Planning commission recommends approval of CoreCivic reentry center expansion, adding beds and office space
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Summary
The commission recommended approval (7–1) of a conditional‑use permit allowing CoreCivic to increase capacity at a reentry facility on Ward Boulevard from 84 to 96 residents and add office space; planning staff recommended denial citing prior permit limits and buffer reduction, but commissioners emphasized program needs and community partnerships.
On April 1 the Newport News Planning Commission voted 7–1 to recommend approval of CU20260002, a CoreCivic application to expand an existing reentry facility at 7714 Ward Boulevard from 84 to 96 residents and construct an addition to provide office space and a new interior cooler/freezer.
Planning staff recommended denial, noting that a prior conditional‑use approval (2015) limited the facility to a maximum of 84 residents and stated that no further expansion would be permitted. Staff and the zoning administrator raised concerns that the proposed addition would reduce the buffer between the facility and adjacent parcels from roughly 65 feet to approximately 5 feet, increase visibility from Warwick Boulevard and further intensify a use that is nonconforming with the current land‑use plan for the corridor.
CoreCivic representatives said the operation is a reentry center with a mission to help residents transition back into the community; Carlos Melendez (managing director) clarified the facility is a reentry program rather than a secure halfway house and said most residents are from the local region and are engaged in employment and case management. Facility director Shalita Camp described a currently fluctuating population (about 75 residents in house and 65 on home confinement on the day of the hearing), said approximately 73% of residents are employed with local employers (including shipyards and logistics firms), and testified that modest office additions and internal reconfiguration are needed to accommodate programs and female placements.
Commissioners discussed the planning concerns — previous permit assurances, concentration of group uses in the corridor, and potential impacts on adjacent property — but several members expressed support for the facility’s reentry services, community partnerships and the applicant’s willingness to scale nonessential building additions if required. The motion carried by roll call vote 7–1; the item will be heard by city council on April 28, 2026.
