Issue Page

Development and growth

Put infrastructure first, protect established neighborhood interiors, and direct density to selected village centers and redevelopment sites.

Where this shows up

South Norfolk and Indian River: repair and redevelopment without erasing older neighborhoods.
Greenbrier and Western Branch: mall redevelopment and mixed-use pressure.
Grassfield, Deep Creek, and Southern Chesapeake: growth outpacing roads, schools, drainage, and rural infrastructure.
Camelot and Rivercrest: industrial adjacency, buffers, and environmental risk.

What the city should do

Put most density at selected village centers, major-corridor nodes, and redevelopment sites—not continuously along every arterial.
Protect established low-density neighborhood interiors from blanket rezoning.
Require verified road, drainage, school, utility, and emergency-response capacity before rezoning.
Make new development pay for the capacity it consumes.
Require architectural compatibility, tree canopy, useful crossings, and strong buffers.