Planning commission backs rezoning for 350 Yorktown Road development, recommends April council review

The Newport News Planning Commission voted 7-0 Thursday to recommend that City Council approve a rezoning application (CZ20250001) that would permit a mixed‑use residential development on roughly 282 acres at 350 Yorktown Road.

The proposal, presented by city planning staff and the developer, would change the zoning for the property owned by the Economic Development Authority of the City of Newport News and proposed for development by D.R. Horton Southern Virginia. The applicant has proffered a master plan called the Parkside and Enview Conceptual Master Plan, design guidelines, transportation improvements and environmental protections; the proffers would cap the number of residential units at 620 and preserve roughly half the site as open space.

The rezoning, as presented by planning staff, would change portions currently zoned R‑9 Mixed Use with a Neo‑Traditional Overlay and P‑1 Park to R‑9 Mixed Use with proffers and the neo‑traditional overlay. Planning staff told commissioners that federal and state environmental and historic reviews will be required: a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 permit and consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act were noted, and the applicant proffered a memorandum of understanding with agencies to address those requirements. The staff presentation also cited a traffic impact analysis by McPherson Consulting (dated 03/25/2022) and listed proffered roadway and intersection improvements, including dedication of right‑of‑way for a four‑lane divided Yorktown Road between Jefferson Avenue and Muscat Road, and signal warrant analyses for the main entrances.

Brian Rowe, vice president of D.R. Horton Southern Virginia and a resident of Suffolk, said the developer reduced the proposed unit count from more than 1,100 in earlier approvals to 620 units, described substantial environmental and archaeological study of the site and emphasized preservation of the Enview House and view sheds. “This site truly is a history lesson in and of itself,” Rowe said, describing plans for interpretive signage and preservation of archaeologically sensitive areas.

Planning staff described the proposed housing mix as 362 single‑family detached units, 258 townhomes (20‑ to 24‑foot lots), and cottage‑style homes including ground‑floor bedrooms intended for older buyers; lot sizes and garage access patterns were given in the presentation. Staff said the plan retains a 25‑acre parcel around the historic Enview House listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and that approximately half of the 282.33 acres would remain as open or passive recreational space linked by trails.

Public commenters raised traffic and infrastructure concerns and urged stronger protections for the historic site. George Etter, of 180 B. Crawford Road, said traffic volumes have already increased in the corridor and asked whether the city can “survive off of the revenue base” generated by higher property values. Manuel Ackram, of 548 Yorktown Road, and William Grimes, a longtime Lee Hall resident and volunteer at historic sites, said the green buffer around Enview is important to its historic interpretation and questioned whether additional development will harm the site’s character. Kenneth Jones, a retired fire chief, recommended sprinkler systems in new houses and emphasized emergency access and apparatus maneuverability.

The developer and staff responded to concerns: D.R. Horton representatives said the Crawford Road connection would be changed to an emergency‑only gate with a Knox Box and that the community had been modified to remove through traffic onto Crawford Road. Grady Palmer, the applicant’s land‑use attorney, confirmed the emergency egress and other entrance controls were included in the proffers and noted that the proffer package includes a requirement that the developer perform warrant analyses for traffic signals at the Yorktown and Jefferson entrances and construct improvements as warranted.

After public comment, Commissioner Jefferson Taylor moved that the commission recommend approval of CZ20250001; the motion carried unanimously in a roll call vote (7‑0). Planning staff said the rezoning request will be considered by City Council in April (hearing date not specified in the record). The commission’s action is a recommendation; final approval rests with City Council.

The commission record and staff analysis cited the following legal and procedural authorities during the presentation: Section 15.2‑2210 of the Code of Virginia (planning commission mandate), the local zoning ordinance provision cited in the staff presentation concerning proffers and zoning procedures, the Clean Water Act Section 404 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting) and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (consultation requirements).