Preliminary Phase

The Department of Planning reviews the following types of applications:

Agricultural Divisions and Resubdivisions	Certificate of Appropriateness for the South Norfolk Historic District
Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area District	Conditional Use Permits
Planned Unit Development Creation/Modification	Planned Unit Development Deviation
Preliminary Site Plans	Preliminary Subdivision Plans
Rezonings	Special Exceptions
Street Closures	Subdivision Variances

These planning applications fall into two general processes:

Administrative Plan Process

The administrative plan process includes the review of applications by various City of Chesapeake staff. This review does not require a public hearing. The types of applications, which can be approved administratively, include the preliminary site plan application, preliminary subdivision plan application, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA) encroachments other than CBPA exceptions or appeals, Agricultural Divisions, and Resubdivisions.

Public Hearing Process

The public hearing process includes the review of many types of applications by various public hearing boards. This review does require a public hearing. The types of applications, which require a public hearing process, include Conditional Use Permit applications, Rezoning applications, Street Closure applications, Planned Unit Development (PUD) Creation/Modification applications, PUD Deviation applications, Subdivision Variance applications, Special Exception applications, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA) Exception applications, CBPA Appeal applications, Certificate of Appropriateness for the South Norfolk Historic District application and variances, and Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).

CBPA Board

The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Board is a seven member board appointed by the City Council. The Board reviews and makes decisions regarding Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA) exceptions, appeals and violations.

CBPA Exceptions and Appeals

Planning Commission Only

A nine-member body appointed by the City Council charged with the responsibility for the comprehensive and long range development of the total community. It is a deliberative body vested with the promotion of the public interest and well-being. The Planning Commission advises the City Council in the formulation of policies, ordinances, development projects and resolutions related to urban development. The Planning Commission is charged with a broad range of decision-making processes. These processes include finding facts, interpreting opinions, giving advice, making formal recommendations, settling disputes and imposing regulations. Through public hearings, the Planning Commission gathers, organizes, and reports opinion on various community issues. It then interprets this record by seeking to give balanced and fair accounts of divergent positions and assessing their significance in relation to the formulation of public policy.

Planning Commission and City Council

The council-manager form of local government combines political leadership of elected officials with the managerial experience of a professional city manager. The City of Chesapeake has eight council members and a mayor elected at large, which means that members represent the entire city rather than specific districts.

The City Council is Chesapeake's legislative body. It sets policy, approves the budget, and sets the tax rate. Members also hire the City Manager, who is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the city, and who also serves as the Council's chief advisor. The City Manager prepares a recommended budget, recruits and hires most of the government's staff, and carries out the council's policies. While the City Manager may recommend policy decisions, he or she is bound by the action of the Council. The Council appoints three additional staff members: the City Attorney, City Clerk, and Real Estate Assessor.

Stipulation: A stipulation is a condition of approval imposed by the approval authority when necessary to ensure compliance with ordinances, regulations and policies or to ensure the mitigation of adverse impact.

Proffer: A proffer is a condition voluntarily offered by or with the authorization of the owner of property, as part of a conditional rezoning application which limits or qualifies how the property which is the subject of the application will be used or developed if rezoned as requested.