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Community input favors green space and a memorial approach for Pine Grove site
Summary
City staff reported outreach results for the former Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind site: most responses favored parks/green space, an all-abilities playground, and interpretive history panels; staff proposed quick-win safety and sidewalk improvements and said $1.5M in sale proceeds would be targeted toward the site and used to leverage grants.
Monica, Hampton’s Public Engagement Division manager, summarized more than a year of outreach on the city-held portion of the former Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind site. She said staff contacted 110 of approximately 647 target homes, collected 148 survey responses, convened a steering group that included alumni and neighborhood representatives, and found that most stakeholders prioritized green space and interpretive elements that honor the school’s history. "We heard a lot of feedback, actually most of our feedback fell under green space, looking for parks," Monica told the council.
Staff outlined immediate "quick wins"—traffic safety enhancements at Shell Road and Greenbriar Avenue (reflective stop-sign tape, flashing advance warning signs, stop bars) and a Dominion Energy LED streetlight upgrade by March 31, 2025—and proposed sidewalk extensions on Gloucester Street and Greenbrier to improve walkability and bus-stop access. Monica said proceeds from the recent sale ($1,500,000) are intended to be reinvested and used as local match to pursue historic-preservation and playground grants; the team plans an unveiling ceremony at the Hampton History Museum on March 1 to display interpretive panels (including braille translations) and honor donors and alumni.
