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Chesapeake council adopts Greenbrier Area Plan after debate on traffic, trees and financing
Summary
Council approved the Greenbrier Area Plan (PLN comp 2020-52) by a 6–1 vote. Residents urged traffic fixes and tree-preservation measures; staff said the plan includes a multifaceted traffic strategy and potential financing tools such as TIF or transportation-impact fees.
The Chesapeake City Council voted 6–1 on Aug. 19 to adopt the Greenbrier Area Plan, a small-area plan and set of design guidelines the planning commission recommended for inclusion in the 2035 comprehensive plan.
Planning staff summarized the plan’s goals and recommended approval of the version dated May 13, 2025. "The Greenbrier area plan and design guidelines promote a vision to support economic prosperity and improvements to the physical environment of the Greenbrier area that will benefit the community and city at large," project manager Jimmy McNamara said.
Two residents spoke during public comment. Vic Nichols, who lives off Eden Way and represents the Greenbrier Property Owners Association, said congestion at the Eden Way and Greenbrier intersection causes long delays and creates safety risks for pedestrians, bicyclists and emergency responders. "The light at Eden Way and Greenbrier ... anywhere from, I've timed it, 22 to 30 seconds of that light," Nichols said, urging roadway fixes before adding density.
Rogard Ross supported the plan’s sustainable, walkable vision but warned about tree loss. Ross cited city data showing a decline in the Greenbrier tree canopy and urged stronger tree-preservation and lighting standards. "Between 2018 and 2023, we've lost 81 acres of trees in the Greenbrier area," he said, and urged protections and additional plantings.
Staff acknowledged the concerns and described the plan’s traffic strategy: short-term access‑management improvements, longer-term creation of a gridded network to provide redundant routes (which staff called "internal capture"), enhanced pedestrian and bicycle connections, and the possibility of using transportation impact fees or tax‑increment financing to pay for needed infrastructure. "When you start mixing uses, you start having less need to move in and out of the area," McNamara said.
Council members congratulated staff on the plan’s comprehensiveness but debated implementation, the difficulty of securing impact fees under Virginia law, and whether infrastructure and market conditions will support the plan’s vision. One member noted impact fees have a high legal bar in Virginia and are rarely used.
The council adopted the plan and design guidelines as presented (version dated 05/13/2025) by a 6–1 vote. The mayor or staff did not set an immediate implementation schedule; staff said future steps will include drafting implementing ordinances and identifying financing options.
