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Hampton council reviews 'Living with Water' resiliency plan and seeks direction
Summary
City staff gave a deep-dive briefing on the Resilient Hampton "Living with Water" strategy, reviewing its history, climate projections, pilot projects and funding options, and asked council for policy direction on zoning, staffing and partnerships.
City staff presented an extended update on the Resilient Hampton "Living with Water" initiative during the council work session. Carolyn Heaps, the city's resiliency officer and lead presenter, summarized the program's evolution from the 2011 waterways plan through the 2017 Living with Water framework and recent watershed planning work. Heaps framed resilience as "bolstering our inherent strengths to alleviate chronic stresses and enable recovery from extreme events," and used regional tide-gauge scenarios to show the local risks posed by sea-level rise.
Council members discussed the trade-offs between near-term mitigation and long-term land-use choices. Staff described the city's interdepartmental approach and emphasized that projects combine water quality and flood mitigation goals. Heaps and the city manager asked the council for feedback on pacing, funding strategy and where policy changes — including potential zoning code revisions and development incentives — might be needed to meet projected flood risks and to make the best use of incoming state and federal grants.
