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Commission recommends Riverbend mixed‑use rezoning, 7–1; conveys historic office building to city as school mitigation
Summary
The commission recommended approval of RZN2025‑00004, a substantial mixed‑use rezoning affecting about 72 acres that would allow up to 497 residential units (168 age‑restricted) and commercial uses; the applicant pledged conveyance of a historic office building to the city in lieu of school cash contributions. Vote was 7–1.
On Oct. 21 the Suffolk Planning Commission recommended approval of a complex mixed‑use rezoning, RZN2025‑00004 (Riverbend), which would rezone about 72 acres along North Main Street to allow up to 497 residential units (including 168 age‑restricted units) and commercial uses under a combination of RU‑18 conditional and retained B‑2/MUD areas. The motion passed 7–1 and will go to City Council on Nov. 19 with the commission’s recommendation.
Planner Gonzalo Borg summarized the application and noted the site’s existing B‑2 commercial zoning could be developed by‑right with high‑turnover retail that could generate substantially more traffic than the proffered mixed residential plan. The applicant proffered five conditions, including limiting residential units to 497, committing to architectural elevations, providing proffered road improvements from the traffic impact assessment, and conveying an existing historic office building (roughly 2.3 acres) to the city; staff described that conveyance as mitigation in lieu of school cash contributions.
Staff and commissioners discussed school‑system concerns. The School Board earlier considered three resolutions related to the project and ultimately passed a resolution not supporting the request as presented; school CIP priorities noted by staff include replacement of Elephants Fork Elementary and Nansemond River High School expansion and a school‑board administration building. Commissioners debated the tradeoff between cash contributions and a city‑owned historic office building that the applicant has offered to convey.
Commissioners also weighed traffic and density. Staff estimated the proposed plan would generate about 5,257 daily vehicle trips, substantially lower than an illustrative by‑right retail center (estimated at ~15,861 daily trips) on the same acreage. The applicant proffered a 1.3‑acre public park, maintenance commitments for certain open space, and architectural standards. Several commissioners emphasized the value of converting the historic office building to city ownership as a tangible mitigation for school impacts.
The commission approved the rezoning recommendation by a vote of 7 in favor and 1 opposed; the item will be forwarded to City Council on Nov. 19 for final action.
