Norfolk council adopts zoning changes, bond authorizations and grant acceptance; confirms local emergency

Norfolk City Council on Feb. 25 adopted a package of ordinances and resolutions affecting zoning, capital financing and behavioral health funding and confirmed a local emergency declaration related to a winter storm.

Key actions taken included: removing short-term vacation rental use from the West Freemason Historic and Cultural Conservation (HCWF-1 and HCWF-2) zoning districts; rezoning 1421 Kempsville Road from SF-6 (single-family) to conditional community commercial (CC); authorizing up to $17 million in multifamily housing revenue bonds through the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority for Sykes Apartments; authorizing up to $14 million in revenue bonds through the Economic Development Authority for the Berry Art Museum expansion at Old Dominion University; accepting and appropriating up to $83,200 in grant funds from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (through its fiscal agent, the Danville Community Services Board) to support the Norfolk Community Services Board; and adopting a resolution confirming a local emergency declaration made Feb. 19, 2025.

The council dispensed with the charter requirement for reading ordinances twice and adopted each ordinance and resolution with the effective dates indicated in the meeting record. Planning Commission recommendations were noted on the zoning items: the West Freemason text amendment carried a 4–1 recommendation in favor and the rezoning for 1421 Kempsville Road carried a 5–0 recommendation.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance: Third amendment to lease between City of Norfolk (lessor) and National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for portion of property at 280 Park Ave — adopted (roll call: all present voted Aye). Details of the amendment text were not specified in the public record during the hearing.

- Ordinance: Zoning text amendment removing short-term vacation rental (vacation rental) as a permitted use in West Freemason HCWF-1 and HCWF-2 — adopted (roll call: all present voted Aye). Planning Commission recommendation: approve, 4–1.

- Ordinance: Rezoning 1421 Kempsville Road from SF-6 to conditional CC — adopted (roll call: all present voted Aye). Planning Commission recommendation: approve, 5–0.

- Resolution R1: Authorize issuance of up to $17,000,000 in multifamily housing revenue bonds by the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority for Sykes Apartments LP — adopted (roll call: all present voted Aye).

- Resolution R2: Authorize issuance of up to $14,000,000 in revenue bonds by the Economic Development Authority for expansion of the Berry Art Museum at Old Dominion University — adopted (roll call: all present voted Aye).

- Ordinance / Resolution R3: Amend FY2025 annual appropriations (Ordinance No. 49,590) to accept and appropriate up to $83,200 in grant funds from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (via Danville Community Services Board) for the Norfolk Community Services Board — adopted (roll call: all present voted Aye).

- Resolution: Confirming a declaration of a state of local emergency made on Feb. 19, 2025 by the director of emergency management pursuant to the Virginia code cited in the meeting record — adopted (roll call: all present voted Aye).

The council considered the consent agenda as a block and approved multiple items together; the roll-call record in the meeting transcript shows the members present voting Aye on each adopted item. Several items were accompanied by planning commission recommendations or staff reports, which were noted during the public hearing and consent processes. The meeting record does not include detailed terms for the Amtrak lease amendment or bond financing documents; those materials are typically available in the city clerk’s file for the ordinance and resolution numbers listed.