CPG and WPA were hired to engage with stakeholders and frequent users of the design guidelines, to review the zoning ordinance to ensure compatibility with the design guidelines, and to develop updated design guidelines that responded to the needs of the community and staff.
Commonwealth
South Norfolk Design Guidelines Update
Community Engagement
Historic Building Renovation
Historic Research
Historic Resource Documentation
Local Design Review Consulting
South Norfolk Design Guidelines Update
Partners
City of Chesapeake
Work Program Architects
Project Goals
The goal of the South Norfolk Historic District Design Guidelines update project was to retain the historic character of the neighborhood while also responding to stakeholder and public engagement. Over time, gaps in guidance within the existing guidelines document led to confusion among users, so the City sought to update the document to clarify expectations within the historic district.
Project Design
A critical part of the project was to develop a public engagement plan to gain insight from the community and keep them included in the process from start to finish.
Public engagement included public meetings, an online survey, and stakeholder interviews to better understand the challenges felt within the community with the existing guidelines and identify areas of opportunity for improvement.
Challenges & Accomplishments
During community engagement, it became clear that misinformation and confusion regarding the existing guidelines and the review process existed that needed to be corrected through the update process.
The final document provided graphic-oriented examples, new guidance to fill previous voids in information, and key information for all stakeholders to better support project planning and review within the historic district.