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Planning Commission presents 2024 annual report showing surge in conditional-use permit applications
Summary
City Planning staff presented the 2024 Planning Commission annual report to the commission, reporting 23 meetings, 12 public hearings and a rise in conditional use permit (CUP) activity — especially for short-term rentals — and previewing a 2025 work program including NFK 2050 and multiple text amendments.
Planning Department staff presented the City Planning Commission's 2024 annual report, saying the submittal is required by the Code of Virginia and that the document summarizes planning and zoning activity, design review, and the department's work program.
The report said the Planning Commission met 23 times in 2024 and held 12 public hearings. Staff reported that commissioners reviewed 181 planning and zoning applications and recommended approval of about 93% of those. The commission reviewed 55 conditional use permit (CUP) applications last year; short-term rental CUPs accounted for 47 of those, the largest single CUP category.
The nut graph: The report highlights a marked increase in CUP activity relative to recent years and flags geographic concentrations of applications downtown and in East Ocean View, while also noting fewer new single-family building permits issued in calendar year 2024.
Staff told the commission that 2024 was the third-highest year for applications in the 2015'2024 period and that City Council has historically agreed with Planning Commission recommendations roughly 94'795% of the time. Planning staff said three 2024 applications (two CUPs and one text amendment) remained pending before council at the time of the presentation.
On permitting and construction, staff reported about 10,000 permits issued in 2024 and roughly 25,000 inspections. New single-family building permits fell to 38 last year, the lowest number in at least a decade, staff said; there were no new townhouses and only two duplex units permitted. Multi-family permitting increased, with about 80% of new multi-family units in the St. Paul's redevelopment area, according to the presentation.
Staff previewed the Planning Department's 2025 work program. Items listed for the coming year include continued work on NFK 2050 with the goal to adopt the plan by the end of the calendar year, roughly 13 anticipated zoning text amendments, additional historic resource surveying, and migration of Planning Commission applications to an online portal. Voting for adoption of the annual report was scheduled at the commission's February public hearing, staff said.
Ending: Commissioners asked clarifying questions about trends and data sources; staff said some historical comparisons are limited because permitting records and permit-system data changed prior to 2020. Staff also said the final report will include any updates if pending council votes are decided before the report is posted to the city website.
