Based on feedback received from community members, a volunteer steering committee, City staff leadership, and City Council, the planning team has been working on a new approach to planning for future land use in the Suffolk 2045 future land use plan. The approach will be consistent with the ideas behind previous plans, emphasizing that growth within existing developed areas is the best way to:
- improve land use predictability;
- promote land use compatibility;
- protect rural areas;
- foster a vibrant mix of uses and activities with services and amenities in Downtown and North Suffolk;
- leverage existing infrastructure; and
- promote fiscal responsibility.
The Suffolk 2045 plan will provide more specific guidance on where and how the City should grow and change than in the previous (Suffolk 2035) plan. The planning team has conducted a series of presentations to Council on the land use approach. Presentations have been posted to the project website resources page at suffolk2045.org/resources.
In addition, the team is looking into specific opportunity areas for employment generation and thoughtfully considering the specific character for these areas, setting a high standard so that new development can be carefully designed and managed to minimize adverse impacts on surrounding areas.
This work is guided by the key values and land use principles for the plan were tested with the public during the summer Open House events and have been expanded upon to help guide future land use:
Values
Support and enhance variety in character and types of places in the City.
Community members have emphasized that the diversity of place types in Suffolk and the many lifestyles they help support are great strengths for the community. This includes rural and agricultural areas and villages, a mixed-use downtown, and newer neighborhoods in the north. Maintaining this variety and enhancing valued place types will ensure both that community members can continue to enjoy the areas they love and that new development further improves upon these places.
Maintain an efficient transportation network with effective choices for mobility.
In any growing community that is focused on expanding economic development opportunity, new development can be expected to contribute to increased traffic. The current development pattern in Suffolk is largely automobile-oriented with congestion between population centers and freight rail lines. However, this plan provides an opportunity to look at land use and transportation together and develop strategies that will both support economic prosperity and quality of life. Efforts have been made to improve the walkability of existing and new developments. Transit will continue to be emphasized to help with citywide connectivity.
Support economic development opportunities with benefits across the community.
Suffolk has experienced significant investment since the last comprehensive plan was adopted. However, while employment has grown, the City and the Hampton Roads region have fallen behind the state as overall GDP has decreased since 2012. Sectors that generate high levels of employment should be targeted in addition to those that support public amenities such as retail and service businesses. Suffolk must position itself competitively both within the region and the state and consider how changes to the concentration of employment in certain industries and commuting patterns relate to land use decisions.
Promote a diverse housing stock, providing options in terms of type, location, and affordability.
Changing trends in the housing market support the case for policies that could increase choice in housing options with respect to both unit types and price points. High-quality, mixed use and multifamily communities with a range of housing types, including housing on smaller lots and with fewer maintenance needs, continue to be in demand locally and nationally, especially among young people just starting out and older adults. It is also important in order to maintain a competitive workforce across multiple industries and pay grades. This includes both new housing and infill housing in existing neighborhoods. Local and regional examples of new housing development that have been constructed since the last comprehensive plan was adopted provide models that can be instructive for the future.
Protect the natural, cultural, and historical assets of the City.
Community members have emphasized the value of Suffolk’s natural, cultural, and historic assets. Rural landscapes, parks and open spaces, wetlands and waterways, and the Great Dismal Swamp are treasured in the community and contribute to the quality of life that residents enjoy. These natural assets, as well as the cultural and historic ties to the Nansemond Indian Nation, the defining early years of America, and agricultural heritage, are a part of what Suffolk is today, and should be preserved for the enjoyment and enrichment of future residents.
Maintain high-quality services and facilities as growth occurs.
As growth occurs, existing services, such as public safety, and facilities will require maintenance and expansion. Facilities and services should be located within current population centers and with future growth in mind to ensure that they are accessible from and adequately serve communities. This includes the quality of schools and parks and their relationship to land use and development.
Preserve the agricultural heritage and character of the City.
This plan continues the ideals of the Suffolk 2035 plan regarding the preservation of agricultural land, while recognizing business realities and market forces. It focuses on the idea of providing choices to farmers and agricultural property owners that both encourages the preservation of the rural landscape, where desired, and provides them with flexibility. Related to this idea is the concept of encouraging growth and development in locations with existing infrastructure and supporting placemaking and the concentration of activity in some of the City’s villages. This plan carries forward the idea that more rural southern portions of the City will generally be preserved for agricultural uses.
Support Collaborative Regionalism.
Suffolk’s roadways, sewer and water service, and solid waste program continue to relate to regional plans and agreements. At the same time, Suffolk’s challenges and opportunities need to be understood in the context of the regional housing and job market. Roadways are impacted by transportation plans made by VDOT and the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO). A Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) federal consent order decree may impact the City’s expansion of its sewer system, while the Western Tidewater Water Authority influences planned water facility development. Likewise, a regional agreement impacts solid waste management within the City. As with the Suffolk 2035 plan, this plan considers these regional conditions when planning for future land use and growth, in recommendations provided for the transportation network, and in provisions of municipal facilities and services to help ensure that future development within Suffolk continues to support and enhance the vision reflected through these regional plans and agreements.
Land Use Principles
Maintaining the Focused Growth Approach and Expanding Growth Opportunities.
Suffolk has two distinct centers for population and activity. The Central Growth Area features a core of traditional downtown development, able to accommodate retail in storefronts with residential and office uses above, as well as suburban development patterns. The Northern Growth Area features a core resembling a more suburban commercial lifestyle center, accommodating commercial, office, and institutional uses in often planned developments, sometimes with a residential component. This plan aims to support both while enhancing the unique character and vibrancy of each. However, analysis of growth capacity and public, stakeholder, staff, and other input, support revisions to the Growth Areas incorporate additional capacity for future growth both within the areas and expand them strategically.
Ensuring a High Quality and Character of Development.
The quality and character of development are important to Suffolk residents, and new development should be designed to reflect that value. A series of Place Types was developed in the 2035 plan to guide the site planning and design of future development within the Growth Areas. The 2045 plan addresses a need for more clarity on how the Place Types can be applied in certain locations within the Use Districts and in some locations there is a desire to reconsider some of the existing Use Districts and Place Types to better support quality of place and other objectives.
Coordinating Transportation and Land Use Considerations.
Transportation improvements are needed to accommodate growth and the continued train, truck, and car volumes that pass through Suffolk, but transportation improvement needs exceed funding. Largely focusing new development within the existing framework for growth, while identifying strategies for funding, will minimize the need to make transportation improvements outside of Growth Areas.
Protecting Natural Resources and Agricultural Lands.
Community members have identified the City’s natural resources and agricultural areas as important assets that should be preserved. While the Focused Growth Approach in the 2035 plan sought to achieve this, implementation is key. This plan seeks to identify new opportunities to maintain the conservation of natural resources and agricultural areas outside the Growth Areas.
Promote Synergy Between Economic Development and Land Use.
Suffolk’s ability to compete regionally and nationally for investment and business development opportunities will impact the City’s tax base as well as individual prosperity due to job and wage growth. By extension, it is a critical factor in improving the quality of life of community members. For this reason, land use decisions must be considered alongside economic development opportunities.
Support Fiscally Sustainable Land Use Choices.
Fiscal responsibility is a significant focus for the City as it grows. While not the only consideration, the extent to which certain development contributes positively to the City’s overall fiscal position should impact land use decisions. This plan also sets up a fiscal analysis to demonstrate the impact of proposed changes to the land use approach and will result in a fiscal model that can be used to help inform development decisions.