HAMPTON, Va. — As Hampton city officials plan to update the strategic plan for the next five to ten years, they want to hear from residents to see if they're on the right track with the goals they’ve identified.
Residents like Gatlin Clifton think the city is doing pretty well. Other residents have specific goals they hope city staff will consider.
“I think more housing for the seniors would be appropriate for neighborhoods, because they took our neighborhood and put an industrial park in there,” Hampton resident Andrew Woods told 13News Now.
The strategic plan is a component of the Hampton 2040 Community Plan.
It includes several strategic areas: education, economic development, family resilience and economic empowerment, being a safe and clean community, placemaking, excellence in government and living with the water.
Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck noted in a town hall last week that city administrators have also identified a goal to redevelop. But even that comes with a challenge.
“We are landlocked," Tuck said. "We are some 95, 96 to 97 percent fully developed, which means that we can’t do a whole lot as far as new development. So, what our process involves is redevelopment, taking what we have and trying to create something new out of it.”
City leaders expect to have a few more community meetings to hear from residents before holding a final public review in late June or early July. A final draft will be presented to city council members towards the end of the year.
You can share your input through an online survey. The deadline to complete the survey is March 3 by 5 p.m.