Council advances Hawks Crossing annexation on first reading; drainage work to follow

The Norfolk City Council voted to take Ordinance No. 5972 off the table and passed it on first reading to annex about 10 acres for the Hawks Crossing subdivision.

Steve explained the parcel is under construction with sewer, water and paving complete and that previous concerns about drainage prompted a meeting with the developer, the Natural Resources District (NRD) and Northeast Community College. He said NRD reviewed a 2019 drainage study and agreed to consider assisting with channel and detention designs; Northeast Community College is designing an updated outfall to reduce erosion that currently affects Benjamin Avenue.

"Back when this was first brought to the table, there was some conversation... one or two of the council members wanted to have some conversation on drainage," Steve said, describing mid-April discussions with stakeholders and a plan to pursue detailed engineering over the next several months. Staff said the first part of the response will be to bring a contract for engineering work focused on detention and channel modifications.

Council members noted that state law requires three readings for ordinance passage and that this action constitutes a first reading only; staff and the developer indicated related annexations for adjacent parcels are expected to follow once the current paperwork is filed.

Why it matters: annexation will bring completed infrastructure (sewer, water, paving) into the city for a developing subdivision but leaves engineering work on drainage to subsequent project phases; the council approved first-read passage to allow the annexation process to move forward while additional drainage design work is completed.

The ordinance passed on first reading; staff said further readings and detailed drainage engineering will be scheduled as the project proceeds.