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Council approves 17-townhouse development on Hodges Ferry Road; developer offers traffic calming
Summary
Council approved a conditional use permit for 17 for‑sale townhouses at 1200 Hodges Ferry Road. The developer said units will sell for about $290,000–$325,000 and offered to privately fund speed tables to mitigate cut‑through traffic; council approved the permit 7–0.
Portsmouth City Council unanimously approved a conditional use permit (UP2501) allowing Coastal Virginia Developers to build up to 17 for-sale townhouses on approximately 1.7 acres at 1200 Hodges Ferry Road.
Attorney Grady Palmer presented the proposal and said units would be roughly 1,700 square feet and advertised at approximately $290,000 to $325,000, targeting middle-income buyers. The plan calls for parking to be placed behind the units and a streetscape-oriented layout; an HOA would manage design criteria and long-term upkeep.
Palmer said the developer voluntarily commissioned traffic and fiscal-impact analyses, which estimated the project would generate on average about seven added vehicle trips in the morning peak and nine in the evening peak. To address neighbor concerns about the area—s use as a cut-through, the developer offered to apply to the city to install speed tables along the corridor, paid for with private funds if approved.
Pastor Steve Gramey, representing Central Baptist Church (the property owner), said church leadership unanimously approved the sale and expects proceeds to support church building updates and additional ministry efforts. Neighbor speakers acknowledged developer outreach and the offer to mitigate traffic, but also raised technical questions about sight triangles, sidewalks and historic tax-rollback considerations for church property; staff replied that rollback/tax matters fall outside the conditional‑use decision.
Council voted 7–0 to adopt the resolution granting the use permit. Staff will issue the permit with the stipulated conditions and monitor implementation.
What happens next: Planning staff to finalize permit paperwork and conditions; developer to pursue any traffic-calming approvals required from the city.
