Title
Ordinance to Amend and Re-Enact the Zoning Ordinance of the City of Hampton, Virginia by Amending Chapter 1 Entitled, “General Provisions” Pertaining to Parking Vehicles on Unimproved Surfaces in Residential Areas
Purpose
December 8, 2021 Update:
This item was heard by City Council during the September 8, 2021 meeting and was deferred until the December 8, 2021 meeting. As part of deferring the item, Council requested that the ordinance language be updated to clarify its treatment of existing gravel driveways and the loading and unloading of vehicles.
The redline from the September 8, 2021 meeting is attached as “prior redline (for reference only)”. The updated redline is attached as “redline (as amended)”. The first item for clarification was the treatment of existing gravel driveways. The amended redline clarifies that existing driveways which are made of stone, rock, gravel, oyster shell, or similar material but not contained by a border (as required for new driveways of this type of loose material) are permitted to continue to be used and maintained in the existing footprint. Existing nonconforming driveways may not be expanded except in full compliance with the zoning ordinance.
The second item clarified in the amended redline is the treatment of vehicles when loading or unloading. Passenger cars or commercial vehicles which are actively being loaded or unloaded may park in the street frontage yard on the grass for a period not to exceed 24 hours.
Lastly, the amended redline has an effective date of July 1, 2022 to allow time for outreach to citizens.
Background Statement:
Requests that the city regulate vehicles parked on lawns have been made by multiple neighborhood groups and individual citizens over the past several years. In 2012, City staff formally began the outreach effort to create an ordinance that balanced the interests of all citizens. More recently, with the beginning of the Resilient Hampton efforts, staff saw an opportunity...
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