Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Planning panel recommends approval for detached accessory dwelling at Rivercliff Crescent
Loading...
Summary
The commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit to convert a shed to a detached accessory dwelling unit at 4236 Rivercliff Crescent East, with conditions including a prohibition on renting the unit; the item will go to City Council with the planning commission's recommendation.
The Suffolk Planning Commission voted 8-0 on Aug. 19 to recommend approval of a conditional use permit to establish a detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 4236 Rivercliff Crescent East.
Isabella Reynolds, staff planner, told commissioners the subject property is 1.69 acres in the Residential Low (RL) district and lies inside the city’s Northern Growth Area. The applicant, Gerald Mason, proposed converting an existing shed into a roughly 643-square-foot ADU. Reynolds said the principal dwelling is about 2,777 square feet, so the ADU size meets the UDO limit that an ADU on a primary dwelling larger than 2,000 square feet must not exceed 1,000 square feet.
Reynolds said Virginia Beach’s Board of Zoning Appeals had previously approved a side-setback reduction for the structure from 15 feet to 2.9 feet (transcript: “the board of zoning appeals approved a reduction in the side setback from 15 feet to 2.9 feet”); she also reported that on July 15, 2025, planning staff approved a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act exception for a small 3-by-9-foot addition because the shed is in the resource protection area and is an accessory structure. Public Utilities staff reviewed the application and determined the existing water meter is adequate; any changes to the septic will require Virginia Department of Health permitting, Reynolds said.
Applicant Gerald Mason addressed the commission and described the ADU’s intended use for visiting guests and family members; he said the narrative states only one person will occupy the ADU at a time. Mason and his family asked the commission to approve the application so the project could move forward.
Commissioner Thornton Manuel, citing discussions at an American Planning Association session on ADUs and affordable housing, said the commission should consider revisiting the UDO restriction that ADUs cannot be rented. Commissioner Edwards moved approval with staff conditions; the motion passed 8-0. Chairman Staylor announced the item will go to City Council on Wednesday, Sept. 17, with the planning commission’s recommendation for approval.
Staff recommended approval with a condition that the ADU not be used for rent, and the commission attached that condition in its motion. Public comment at the hearing was in favor and included the applicant’s statement about family use and adaptive reuse of the shed.
