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Hampton council defers DR Horton rezoning after residents and a councilmember call for a community meeting
Summary
Hampton City Council deferred a rezoning request by DR Horton for nearly 8 acres on Simple Farm Road to Nov. 13, 2024 after councilmembers and neighbors said a community meeting had not been held; staff recommended approval contingent on 14 proffers including a fence and EV chargers.
Hampton City Council on Sept. 11 voted to defer action on rezoning application 24‑0278, a DR Horton proposal to rezone about 7.93 acres on Simple Farm Road from R‑11 single‑family to MD‑1 townhouse/multifamily, until Nov. 13, 2024 to allow a community meeting.
City senior planner Davis Pemberton told the council the developer proposes approximately 67 for‑sale townhomes (two stories, ~1,500 sq. ft.), a minimum of 60 and maximum of 67 units per the applicant’s proffers, and site features that include a fence along shared property lines, a playground, EV charging stations and construction meeting a 110‑mph wind load. Staff recommended approval with 14 conditions, citing compatibility with the community plan and a transitional role between higher‑intensity corridor uses and nearby single‑family neighborhoods.
The project drew mixed reaction at the public hearing. Michelle D’Antonio, head of Hampton Roads International Montessori School, said the school had worked with the developer and supports the rezoning after the applicant altered the walking path and agreed to install fencing. Long‑time Simple Farm Road residents, reading written comments into the record, urged the council to preserve single‑family zoning, citing past problems after nearby multifamily development — increased late‑night pedestrians, trespassing, trash, speeding and safety concerns tied to the lack of sidewalks.
Vice Mayor Gray led council questioning about the absence of a community meeting and said he could not support approval tonight without community input. The applicant’s attorney, Tim Trant, said the development team had worked substantively with the Montessori school and had advertised the public hearing at planning commission, but accepted the council’s direction to schedule a neighborhood meeting.
Councilman Brown moved to defer the application to the Nov. 13 meeting; Vice Mayor Gray seconded. The motion passed unanimously. The council asked staff to arrange a community meeting and the applicant agreed to participate.
The deferral preserves the staff recommendation and the applicant’s proffers on the record while pausing a final council vote until after the scheduled neighborhood meeting on or before Nov. 13.
