Regina Jensen presents draft South Central Jefferson Avenue plan; staff flags pedestrian and right‑of‑way costs

City planning staff on July 14 briefed the Newport News City Council on a draft South Central Jefferson Avenue area plan that lays out a 5–10 year strategy for coordinating housing, economic development and transportation improvements along Jefferson Avenue between Mercury Boulevard and J. Clyde Morris Boulevard.

Regina Jensen, project manager with the Department of Planning, said the plan is the product of a comprehensive planning effort launched in 2025 and reflected input from two advisory committees and hundreds of residents and businesses. "We received over 100 applications to our citizen advisory committee and ended up with nine of the 10 neighborhoods represented," Jensen said.

The draft lays out a vision and a set of goals, Jensen said, and includes concepts for economic growth — one example the plan team tested was a "family entertainment center with a ropes course" — along with transportation alternatives. Staff described a low‑intervention "no‑build" option, a concept converting outside lanes into right‑turn/bus lanes, and a more ambitious design that would require property acquisitions. "We totaled this up...to be, like, over $600,000," Jensen said when discussing a high right‑of‑way acquisition estimate.

Council members pressed staff on specific elements at the work session. One asked whether the plan considers improved bike connectivity to the shipyard; Jensen said staff included an action to "explore the possibility of having an off‑road shared use path along Newmarket Creek," but cautioned that building such a route would require a "significant study" and further coordination.

Another council member asked whether difficulty reaching bus stops reflected distance or riders' age; Jensen pointed to missing sidewalks on residential streets and bus‑stop siting near signalized intersections that can prompt unsafe crossing behavior. "People are crossing intersections not at the signal to catch the bus," she said, noting that pedestrian safety along Jefferson Avenue emerged as a prominent concern in outreach.

On land use, a council member asked how the plan encourages mixed‑use development in areas labeled for "new market" residential and mixed use. Jensen said the plan recommends amending the comprehensive plan’s future land use map and targeted zoning changes — including supporting rezoning where parcels are vacant — to facilitate residential or mixed‑use projects.

Implementation steps include a pilot Community Family Fun Day planned for August 8 at the North Newport News Community Center; Jensen said several departments (including Flood Ready) will participate to provide information and community resources. Jensen also noted the Planning Commission public hearing scheduled the next day and a subsequent public hearing on August 11 to receive additional community feedback.

The presentation traces the area’s planning legacy back through past comprehensive plans and described civic engagement ranging from the advisory committees to a presence at the Hilton Village Fall Fest that produced hundreds of comments. The plan materials and a summary sheet were provided to council for review, and Jensen encouraged council members to submit comments to staff.

The council did not take policy votes on the plan at the work session; Jensen and staff will carry feedback into the pending public hearings and any subsequent zoning or plan amendments.