Transportation Corridor Overlay District Executive Summary

The Transportation Corridor Overlay District was developed as a result of a resolution by the Chesapeake City Council directing staff to "conduct studies and engage in special planning for major transportation corridors.to determine and implement the most productive and beneficial use of land within. such corridors." A Transportation Corridor Overlay District Task Force was formed and a draft concept developed. The first draft, known as the Economic Development Opportunity Corridor Overlay District was then circulated for review. Based upon comments received, the concept was further refined to create the January 5, 2000 draft of the Transportation Corridor Overlay District.

Additional public input was requested by the community-at-large and a Citizen's Working Group was then assembled with the mission of recommending guidelines for development within these Corridors. The Group consisted of 32 persons and they met over the course of nine weeks to arrive at a consensus recommendation. The Working Group's recommendations were presented to City Council and were reviewed by City staff. When the Transportation Corridor Overlay District was adopted on June 13, 2000, it incorporated many of the Working Group's recommendations.

The resulting Transportation Corridor Policy is a policy framework designed to manage emerging development along significant transportation corridors within the City. It is an amendment to the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Transportation Corridor Overlay District recognizes that transportation improvements often act as a catalyst for new development. It recognizes that there is a need to preserve future opportunities for economic development. It also recognizes that without clear policy it will be likely that these opportunities will be foregone to other land uses which will establish their own tone and direction for the future of these corridors.

The Transportation Corridor Overlay District is administered through the rezoning and conditional use permit process, through which the City has some discretion over approval. Each application would be reviewed for consistency with this policy. The area of application of the policy is recommended to be a one-mile buffer around the proposed corridor. Each rezoning or conditional use permit application within the Overlay will be expected to be consistent with the policy guidelines including development type, location, and timing. Each proposal should also reflect certain design guidelines and access policies.

The Route 104 / Dominion Boulevard Corridor and the Route 168 / Chesapeake Expressway Corridor are under consideration at this time. Both are significant north- south thoroughfares with planned improvements that will significantly increase accessibility to lands along the corridors. The majority of land in both of these corridors is currently zoned for agriculture (A-1) which means the majority of new proposals within these corridors will require a zoning reclassification. Other corridors may be considered in the future.

Also contained in this policy are recommendations for the development of a public utility extension strategy to regulate the orderly extension of water and sewer into the corridors. There is also a recommendation for a refinement to the Planning and Land Use Policy that further discourages residential development in the Corridors unless facilities are adequate, and an amendment to the City Land Use Plan to make it more consistent with other existing City policies. An amendment to the City Zoning Ordinance requiring use permits for public buildings has also been recommended as a result of recommendations from the Citizen's Working Group. Each of these actions requires separate action by City Council.

The Transportation Corridor Overlay District should be considered a fluid document, with opportunities for modification as needs arise. Changes in road alignments, facility adequacies, or access plans may all necessitate policy revision. As the City engages in the development of a new Comprehensive Plan and other strategic initiatives, other opportunities may also arise that may necessitate revision to this policy.

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