Title
A proposal by the City of Hampton to amend and re-enact the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Hampton, Virginia by amending Chapter 2, Section 2-2 entitled “Definitions” and Chapter 9, Article II entitled “O-CBP District - Chesapeake Bay Preservation Overlay” to improve clarity and align language with current regulatory practices and state guidance, as well as to bring the City’s ordinance into compliance with Virginia Code and State Water Control Board regulations regarding trees and coastal resilience.
Purpose
Background Statement:
The City is updating its Chesapeake Bay Preservation Overlay (CBPO) ordinance to comply with changes to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act in 2020 and associated State Water Control Board regulations adopted in July 2021 to address mature tree preservation, planting of trees, coastal resilience, and adaptation to sea level rise and climate change. Further, Zoning Ordinance definitions are being amended to modernize and refine terminology, improve clarity, and incorporate environmental and resilience considerations that align with current regulatory practices and state guidance.
The proposed amendment to Chapter 2, “Definitions,” introduces new terms to enhance clarity and reinforce the City’s zoning regulations regarding environmental protection, climate resilience, and shoreline management. The amendment includes definitions for adaptation measures, tree measurement standards (caliper, diameter at breast height, canopy tree, understory tree, mature tree), fill, freeboard, land disturbance, Limit of Moderate Wave Action (LiMWA), living shoreline, nature-based solution, and storm surge. These additions provide consistent terminology to support development review, resource protection, floodplain compliance, and resiliency planning in accordance with state and federal guidance. The proposed amendment deletes the environmental site assessment definition, which is not used in the Zoning Ordinance, and modifies the resource managem...
Click here for full text