CHESAPEAKE, Va. — South Norfolk Civic League President and resident Brad Moore takes pride in living in this historic section of Chesapeake.
“You have a place that already has a built-in historical character," Moore said. "Every home in South Norfolk has its own character.”
Living in a historic district comes with a different set of rules.
“You’re not just buying a home," he said. "You’re not just making an investment in your future, you’re assisting in the preservation efforts of the entire community.”
Community Design Manager Nat McCormick says in the early 2000s, the city adopted design guidelines.
“The neighborhood was seeing a lot of demolition and unsympathetic renovations at the time and they were looking at a stronger way to manage,” he said.
Now, city staff are taking another glance at those guidelines. It’s a process they started about a year ago.
McCormick says updating these design guidelines is about making the process to change these historic houses a bit easier.
“One example of that is the question of painting," he said. "Right now, if you’re painting your house, if you’re just re-painting in the same color, you do have to come to the city for approval.”
Moore hopes city staff continue to work with residents on these changes all while preserving the character of these homes.
City leaders are holding a community meeting at Truitt Intermediate School on Thursday, April 11. It starts at 5:30 p.m.