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Suffolk Planning and Community Development returned to provide data and the next steps in the development of the 2045 Comprehensive Plan. Suffolk City Council observed a report on the plan during their Wednesday, January 27 work session, which detailed options and strategies ahead of its future adoption in the Spring/Summer timeframe of this year. During his presentation, Suffolk Comprehensive Planning Manager Keith Cannady reflected on the long process it has taken to gather data from the Suffolk community and draft the plan with the feedback they’ve received.

“…This has been underway for a while, we’re about 18 months into this process as of today and squarely in the third and final phase of drafting the plan, but started out generating ideas, asking some critical questions, collecting data, testing out options and now at that point where we want to share the direction that we think is best for going forward,” Cannady said.

Cannady recapped the community engagement that he and his team conducted over the course of 2022 and 2023, detailing focus groups, community engagement sessions, open house events as well as social media usage, surveys and more. His presentation also touched upon comprehensive plans through the years such as the 2018, 2026 and 2035 comprehensive plans adopted in March 1998, April 2006 and and April 2015 respectively. Common themes have echoed through each plan such as balanced growth, responsible regionalism, and preserving character. 

Population growth projections were also observed for 2000 through 2040, with a tally of 63,677 in 2000 trailing upward to a projected 116,156 in 2040. On opportunities for growth areas, Cannady detailed wanting to focus growth within established growth areas while also noting strategies such as job creation opportunities, Downtown Suffolk revitalization efforts and combining growth boundaries along the Nansemond Parkway area. Likewise, Cannady detailed six growth area options with a growth area expansion recommendation based on Options A, B D and F. On presenting these options to the community, Cannady provided the following schedule for the public to look forward to.

• City Council Regular Session – Downtown and North Suffolk Opportunity Areas: Feb. 7
• Planning Commission Update – Growth Areas and Opportunity Areas: Feb 20
• City Council Work Session – Present draft plan and post online: Feb. 21
• Steering Committee Meeting: Feb. 22
• Public Open House: March 13, 14 and 16
• Planning Commission and City Council Updates: March/April
• Public Hearings and Plan Adoption: Spring and Summer

Following the end of the presentation, Mayor Michael D. Duman noted how much effort has went into the 2045 Comprehensive Plan’s development.

“In my time on Council, I don’t think we’ve dedicated as much time to one subject with the community engagement, the number of meetings that we’ve had, the number we’re going forward. Which is the way we should be, because this is something that we want to get right or as we possibly can,” Duman said. “I have no objection to any of the topics that we’re taking into consideration.”

For more information, go to suffolk2045.org. To view the Jan. 17 work session, go to youtube.com/@CityofSuffolkVA.