
Variety of
housing
attainable for
all
Easy access to
parks, civic
uses
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What is imagineVB (Comprehensive Plan)? (4)
Policy document that guides and
influences implementation tools and
programs
o Zoning ordinance (legally regulates
development)
o Capital Improvements Program
(funds infrastructure, parks,
environment, flood protection)
o Subsidiary plans (i.e., Transition Area
Design Guidelines, Shore Drive
Corridor Plan, SGA Plans)
City Zoning
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Why is it being updated?
o Virginia law requires review every five years
o Current plan first adopted in 2016
o Revisit and update goals, objectives and policies
▪What’s working?(i.e., Maintain the Green Line)
▪What’s not working?
o Reflect changing conditions
▪Population changes
▪Flooding
▪Attainable housing pressures
▪Economic shifts
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How was it updated?
o Identify commonly held aspirations and
challenges
▪Focus groups (July 2023)
o Develop goals, objectives, and big ideas
▪Round 1 workshops (September 2023)
o Translate goals and objectives into
integrated plan and policies
▪Round 2 survey and workshops
(November 2023)
▪City department review
(July 2023 – Ongoing)
▪Planning Commission review
(November 2024 – August 2025)
o Staff met with City Boards and
Commissions and Community groups,
totaling 90+ meetings
▪(July 2023 – Ongoing)
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What stays the same?
Goals and policies carrying over from the 2016 Comprehensive Plan to the 2040 Comprehensive
Plan are…
o Protect the environment
▪Protect large publicly owned land (First Landing, Back Bay Refuge, False Cape)
▪Protect beaches, estuaries, tributaries, and wetlands
o The Green Line and rural protection
▪Protect rural land south of the Green Line
▪Continue to support viable agriculture
▪Maintain adopted plans and policies
o Adopted Planning Area plans and policies
▪Strategic Growth Areas (SGAs)
▪Special Economic Growth Areas (SEGAs)
▪Interfacility Traffic Area & Vicinity Master Plan
▪Transition Area Design Guidelines
▪Shore Drive Corridor Plan
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What’s new?
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It begins with a vision…
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And overarching goals…
o Environmental sustainability
o Rural and agricultural land protection
o Infill, redevelopment, and multimodal access
o Economic sustainability and diversity
o Community identity and connections
o Neighborhood wellbeing and safety
o Housing attainment and diversity
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Supporting goals, objectives, and big ideas
Big Ideas
(initiatives for
achieving goals)
Objectives
(strategies for
achieving goals)
Goals
(vision based
functional outcomes)
Overarching Goal
(vision based)
Environmental
sustainability
Protect and connect
natural land
Identify strategically
importance connections
Environmental and Open
Space Framework
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Environmental Sustainability
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Environmental Sustainability (Goals & Objectives)
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Big Idea – Environmental and Open Space Framework
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Big Idea – Linear Park System
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Rural and Agricultural Land Protection
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Rural and Agricultural Land Protection (Goals)
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Green and Blue Lines
o Green Line identified in 1979 to limit
growth in southern half of City.
o Blue Line identified in 2004 by
Public Utilities to limit the extension
of urban services to the southern
half of City.
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Big Idea – Context Areas
Plans and policies oriented to the unique
land use and development contexts created
by the Green and Blue Lines.
Inland
Coastal
Green Line
Rural
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Infill, Redevelopment, and Multimodal Access
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Infill, Redevelopment, and Multimodal Access (Goals)
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Big Idea – Centers and Corridors (1 of 2)
Focus new development into
urban centers located along
corridors where walking, biking,
and transit are encouraged.
Regional
City
Regional
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Big Idea – Centers and Corridors (2 of 2)
Center types, locations, and
designs
City
Regional
LocalCore
Edge
Non-residential zoning districts bounded by single
family zoning districts
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Big Idea – Centers and Multimodal Corridors
Redesign corridors to make
walking, biking, rolling, and
transit safe and feasible travel
options
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Economic Sustainability and Diversity
Imagine a city with
natural and cultural
resources that attract a
variety of businesses
and industries
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Economic Sustainability and Diversity Goals
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Economic Development Planning Areas
Focus economic growth into
designated planning areas
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Community Identity and Connections
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Community Identity and Connections (Goals)
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Neighborhood Well Being and Safety
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Neighborhood Plans
o Follow existing plans and
policies
o Update and develop new
neighborhood plans as
needed (such as Shore
Drive Corridor Plan)
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Housing Attainment and Diversity
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How do we implement the 2040 Comprehensive Plan?
Farming and Open Space
o Integrate programs and attract grant
money to develop the Environmental
and Open Space Framework and
Linear Park System
o Continue protecting rural areas and
farming
▪Rural zoning
▪Agricultural Reserve Program
▪Open Space Program
▪Conservation easements
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How do we implement the 2040 Comprehensive Plan?
Infill & Redevelopment North of Green Line
o Update zoning ordinance and
development review process based
on design guidelines and policies
o Attract economic growth into strategic
areas
▪Strategic Growth Areas (SGAs)
▪Special Use Place Types (SEGAs)
o Transform multimodal corridors to
make travel by transit, biking, rolling,
and walking safer and viable options
▪Initial focus on Virginia Beach
Boulevard
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How do we implement the 2040 Comprehensive Plan?
Housing and Neighborhoods
o Update / create neighborhood plans
(i.e., update Shore Drive Corridor
Plan)
o Create a neighborhood quality
program and neighborhood
monitoring system
o Focus on Council-approved
Affordable Housing Study
recommendations from the 2024
Virginia Beach Housing Study
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What’s next in the update process?
After the Public Meetings…
Review public
meeting
comments during
Planning
Commission
debrief on October
8, 2025
Brief City
Council on
draft plan on
October 14th,
2025
Continue
receiving public
comments
through October
30, 2025.
Update plan to
address public
and City Council
comments
Planning
Commission
reviews final draft,
then votes to
recommend
approval or denial
of the Plan to City
Council at a formal
hearing
City Council votes
on the adoption of
the Comp Plan
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Public Meeting Summary
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September 2025 Public Meetings
o September 17, 2025, Virginia
Beach Convention Center
▪45 attended
▪25 signed in
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o September 18, 2025, Virginia
Beach Municipal Center
▪32 attended
▪27 signed in
Public Comments (Convention Center 1 of 2)
o Will people change the way they live and travel?
▪Context can change how people live and travel, the plan focuses on creating new contexts
o Need to incorporate health care into community hubs
▪Policy added
o Will the Seatack Plan be updated?
▪Recommendation is to create a neighborhood plan for Seatack that builds on the
guidance from the Suburban Focus Area policies in the 2016 plan.
o Why haven’t Strategic Growth Area Plans happened?
▪Pembroke, Resort, and Burton Station SGAs are actively redeveloping
▪Policies to update zoning code to align with SGAs and Centers guidelines
▪Policies included to better understand market dynamics and private financing
o Need to incorporate schools, and safe travel to schools
▪Objective added
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Public Comments (Convention Center 2 of 2)
o Will there be an urban tree canopy in the plan?
▪Policy included on canopy, references Urban Forest Management Plan
o Have citizens bought into SGAs?
▪There has been consistent support for developing inward and upward
▪Policies and design guidelines protect neighborhoods
o Has the plan been evaluated for success and failure?
▪Plan has been reviewed by city staff, PC, and public
o What can happen quickly and inexpensively?
▪Zoning update is top priority
▪Creating environmental and open space framework and finding funding
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Public Comments (Municipal Center 1 of 2)
o Focus on Green Line / Rural Context Area development
▪Lack of clarity about what is happening between Green Line and Blue Line
▪Policies in Green Line and Rural Context Areas not strong enough
▪Incentivize developers to do the right thing south of Green Line
▪Are there boundary changes to Transition Area, Princess Anne Commons, ITA?
▪City purchased ITA land, so citizens should have a say in how it develops
o Existing policies / plans stay intact
o City Council evaluating ITA Master Plan
o Any approved updates and changes from City Council will be incorporated into
Comp Plan
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Public Comments (Municipal Center 2 of 2)
o Proposed data centers in Pungo?
▪No one aware of proposal
o Concern about battery energy storage systems
▪To be addressed in zoning update
o The plan focuses on landscape rather than people
▪Comp Plan is a land use plan
▪Comp plan focuses on affordable housing, neighborhood monitoring, economic
development
▪Other City plans and programs focus on people
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Updated Draft
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Updated Draft Progress
o Comments from Planning Commission
▪Improved the description and maps of the Blue Line, which by City follows the Green Line
▪Restore earlier text surrounding public’s view of the Green Line in Chapter 1
▪Clarified role of agriculture in Green Line Context Area (guided by ITA Plan)
▪Added more information about existing rules for short-term rentals to Chapter 7
o Comments from City staff
▪Simplified discussion of AICUZ and APZ-1
▪Improved history of Seatack, added additional recommendations
▪Extended Rural Corridor limits south to reach North Carolina border
▪Calibrated to Zoning to Place Type tables [Appendix A]
o Update to Chapter 7 (expected 10/15/25)
▪Reformat to simplify
▪Enhanced Place Type overviews
▪Added relevant Plans Adopted by Reference to each Place Type
▪Updated Design Guidelines to separate “Areawide” from “Site Level” (as needed)
▪Made policy wording more direct
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Planning Commission Comments
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Planning Commission Debriefing October 8 (1 of 2)
o Emphasize economic development
▪Economic development objectives and policies for each context area
•Inland – traditional and new industries as identified in Economic Development Plan
•Coastal – year-round tourism
•Green Line – unique industries and uses identified for Princess Anne Commons
•Rural – agricultural
▪Locations
•SGAs
•SEGAs
•Additional land around Oceana NAS
•Update ITA
▪Add economic development to vision statement and introduction
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Planning Commission Debriefing October 8 (2 of 2)
o University of Virginia Weldon Center 2050 population forecasts (based on historical trends)
▪Region grows by 300,000 people
▪Virginia Beach grows by 30,000 people (around 10 percent of region)
o Limited vacant land north of the Green Line shifts historical outward growth patterns
o Plan positions the City to attract more of the region’s growth through infill and redevelopment
▪SEGAs and Princess Anne Commons protect vacant land for economic development / businesses
▪Centers designed to add jobs and houses through redevelopment (redevelopment dictated by
market demand)
o Center redevelopment can follow existing zoning or Plan design guidelines
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Next Steps
After the City Council briefing…
Review public
meeting
comments during
Planning
Commission
debrief on October
8, 2025
Brief City
Council on
draft plan on
October 14th,
2025
Continue
receiving public
comments
through October
30, 2025.
Update plan to
address public
and City Council
comments
Planning
Commission
reviews final draft,
then votes to
recommend
approval or denial
of the Plan to City
Council at a formal
hearing
City Council votes
on the adoption of
the Comp Plan
53
Comprehensive Plan Overview
January 9, 2025City Council Briefing October 14, 2025