Federal Area Development Authority's
Fort Monroe Public Planning Process Announced

April 22, 2006

Citizens from throughout the Hampton Roads region and beyond will have a week-long opportunity for hands-on participation in the Fort Monroe Reuse Planning Process in late July.

"Fort Monroe has played an important role in our history, and many people have fond memories of their visits to the area," said Bob Harper, Chairman of the Hampton Federal Area Development Authority (FADA) which is overseeing the reuse planning process. "The ideas, vision, and suggestions from the public will be an important part of this process."

The public workshop process will begin with a Kick-off Presentation on July 21, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, 1610 Coliseum Drive in Hampton. Representatives from Dover, Kohl & Partners, the planning consultant for Fort Monroe reuse, will provide a presentation. on best practices in traditional town planning, transportation preservation, revitalization, and a look at other successful redevelopment projects.

On the following day, July 22, participants can join in on a Hands-on Design Session from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Hampton Roads Convention Center where they can gather around tables, discuss ideas with fellow citizens, and draw their vision for Fort Monroe on maps. Each table will have a facilitator from the Dover-Kohl team to assist participants in the design exercises.

During the first part of these table sessions, the community will identify the important issues associated with the re-use of Fort Monroe. Participants will then continue to work and draw on base maps to illustrate how they might like to see Fort Monroe evolve in the future by describing the uses, open spaces, building design , transportation, and services for the area.

At the end of the workshop, a spokesperson from each table will report the findings and major points to the entire assembly.

"The goal of the hands-on design session is to forge a community consensus and develop a long-range vision for the future of Fort Monroe," said Margaret Marshall Flippen, AICP, Senior Project Director with Dover-Kohl.

Throughout the rest of the week, July 23 - 27, the planning team will work at the Hampton Roads Convention Center creating the plan. Community members are invited to stop by throughout the week to offer continual input and monitor the work-in-progress. Citizens, local stakeholders, City staff, City Council, members of the FADA and the recently-appointed 29-member Planning Steering Committee will discuss a variety of concepts as new issues come to mind.

"This will also be an opportunity for citizens to simply stop by and check on the project's status," said Flippen. "The design team will be available to answer any questions the community may have."

During the week, the Dover-Kohl team, City staff, the FADA, and the Planning Steering Committee will also review analyses and public comments received over the past year via the city's web site and other means.

At the end of the week, on July 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, the planning team will present the work generated to date at a "Work in Progress" public presentation. Sketches and visualizations will be presented, illustrating the long-term community vision of Fort Monroe.

These initial plans will serve as examples of how the area can change and grow. Also, a summary of development strategies will be presented, highlighting the various opportunities for quality development and detailing roles and actions needed to facilitate implementation.

It is anticipated that approximately three alternative design scenarios will result from this week-long public process.

"As this planning process is moving forward, there will also be a variety of other required regulatory processes with state and federal officials, including historic preservation, environmental cleanup and other factors," said Harper. "These processes will reveal additional information over the next year or so which will need to be incorporated into the plan before it can be finalized. We may at that time decide to invite the public to participate once again if the results of the regulatory discussions are extensive.

"It is from these processes that a preferred plan will emerge."

The Planning Steering Committee, comprised of national, state, regional and local stakeholders will make a recommendation to the Federal Area Development Authority on the preferred plan.

The decision on a preferred plan will then be endorsed by the FADA, the Hampton Planning Commission, and the Hampton City Council before being forwarded to the Governor for his endorsement, and sent to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for federal approval.

This process is expected to be completed in 2007.

Transfer of operations at Fort Monroe are expected to begin in 2010 and be completed in 2011.

Citizens seeking more information should contact 311, or from a cell phone or outside of Hampton, 757-727-8311.