Redistricting on Council agenda
Published 8:21 pm Monday, July 18, 2011
City Council members will discuss a preliminary redistricting plan and a controversial rezoning request for a planned development off Pitchkettle Road during their meetings on Wednesday.
The work session will begin at 5 p.m. at City Council chambers, 441 Market St. The regular meeting will follow at 7 p.m.
The redistricting plan will be discussed during the work session. The redistricting is required after every census to ensure that the city’s voters are distributed equitably among the seven boroughs.
All seven of the city’s boroughs experienced growth, but the three North Suffolk boroughs — Chuckatuck, Nansemond and Sleepy Hole — grew by leaps and bounds.
Since the 2001 redistricting, Sleepy Hole’s growth was the highest, gaining 73.4 percent in nine years. Nansemond gained almost as much, with 69.4 percent. And Chuckatuck experienced growth of 52.1 percent.
The city’s other boroughs grew by an average of only 7.7 percent, led by Holy Neck with 18.5 percent. Whaleyville grew only 2.8 percent.
Under the new plan, each of the boroughs must be brought as close as possible to the target population of 12,083, which equals one-seventh of the city’s population. The new plan must be approved by Dec. 31.
On the regular session agenda, the rezoning request for the proposed Foxfield Meadows development likely will be the headliner.
The neighborhood already has been approved with 128 single-family homes and 114 multi-family units. However, the developers, Cloverleaf Development, wanted to increase the number of multi-family units to 158, reduce cash proffers and alter minimum square footage and design standards for single-family dwellings.
Residents in neighboring Westhaven Lakes are opposed to the project, saying it will create a substandard development that offers less money for infrastructure while putting more of a burden on that infrastructure.
Also on the regular session agenda are conditional use permits for an outreach organization lodge, a child care center and a telecommunications tower.