Title
Comprehensive Plan Amendment to Adopt the 2021 Newmarket Creek Pilot Project Area Water Plan by Reference into the Hampton Community Plan (2006, as amended)
Purpose
Background Statement:
The Newmarket Creek Pilot Project Area Water Plan is the first of the City’s watershed- and neighborhood-level analyses aimed at devising strategies for improving Hampton’s resiliency. It represents Phase II of the Resilient Hampton Initiative, following the development of the Phase I report, Living With Water Hampton: A Holistic Approach to Addressing Sea Level Rise and Resiliency. Completed in 2018, the Phase I report established a framework for assessing Hampton’s proximity to the water through a place- and asset-based approach in order to design solutions for present and future water-related challenges, such as flooding and sea level rise. The Newmarket Creek Pilot Project Area Water Plan is a result of this focused approach and is the product of extensive public outreach and community engagement. The design process for the development of the Plan included a design charette and first community meeting in January of 2019 that was attended by residents, technical experts, and leaders in business and politics. A second community meeting was held in January 2020 where concept designs for the pilot projects were presented to the public for feedback and discussion.
The Newmarket Creek Pilot Project Area is intended to serve as a demonstration project area for how Hampton might adapt to deal with stormwater and projected climate changes through targeted interventions that create multiple benefits. The Newmarket Creek Vision includes nearly two dozen pilot projects along a loop trail connecting the creek to existing and planned networks around the city. Of these, the Big Bethel Blueway, North Armistead Avenue Road Raising and Green Infrastructure, and Lake Hampton Resilience Park projects were selected as flagship resiliency projects and are on the path to implementation. These selected pilot projects will offer an opportunity to test the Resilient Hampton Evaluation Tool developed in Phase I, which will ideally offer a consistent approach for comparative assessment of projects citywide.
While Council has reviewed the Newmarket Creek Pilot Project Area Water Plan previously and supported particular projects in the plan, formal adoption of the Water Plan is critical to achieving the resilience goals outlined in the Hampton Community Plan and implementing the land use policies regarding allocating appropriate space and storage for water, recognizing water as an asset, and aligning land use codes and ordinances with Hampton’s resiliency goals.
The Newmarket Creek Pilot Project Area Water Plan is available on the Planning Commission webpage at the following link: https://hampton.gov/DocumentCenter/View/33580/Resilient-Hampton-Newmarket-Creek-Water-Plan--Dec-10-2021-PDF?bidId=
Recommendations:
Rec
Staff Recommendation:
Approve
Planning Commission Recommendation:
Approve