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Wachapreague council hears public comment on 2025 Comprehensive Plan; adoption set for Dec. 11
Summary
At a Nov. 13 public hearing, the Wachapreague Town Council received comments on the draft 2025 Comprehensive Plan, including a requested edit to clarify the waterfront commercial district and residents' concerns about unreliable cell-phone service; the council will consider adoption on Dec. 11, 2025.
WACHAPREAGUE, Va. — The Wachapreague Town Council held a public hearing Nov. 13 on the town's proposed 2025 Comprehensive Plan and will place a resolution to adopt the Plan on its Dec. 11, 2025 meeting agenda. Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Jim Bell said the commission certified and recommended the Plan by Resolution No. PC-2501 on Oct. 7, 2025.
Town Clerk Susan Springer told residents that if no further revisions are requested the council will vote to adopt the Plan at the December meeting, after which the document will be available for printing from the town website; printed copies were circulated at the hearing.
Councilman Robert Bilicki asked that page 17 be edited to more clearly define and color the waterfront commercial district, emphasizing that the waterfront commercial district should not include Brooklyn Avenue, which he described as residential-commercial. A resident questioned why the Main Street Commercial District does not extend farther west; Councilman Aileen Joeckel said that reflects the original zoning and that any extension would require a zoning amendment.
Jim Bell, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, said the comprehensive-plan review follows a five-year cycle but noted the Plan can be amended at any time, allowing the council or property owners to pursue zoning changes outside the scheduled cycle. Councilman Joeckel encouraged residents to review the Plan's four goals and the strategies for meeting them, which appear on the back page of the draft.
Several residents raised persistent concerns about unreliable cell-phone service and the public-safety risks they associate with poor coverage; the issue is identified in the draft Plan (page 24). Vice Mayor Sandie Puchalski said the town has previously explored options such as a tower or a signal booster and noted the town's small population can affect carrier responsiveness. She also mentioned that carrier-provided extenders (for example, from Verizon) can improve service for residents who purchase them. Council members committed to continue pursuing a solution to the coverage gaps.
No vote was taken at the Nov. 13 hearing. The council will consider a resolution to adopt the 2025 Comprehensive Plan at its Dec. 11, 2025 meeting; the hearing then adjourned.
