[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6176489,"mediaKeyId","5347306-b49702660387c7bb5a0c53066eb79c98","parentId",5347306,"title","Portsmouth council approves five townhouse units in Port Norfolk over neighborhood objections","audioSeconds",2334,"startMs",226000,"endMs",2560000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5347306-b49702660387c7bb5a0c53066eb79c98&start=226&end=2560","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5347306-b49702660387c7bb5a0c53066eb79c98/thumbnail_226000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6176489/Portsmouth/Norfolk-County/Virginia/Portsmouth-council-approves-five-townhouse-units-in-Port-Norfolk-over-neighborhood-objections","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176489-0e5d60feac250183a8b1d8ef68f25993/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155805&Signature=LkxNdhBFbkmrWwNn8VYuKK6i2K-tz4gAH0VIxgMBUftTvYJ2X3Wb1-vYdN-XA5ml2gikaMkQidkkRnf9RRDtorzLuIMg7q4SHenr4e7e~hko2y1RXEDfxFWLaJaD~jr19KUvMbgeqCe8cS2ludJmzokid4ZE89D4AXUVu-2WayVbXZ1xqICet7TLk1hJrUEzFLvnilnupJOAA4-nsF3fasHEjhWXVbwwrlUFuNHwxbDUVaEh-CVxaK9d-8mvAoLlctC4ko9Aa0hkBIKL4t4hZLOMTfcp23sYkYAy85ca-A7eQhV7D5nJPUz1ZXyeXyyGOYN5KNQJxHIZddBH~FrAPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Portsmouth","date","2025-07-09T02:29:06Z","article","The Portsmouth City Council voted 5-2 on July 8 to grant Coastal Virginia Developers a use permit (UP2502) to construct five townhouse units on three parcels at 430, 436 and 442 Douglas Avenue in the Port Norfolk historic residential district.

Developer counsel Grady Palmer of Williams Mullen told council the project was reviewed and unanimously approved by the Historic Preservation Commission and that the design follows Port Norfolk’s historic-district guidelines. He said the five for-sale units would address “the missing middle” in Hampton Roads and estimated prices of $300,000 to $340,000 for approximately 2,000-square-foot units.

Neighbor speakers, including Erica Nessler, president of the Port Norfolk Civic League, and John Lipsey, the League’s vice president, urged council to require detached single-family houses that match the block’s established fabric. Nessler said the district’s guidelines “are not specific enough” about what can be built and asked the council to uphold previous decisions favoring single-family homes. Lipsey noted that since Port Norfolk’s historic designation in 1984, new construction there has typically been single-family and argued five attached townhouses would “visually overpower” adjacent homes.

Council discussion emphasized two competing priorities: preserving neighborhood character and increasing attainable housing. Several council members and staff noted that the planning commission recommended approval with conditions and that the proposed architecture responds to the historic guidelines. Councilman Tillich said he would vote no, citing incompatibility with the block’s aesthetics. Vice Mayor Moody and other council members said they were torn but cited the unanimous HPC approval, planning staff recommendations and the city’s broader housing needs in deciding their votes.

City Planning Director Dr. Russell confirmed the historic-preservation guidelines permit multiple-unit buildings in Port Norfolk and said updating material guidance for historic districts is not currently on the department’s work plan because higher priorities include the comprehensive-plan update and innovation-district implementation. Council members asked staff to prioritize a code and guidelines review so neighborhoods and commissions have clearer rules for future proposals.

The council’s approval followed a motion and second; the clerk recorded the outcome as adopted 5-2. The motion’s mover and second were not recorded in the public portion of the transcript.

The developer team introduced at the hearing included individuals identified in the record as Bob Arnett and Alan Reese; the applicant stated the development team and builder are Portsmouth-based.

The council action authorizes the use permit but did not specify certificate-of-occupancy conditions, construction start dates or final recorded lot configurations in the hearing record. Any subsequent permits, building approvals or modifications must follow standard plan-review and permit processes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Portsmouth City Council Meeting July 8, 2025 Portsmouth, Virginia","oneSentenceSummary","The Portsmouth City Council voted 5-2 on July 8 to approve a use permit allowing Coastal Virginia Developers to build five townhouses on Douglas Avenue in the Port Norfolk historic district.","taxTitle","Portsmouth, Norfolk County, Virginia","taxId",4040,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6176479,"Portsmouth council adopts several grants and ordinances; manager reports utility billing problems and elevator contract",1037,4339000,5376000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5347306-b49702660387c7bb5a0c53066eb79c98&start=4339&end=5376","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5347306-b49702660387c7bb5a0c53066eb79c98/thumbnail_4339000.jpg","/articles/6176479/Portsmouth/Norfolk-County/Virginia/Portsmouth-council-adopts-several-grants-and-ordinances-manager-reports-utility-billing-problems-and-elevator-contract","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176479-39c14d88d19d53090235fb9ef5e8fb71/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155805&Signature=oATqBYlMvceK66Ctx0W1PBi5mCSvy~Wj1MJWmMaE5iWQKmVra3-7jYWb9yT5xftdTHMcPy1~nqtUORG80Vm1ATN-5qBQKvXdC9zBfZuaTtDZKJzWxUH2eB8DJuA2QIEv74Q338jDSkNlC23D1-qx7OMM7w3rWkzrQLbXgMfUP9K4OMAYRoX18ObqTZRMAEOqC0vmaNRY0y5lz8SGD1knzk6LU0avErL9Re4wGZW5-kZ3TBWzKqo8TMjHS4qhx9kUm9zeR-diNnDxIB32t~kpZJPUg10muJwUqyLHM5ijdkFpq~wP8gI4YJoK4pKO3kRXLt-gGkrTxqQCUTL9EjMh5Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its July 8 meeting, the Portsmouth City Council unanimously approved multiple budget and ordinance items, accepted state and federal grant funds and heard a city-manager report on a troubled utility-billing transition. Several adopted items were routine grant acceptances and budget appropriations; the clerk recorded each vote as 7-0.

Votes at a glance
- Acceptance of a grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, $676,663, appropriated to the FY2026 grants fund to operate local probation and pretrial services and boardsmith — adopted 7-0.
- Hazmat response cost-recovery funding, $9,234.99, appropriated to FY2026 grants fund for hazardous-material-team response capabilities — adopted 7-0.
- State shared expense revenue in the amount of $152,591, appropriating $138,802 to judicial and $13,789 to general government for one-time personnel bonuses — adopted 7-0.
- Ordinance amending public procurement (adding section 12-188) regarding contracts for information technology goods or services — adopted 7-0.
- Appropriation of $625,000 from the behavioral health care services fund for business software and office technologies — adopted 7-0.
- Acceptance of opioid-settlement funds, $24,733.62, appropriated to FY2026 behavioral health care fund for abatement purposes as defined by the settlement MOU — adopted 7-0.

City manager’s report and service issues
City Manager Steven Carter reported on a problematic June 23 rollout of a new public-utilities billing system. Carter said some phone and online payments were misrouted and not posted; the city is contacting affected customers and asking them to resubmit payments where needed. He said staff have worked through the weekend and are catching up on delayed postings. Carter said the city will not assess late fees or penalties during the transition, will review accounts individually and will meet weekly with the implementation team until resolution.

Carter also introduced Kimberly Sinclair as the city’s new human-resources director, who the manager said brings more than a decade of HR leadership experience. He said the city has made an offer and received acceptance for a new chief financial officer and expected to introduce that hire at a future meeting.

Elevator replacement and other facilities notes
A citizen raised concerns about an elevator in the municipal parking garage; staff said they have solicited and awarded a contract to replace all three elevators, are ordering parts and that the replacement process may take about six months because of lead times on parts for the older system.

Public-comment highlights and administrative follow-ups
Speakers raised several recurring service concerns: a resident urged ranked-choice voting information, an entrepreneur asked for help finding grant resources for a new nonprofit service, multiple residents described confusing water bills from the billing transition, a resident urged action on a derelict structure at 58 Prospect Parkway and another resident urged a traffic signal at Victory Boulevard and Afton Parkway because of repeated serious crashes.

City staff told the resident who raised the derelict-property question that they will investigate the 58 Prospect Parkway case and that the manager will include a review of vacant-structure registration procedures in the report back to council. The manager also asked residents with billing questions to provide contact details so staff can address account-specific issues.","Council approved multiple grant acceptances and ordinances (all votes 7-0), reviewed a troubled utility-billing system rollout, introduced a new HR director and announced a CFO hire offer; staff also reported an awarded contract to replace three elevators with parts expected to take about six months.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6176484,"Council defers decision on Hodges Ferry entertainment permit after parking and code concerns",1317,2573000,3890000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5347306-b49702660387c7bb5a0c53066eb79c98&start=2573&end=3890","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5347306-b49702660387c7bb5a0c53066eb79c98/thumbnail_2573000.jpg","/articles/6176484/Portsmouth/Norfolk-County/Virginia/Council-defers-decision-on-Hodges-Ferry-entertainment-permit-after-parking-and-code-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176484-76f14da6f4cd0e0530f3940d2d0d0afa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771155805&Signature=MoL-JTw6A-rGsiLjFndvI0ageE9RHSJoRn9dT70lsOgNNPcM3bOPOWKPNuiHWtTVcQd7ZuRveukf5P6ln6SlLGZcrVutnyE4HHy6K2AtteQuydKF2ZyeojLu-rLv6MPLWknjFE2b3kFl9Ol2M7qiDVGFfYR9fiKIywPidL7NuYxa7W6UgU3nYc2sUmfkgoxjIyQeWvQVpAD32SkW972SjCWE9Fv9rxRKeUraZLpal5BgveVyK8Cn4Ucq3Qaru9SjrvCWdBaYXAPqQYIrdRWl-G7ZjkO-Rp9ZtYTRjaNmTRcczJQm~q~METIFXUxu78czHq6yyeXcwfEa76snn~yqGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portsmouth City Council unanimously voted on July 8 to defer consideration of a use permit (UP2505) for an entertainment establishment proposed for 1805 Hodges Ferry Road to the Aug. 26 council meeting.

Applicant Charles Hogans, who identified himself as co-owner of the proposed restaurant and entertainment venue, told council the venue — named in his presentation as “I Crave” — would be a family-friendly restaurant offering karaoke, special events and licensed security or off-duty officers as required. Hogans said the business aims to “uplift the community” and host events such as weddings and graduations.

Speakers at the public hearing raised concerns about code compliance and site safety. Fred Porter, a resident, told council he identified multiple code issues at the existing building, including alleged nonconformance with ADA-accessible parking, parking-space dimensions and egress requirements for larger crowds. Porter urged council not to approve a use permit where code violations were known to exist.

Planning staff and city inspectors explained that older buildings are sometimes evaluated under different standards than new construction but that adding an entertainment component could trigger further permit and safety reviews. Planning Director Dr. Russell and city staff said parking and capacity questions remained unresolved; inspections staff said changes that increase attendance could require upgrades for ADA and safety.

Council members said they expect forthcoming code revisions to address parking and venue rules; Councilman Hugo said the updated code language under development would likely require a written parking agreement where off-site spaces are shared. Several council members urged the applicant to seek a written overflow-parking agreement rather than rely on verbal arrangements.

Councilman Hugo moved to defer the hearing to allow time for code updates, planning-staff review and applicant coordination with the planning department; the motion passed 7-0. The city attorney reminded council that federal ADA requirements cannot be waived.

The transcript records no final conditions or capacity limits attached to the deferral; staff indicated they would revisit the permit with the applicant once outstanding parking, capacity and safety questions are resolved and code language is finalized.","City council deferred action to Aug. 26 on a use permit for C Hogan’s entertainment establishment at 1805 Hodges Ferry Road to allow staff and applicant time to address parking, ADA and code concerns and pending city code updates.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Portsmouth council approves five townhouse units in Port Norfolk over neighborhood objections

Portsmouth council adopts several grants and ordinances; manager reports utility billing problems and elevator contract

Council defers decision on Hodges Ferry entertainment permit after parking and code concerns