Council approves package of zoning, infrastructure and grant measures including VDOT safety grant and Choice Neighborhood appropriations

Newport News City Council approved a set of ordinances, resolutions and appropriations at its April 22 meeting, taking unanimous action on zoning amendments, a right-of-way vacation, a VDOT safety grant and multiple community-development appropriations that include funds for a future seafood market and Choice Neighborhood projects.

Key actions the council approved (each recorded in the meeting as carried 7-0):

- Zoning text amendment (item E2): council adopted an ordinance amending chapter 45 (zoning ordinance) to modify Section 45-2808 (special building setback along expressways and collector streets). No public speakers were recorded for this item; the roll call shows unanimous approval; ordinance identifier recorded in agenda as Zulu Tango-20255-0001 (ordinance number not otherwise specified in the transcript).

- Vacation of right-of-way (item E3): the council adopted an ordinance vacating an approximately 18,000-square-foot right of way at 30 Eighth Street between Warwick Boulevard and CSX. No public speakers; motion carried 7-0 (ordinance number not specified in transcript).

- VDOT agreement and grant appropriation (items G1 and G2): the council approved a resolution authorizing a city-administration agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation for the citywide retro-reflective backplate and flashing yellow arrows project, and separately appropriated $4,274,000 in Virginia Department of Transportation Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant funds for that project. The manager recommended approval; council voted 7-0 on both the agreement and the appropriation.

- Telecommunications license (item G3): council approved a resolution granting permission to use the city’s rights-of-way for telecommunications and authorized a temporary, nonexclusive, revocable license agreement between the city and Wavelength Technologies Inc. for communications links for Huntington Ingalls Industries’ private network. City manager recommended approval; vote recorded as 7-0.

- Community development and maritime appropriations (items H1–H4): the council approved four appropriations: • H1 — Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities (BASC) grant funding for the city’s participation in the program (the manager characterized BASC as a multi-year technical and grant program for selected cities); the meeting record contains inconsistent wording about the precise allocation per city in remarks recorded by the manager. • H2 — appropriation of $456,471 for dock improvements at the northern end of the Seafood Industrial Park (dredging, removal of deteriorated piers, installation of two moorings, and construction of an ADA-compliant floating dock to support a retail seafood market). • H3 — appropriation of $3,500,000 from FY25 bond authorization (community development category) to support maritime economic development projects including dredging, pier demolition, new moorings and construction of an ADA-compliant floating dock for the future retail seafood market. • H4 — appropriation of $8,150,000 from the FY24 bond authorization to support continued implementation of the Marshall Ridley Choice Neighborhood transformation plan and Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant activities (gateway enhancements, health and wellness trail, residential façade improvements, rehabilitation of 2510 Jefferson Avenue, and funding toward the seafood market construction).

During H items, Uganda Yogananda Sample Jones (chair of the Choice Neighborhood initiative) spoke in support of appropriations for the seafood market and broader Choice Neighborhood work, saying the market "is a critical piece of our community’s future" and that the initiative connects families to stable housing and jobs.

Motions on the consent agenda (minutes) and other routine items also passed 7-0. Several roll calls recorded council members by name voting in the affirmative; meeting minutes record each item as "Motion carried 7 0." The meeting record does not list specific movers and seconders for many motions in the transcript excerpt.

Why it matters: the VDOT HSIP grant appropriation funds safety-related signal upgrades across the city; the maritime and Choice Neighborhood appropriations fund infrastructure and redevelopment projects tied to economic development and neighborhood revitalization, including the seafood market that multiple speakers and staff tied to the Choice Neighborhood initiative.

What the record does not specify: ordinance numbers and formal movers/seconder names for multiple votes were not included in the transcript excerpt; the Bloomberg BASC funding language in the manager’s remarks contains inconsistent figures in the record and needs clarification from the city’s finance or grant files.