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Planning commission recommends approval of Myrtle Mitigation Bank for council review
Summary
The Suffolk City Planning Commission on June 16 recommended approval of a conditional use permit to establish a roughly 212‑acre wetlands mitigation bank at 21101 Buckhorn Drive, forwarding the permit and staff report to City Council with a unanimous 7‑0 recommendation.
The Suffolk City Planning Commission voted unanimously on June 16 to recommend approval of Conditional Use Permit CUP-2026-000004, a proposal to establish a wetlands mitigation bank and an ecological restoration project on a roughly 212‑acre property at 21101 Buckhorn Drive.
Staff planner Isabella Reynolds told commissioners the parcel is outside the city’s growth area and is zoned agricultural, and that the project is designed to restore degraded wetlands, plug existing ditches and replant native woody and herbaceous vegetation. "Staff recommends approval of conditional use permit CUP 2026-004," Reynolds said during her presentation. Environmental planner Cassidy described the two-part approach: a traditional mitigation bank that generates credits for general purchasers, and a permitted-responsible mitigation (PRM) element that provides credits to a specific off‑site project.
No members of the public spoke for or against the application during the public hearing. After brief procedural discussion, a commissioner moved to approve the CUP; Mr. Wine announced the motion passed "by a vote of seven to zero." The commission’s action forwards a resolution and staff recommendation to the City Council, which will consider the item at its July 15 meeting.
Why it matters: Wetland mitigation banks provide a mechanism for developers to offset unavoidable wetland impacts by purchasing credits tied to verified restoration or preservation work elsewhere. Staff told the commission the proposed bank would be protected by conservation easement and would be subject to state and federal permitting and oversight from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Next steps: The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be part of the report presented to City Council on July 15; council will make the final decision on the conditional use permit.
