Hampton council approves downtown restaurant expansion, grants easements for I‑64 project and appropriates funds for Boys & Girls Club

The Hampton City Council on its March meeting approved a downtown use permit to allow Karma Restaurant and Lounge to expand into an adjacent suite and operate extended hours, authorized transfers and a temporary construction easement for the I‑64 Hampton Roads Express Lanes Segment 4C project, and adopted consent appropriations including a $500,000 city match for the Boys & Girls Club capital campaign.

The use permit (application 24‑0489) was approved with 13 conditions and an amended hours schedule giving Karma general operating hours that include Sunday through Saturday 5 a.m. to 2 a.m., contingent on an accepted security plan. Donna Whipple, the city’s chief planner, told council the applicant had worked with Hampton Police Division to strengthen security measures and was installing additional cameras this week. The council vote was 6‑1, with Councilwoman Mugler dissenting. Vice Mayor Brown said he would vote aye “but I’m very apprehensive” about setting a precedent for later hours in downtown.

The approval follows an application to expand the restaurant from 87 Lincoln Street into an adjacent banquet-hall space at 85 Lincoln Street in the downtown DT‑1 district. Whipple told the council staff’s original recommendation offered more limited weekday hours; the planning commission’s recommendation—and the option the council adopted—extended hours across all days with the requirement of an acceptable, upgraded security plan and the 13 standard conditions attached to restaurant‑3 permits in downtown.

Council also approved a resolution authorizing the transfer of city property and a temporary construction easement at or adjacent to River Street Park related to the I‑64 Hampton Roads Express Lane Segment 4C project. City staff said Virginia Department of Transportation revised its offer package, reducing the permanent take and increasing the area needed for temporary construction access, so the council reauthorized transfers and easements to match VDOT’s updated footprint. The council vote on that item was unanimous.

On the consent agenda, the council amended the FY2025 budget to appropriate $500,000 from the capital projects contingency fund balance to the Boys & Girls Club capital campaign to support interior renovations of original classroom space after a gym expansion. The council also accepted and appropriated $120,000 tied to Bloomberg funding and a winter‑storm emergency declaration (Winter Storm Kingston) as described in the consent materials. The consent agenda passed on a single motion with all members voting aye.

The council held a public hearing on the city’s 2025–2029 consolidated plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing; Jonathan McBride, Housing and Neighborhood Services division manager, said the survey and materials are online at hampton.gov/hudplans, the survey runs through Friday, and staff expects to present a draft in May for June adoption. No public speakers were signed up on that item.

During the public‑comment portion of the meeting, David Spring of Buckroe Coffee urged council to consider a streamlined or special‑use approach for a unique city parcel the business operates, saying he intends to pursue a special zoning or use permit to host family‑focused events, music and urban‑garden programming. Brenda Marks, a resident, criticized rising property assessments and urged council members to attend community meetings in Hampton rather than events in neighboring cities. City Manager remarks described the technical assessment process, noted the assessor team’s certifications, and outlined upcoming citizen budget input sessions and the timeframe for the manager’s recommended budget and council adoption.

Appointments and administrative motions on the agenda—reappointments and several board and commission assignments including a modification to the Western Tidewater Regional Jail Authority appointments and others—were approved by voice vote.

What happens next: Karma’s expanded use is allowed under the conditions approved tonight; staff said the accepted security plan must be in place and monitored. The I‑64 property transactions will proceed to deed execution and recordation to align the city parcels with VDOT’s revised offer package.

Votes at a glance: use permit application 24‑0489 (Karma Restaurant and Lounge) — approved, 6 yes (Bowman; Vice Mayor Brown; Councilwoman Campbell; Councilwoman Farabee; Councilwoman Harper; Mayor Gray), 1 no (Councilwoman Mugler); conditions: 13 staff‑recommended conditions plus requirement of accepted security plan and extended hours Sunday–Saturday 5 a.m.–2 a.m.; consent agenda appropriation (FY2025) — approved, unanimous; resolution authorizing transfers and temporary construction easement for I‑64 Express Lane Segment 4C — approved, unanimous; appointments and reappointments listed on the agenda — approved, unanimous.

The council did not set a new public hearing date on the consolidated plan; staff plans further public outreach and a draft in May ahead of a June adoption schedule.