Local Politics
  1. Home
  2. US
  3. Virginia
  4. Norfolk
  5. Meetings

2026-10-27 - City Council Work Session

Summary

Built from the City's amended Council docket and the YouTube captions of the meeting; names and figures may be misheard. No minutes were posted when this page was written, and the closed session was not open to the public.

  • Vice Mayor Martin Thomas Jr. took part remotely by a resolution approving electronic participation.
  • A Virginia Port Authority director briefed Council on the port: Norfolk International Terminals on Hampton Boulevard is its largest operation, with a roughly $650 million North terminal project (semi-automated, electric equipment), completion of the harbor deepening in June, and a federal Clean Ports grant of over $300 million for electrifying terminal equipment, including about 90 electric yard tractors approved by the port's board that day. He cited an economic impact study of about 560,000 Virginia jobs. See Virginia Port Authority Update and Hampton Roads Highway Projects.
  • He also described the Hampton Boulevard task force on truck safety (accidents declining), a planned Air Terminal and Helmick interchange study with the Navy and VDOT, and workforce training with Tidewater Community College. One council member asked about local job opportunities; another thanked the Authority for progress on noise mitigation.
  • Planning Director Bobby Tahan presented the monthly update on conditional use permits, all recommended for approval by the Planning Commission 4 to 0: a restaurant at 9665 First View Street renewing with a dance area, reduced live-entertainment hours and no outdoor amplified music; Boss Queen's Soul Cafe in the Janaf Shopping Center adding a DJ with closing moved to 11 p.m.; Martin Soul Food on East Virginia Beach Boulevard under a new operator; Dockside Social on Colley Avenue under a new operator, with entertainment ending by 10 p.m.; and a banquet hall on East Princess Anne Road renewing. Most carry two-year expirations. See Restaurant, Alcohol and Entertainment Conditional Use Permits.
  • Upcoming text amendments from the October Planning Commission hearing: by-right multifamily housing on land owned by faith-based and nonprofit institutions (Faith-Based and Nonprofit Housing Zoning), data centers (Data Center Zoning Standards), cannabis business categories (Marijuana Business Zoning Categories), the Church Street area plan (Church Street Area Plan and NFK2050), a cleanup of zoning ordinance errors, and a change to the resilience quotient.
  • On the resilience quotient (adopted in 2018), staff said a review of recent site plans found few projects used its optional measures, so it did little to advance resilience, and the concept would turn the standard into an incentive such as density bonuses or faster review. Council members said the public sees this as a rollback and asked for clear explanation and outreach to residents and developers; public outreach is planned. See Resilience Quotient Zoning Amendment.
  • Council voted to go into closed session on the disposition of City property on Monticello Avenue and Armistead Avenue, consultation with legal counsel on a possible property-related litigation matter, and a contract for City-owned property on East Main Street (City Property Leases and Sales).
  • The formal session followed the same day: 2026-10-27 - City Council.

Agenda

Amended agenda PDF posted; see Sources.

Sources

Video

Watch the video