News Flash

Oct. 6, 2017 - City Council will meet Wednesday at Jones Magnet Middle School to consider expanding the special downtown zone and adding a lifetime license for pets, among other items.

Public hearings will be held on:

• Rezoning 18 properties from manufacturing and commercial to the Downtown Business District zone. Most of those properties are owned by the city or Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority, along North King Street between Pembroke Avenue and Interstate 64. The rezoning are in line with the Master Plan for downtown and the Brights Creek and Armory areas. 
• Allowing a commercial day care at 3406 Commander Shepard Boulevard, near the intersection with Wythe Creek Road. I Can Child Care & Learning Center wants to expand onto this property.

City Council will consider the option of allowing residents to purchase a lifetime license for their pets, which the General Assembly began allowing July 1. The proposal is that the lifetime license would cost $20 per pet, compared with the current fee of $10 per year (or $4 for neutered and spayed pets). The lifetime license would be a convenience for residents and would reduce the administrative costs in the Treasurers office. Residents would still have the option of buying annual licenses if they prefer.

Hampton is getting increasing complaints from residents about inoperable vehicles that remain on someone's property for long periods of time. Council will get a briefing on potential changes that could be made in regulating inoperable vehicle in residential areas.

Council's afternoon work session will begin at 1 p.m. in the Lawson Conference Room, but only closed-session items are on the agenda. At 2:30 p.m., the council will convene on the Miss Hampton II for a narrated tour showcasing Hampton by the waterfront.  Residential, development, and tourism opportunities in and around downtown, Phoebus, Buckroe, Fort Monroe, Fort Wool, and Grandview Island will be highlighted.

Meetings are open to the public, except closed sessions. The evening meeting at Jones Magnet Middle School, 1819 Nickerson Blvd. It will be broadcast live on the Hampton TV: Cox 47 and Fits 22 and streamed at http://hampton.gov//tv  The Miss Hampton II can not accommodate electric wheelchairs and does not have accessible restrooms. Meetings will return to Council Chambers at City Hall when renovations and technical upgrades are complete.