November 12, 2025
TO: Wetlands Board
FROM: Secretary, Newport News Wetlands Board
SUBJECT: Wetlands Board Meeting
There will be a Regular Newport News Wetlands Board meeting on Monday, November 17, 2025
at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 2400 Washington Avenue, Newport News,
Virginia 23607.
Should you have any questions regarding this memo, please contact the secretary of Newport News
Wetlands Board at (757) 933-2352.
_____________________________
Sharon M. Neal
SMN/wjw
Attachments: (1) Agenda of Regular Meeting
(2) Minutes of October 20, 2025
(3) Request Letter(s)
pc: Director of Engineering, C. Galant
Director of Development, F. Kingston
Director of Planning, S. McAllister
Assistant Director of Planning, F. Chioros
City Clerk
Engineering, L. Bott
AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING
OF
NEWPORT NEWS WETLANDS BOARD
NOVEMBER 17, 2025
5:30 P.M.
1. Roll Call
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Consider Approval of Minutes from October 20, 2025 meeting
4. Old Business
None
5. New Business
1. Two alternate Wetland Board members has been selected and will be confirmed in December by Council.
NNWB #25-017: Mr. Robert Laufer
803 Riverside Drive
To install a rip rap revetment wall on the outboard side of an existing bulkhead. These
activites will impact 1,000 square feet of non-vegetated tidal wetlands at 803 Riverside
Drive adjacent to the James River.
ACTION REQUIRED
NNWB #25-022: Mr. Mark Hiltke
4101 Washington Avenue
To install a 425’x 25’ pile supported new platform to the north of Pier 3. The project is
located at Huntington Ingalls – Newport News Shipbuilding along the James River.
NO ACTION REQUIRED
NNWB #25-023: Virginia Natural Gas
C/O Ms. Anneliese Fliger
554 S. Independence Boulevard
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452
To install an 8-inch steel gas main using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) beneath the
existing box culverted section of Brick Kiln Creek along J Clyde Morris Boulevard in
Newport News.
NO ACTION REQUIRED
1. Adjournment
2. Documents Provided.
a. Minutes of October 20, 2025
b. NNWB #25-017: Joint Permit Application dated 06/02/2025
c. NNWB #25-017: Letter to former owner Mr. Charles Welcher dated 10/14/2025
d. NNWB #25-022: Letter to Mr. Mark Hiltke dated 11/14/2025
e. NNWB #25-023: Letter to VNG c/o Ms. Anneliese Fliger dated 11/14/2025
25-1226
25-1671
25-1802
Wetlands Board
Meeting Minutes for October 20, 2025
Roll Call
The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM by Holly Cunningham. Wanda Woodruff called
the roll: Holly Cunningham (present), Elizabeth Willis (here), Daina Henry (here), Sandra
Kochersperger (here), Benjamin Davis (here), and Michelle Schopp (here).
Pledge of Allegiance
The Board rose to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Consider Approval of Minutes from March 17, 2025, meeting
Holly Cunningham asked if there were any questions or corrections to the meeting minutes
from March 17, 2025. Hearing none, she requested a motion to approve the minutes.
Motion to approve the minutes from March 17, 2025, was made by Benjamin Davis and
seconded by Elizabeth Willis. The motion carried unanimously with a 6-0 vote.
Old Business
None.
New Business
Chair Cunningham noted that item number 1 under New Business would be addressed at the
end of the meeting, and the Board would proceed to the action items.
NNWB #25-019: Waterfront Consulting, Inc.
Sharon Neal from Engineering read the application into the record, stating that of 18
applications received for review, 17 required no action, and only this one required action and
would be reviewed by the Board this evening.
Sharon Neal presented application #25-019 from AHR VA I LLC, c/o Robert Brant for
property located at 85 29th Street. The application proposed to:
? Excavate a 4-foot wide trench for construction of a proposed bulkhead
? Construct approximately 184 linear feet of vinyl bulkhead with 30 and 35 linear feet
return walls
? Construct approximately 212 linear feet of granite quarry stone riprap revetment
? Install approximately 5,510 square feet of EnviroGrid slope stabilization on the bank
with plantings and backfill
These activities would impact 454 square feet of non-vegetated tidal wetlands adjacent to the
James River.
Staff recommended that if the permit was approved, a condition be added requiring the owner
to sign a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act mitigation agreement to satisfy requirements of the
Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance.
Robert Simon of Waterfront Consulting addressed the Board as the agent representing the
applicant. He explained that this application had come before the Board approximately 2.5
years ago and was approved, but due to a change in ownership, the project wasn't constructed,
and the permit had lapsed. The slope on the property had eroded to the point where part of one
of the brick walls of the buildings had collapsed and required repair. The applicants were
rehabilitating all the apartments on the property and needed to stabilize the bank.
Mr. Simon noted that wetlands impacts would be in the riprap rubble currently on the beach,
which is inter-tidal and considered non-vegetative wetlands. The project would impact 454
square feet, but they planned to plant two rows of Spartina alterniflora on the beach in front of
the riprap where none currently exists. The riprap at the bottom would serve as a wave break
to prevent wave scour during storm events. Mr. Simon indicated that the applicants agreed with
the Chesapeake Bay compliance requirement, noting that the plan already included planting in
the slope grid with a planting schedule from the bottom to the top of the bank.
Benjamin Davis asked about the existing rubble area that would be impacted and how long it
had been there. Mr. Simon responded that he didn't know how long the rubble had been in place
but confirmed that part of the brick wall had collapsed, and they were reinforcing the buildings
with steel I-beams in the corners.
Holly Cunningham asked whether the planting area was within the Board's jurisdiction. After
some discussion, it was clarified that the backfill and plantings would be above the
jurisdictional line, while the riprap in front of the bulkhead would be within the Board's
jurisdiction.
Daina Henry inquired about the types of plants being considered for the slope. Mr. Simon listed
American beach grass, blue arrow juncus, panic grass, and other species to be planted on 12 to
18-inch centers up the slope. When asked about including shrubs, he expressed concern about
salt spray affecting shrubs below 11-foot elevation but indicated willingness to include salttolerant
shrubs if required by the Chesapeake Bay preservation authorities.
Holly Cunningham noted that in the previous approval, the Board had not required mitigation
for the impacts.
Robert Simon requested that the permit be granted for a period of 2 years to ensure the project
could be completed without requiring another permit renewal.
Motion to grant the permit without mitigation (zero mitigation) and with the condition of
signing the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act mitigation agreement was made by Sandra
Kochersperger and seconded by Elizabeth Willis. The motion carried unanimously with
a 6-0 vote.
The Board will consider and vote on increasing the Wetlands Board permit
duration from one (1) year to three (3) years.
Holly Cunningham introduced the proposal to increase the permit duration from 1 year to 3
years. Elizabeth Willis inquired whether there had ever been problems with the current
duration, noting that the case they just heard was an example where 2 years had passed without
significant changes to the site conditions.
Sharon Neal explained that they hadn't encountered problems before as most applicants
complete their work promptly, but noted that other municipalities in the area have wetlands
board permits that last from 3 to 5 years. Sandra Kochersperger added that 3 years is standard
for state permits to start construction. Elizabeth Willis commented on the practical challenges
of planning projects and waiting for contractors to have the necessary manpower.
Motion to increase the permit duration from 1 year to 3 years was made by Holly
Cunningham and seconded by Sandra Kochersperger. The motion carried unanimously
with a 6-0 vote.
Adjournment
Motion to adjourn was made and seconded by Michelle Schopp. The motion carried
unanimously with a 6-0 vote.
The meeting was adjourned
