South Norfolk Design Guidelines Update

photo of South Norfolk House

The community of South Norfolk is the City of Chesapeake’s oldest urban area and, in 1989, the original core of the community was designated a Historic District. In 2001, the City adopted Design Guidelines to help ensure that renovations and construction within the district were appropriate to the character and qualities of the neighborhood. While the Guidelines have been updated several times over the years, this project will provide a comprehensive review and rewrite so this tool can continue to function as a resource for property owners and the Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB), which is responsible for review and approval of proposed projects within the District.

In April of 2023, the Planning Department hired an experienced consultant to manage the review and rewrite process and, over the course of the next year, they will be working together with City staff, the HARB and the City’s Historic Preservation Committee on this effort. The project will involve coordination with community stakeholders and the public, who will have opportunities to share their thoughts and input.

Community Open House

Thank you to the community members who joined us at Truitt Intermediate School for our first Open House meeting on September 28 - we appreciate your interest!

If you were unable to join us, please view the South Norfolk Community Meeting Update (PDF) for an overview of the project and its timeline.

Survey

There is still plenty of time to share your thoughts about the Historic District and how it is managed!

Please consider completing the Public Input Survey so we can better understand your areas of interest and concern. The survey will remain active through November 1st.

For more information, please contact Project Manager Nat McCormick at 757-382-6176 or Planning@CityOfChesapeake.net