Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Norfolk public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
5 issues in development with high priority
Checkered Flag Honda expansion on E. Virginia Beach Boulevard
A major auto dealer wants to rezone and permit land at six addresses on Virginia Beach Boulevard to expand its sales and repair operation. It's one of the biggest items on the docket and could shape activity along that corridor.
Chronic code violations and affordable housing
Residents praised the city's new legislative priority to expand authority over chronically negligent absentee landlords, but worried about tenants currently facing displacement at Young Terrace and Calvert Square. One speaker suggested a task force to monitor naturally occurring affordable housing.
Faith-based and nonprofit affordable housing
New state law effective January 1 lets churches and 501(c)(3) nonprofits build housing with reduced local zoning barriers. The commission initiated the text amendment to align Norfolk's ordinance, with a public hearing set for October 22.
Church Street Area Plan
A plan to bring back Church Street as a walkable commercial heart of the community — roundabouts at Olney Road and Princess Anne Road, adaptable ground-floor design, and support for the Attucks Theater. Community members overwhelmingly asked for groceries, restaurants, youth activities, and safer, quieter streets.
Faith-based housing by-right amendment
Starting January 2027, churches and nonprofits can build affordable housing by right on land they've owned five years — no rezoning or special permits. Staff flagged wrinkles: could sold affordable units be flipped to rentals, how does taxation work, and might nonprofits carve off single lots as a loophole?