Design Review Committee

The Norfolk Design Review Committee (NDRC) reviews all exterior alterations, new construction, and some demolition in the City's local historic districts and recommends to the Planning Commission issuance of Certificates of Appropriateness (COA's).

These recommendations are based generally on the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and New Construction; and specifically on the Local Design Guidelines.  In addition, the NDRC reviews public projects and private projects that are on land purchased form the City or encroaching onto City property.

Certificate of Appropriateness Instructions and Application • Printable Application | Fillable Application

Filing Deadline*	NDRC Hearing Date	CPC** Meeting Date	Agenda & Applications †
December 27, 2011	January 9, 2012	January 12, 2012	agenda
January 10, 2012	January 23, 2012	January 26, 2012	agenda
January 24, 2012	February 6, 2012	February 9, 2012	agenda
February 7, 2012	February 16, 2012	February 23, 2012	agenda
February 21, 2012	March 5, 2012	March 8, 2012	agenda
March 6, 2012	March 19, 2012	March 22, 2012	agenda
March 27, 2012	April 9, 2012	April 12, 2012	agenda
April 10, 2012	April 23, 2012	April 26, 2012	agenda
April 24, 2012	May 7, 2012	May 10, 2012	agenda
May 8, 2012	May 21, 2012	May 24, 2012	agenda
May 29, 2012	June 11, 2012	June 14, 2012
June 12, 2012	June 25, 2012	June 28, 2012
June 26, 2012	July 9, 2012	July 12, 2012
July 10, 2012	July 23, 2012	July 26, 2012
July 24, 2012	August 6, 2012	August 9, 2012
August 7, 2012	August 20, 2012	August 23, 2012
August 28, 2012	September 10, 2012	September 13, 2012
September 11, 2012	September 24, 2012	September 27, 2012
September 25, 2012	October 8, 2012	October 11, 2012
October 9, 2012	October 22, 2012	October 25, 2012
October 30, 2012	November 8, 2012	November 15, 2012
November 20, 2012	December 3, 2012	December 6, 2012
December 4, 2012	December 17, 2012	December 20, 2012
December 26, 2012	January 7, 2013	January 11, 2013

* Deadline by 12:00 noon
** City Planning Commission
† To view applications, click the blue applicant name link in the agenda.

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will be held in the Conference Room on the 10th floor of City Hall at 4 PM.  There is typically a pre-meeting at 3:45 PM.  See the agenda for details. 

Contact: 

Susannah Winstead

5^th Floor, Room 508, City Hall Building

810 Union Street

Norfolk, VA 23510

Telephone: 757-823-1451
Facsimile: 757-441-1569

susannah.winstead@norfolk.gov

Requirements:

Depending on the nature of the project, the following should be submitted:

• Site plans, floor plans, building elevations with appropriate detail on the design of doors, windows, ornamentation, signs, lighting, visible mechanical equipment, and other details
• Landscape plans
• Proposed signs
• Proposed lighting
• Samples of colors and materials
• Preliminary engineering plans for streets, paths, parking lots, etc
• Photographs of the site, building, and/or surrounding properties
• Any other information that would assist the Committee in evaluating the application

Procedure:

• The applicant presents his request to the Design Review Committee
• The Committee makes a recommendation to the Planning Commission
• Staff presents the request to the Planning Commission
• Planning Commission may approve or deny the application
• If the application effects property in an Historic District, and is approved by the Design Review Committee and the Planning Commission, a Certificate of Appropriateness is issued

Time Frame:
2 Weeks

Fees:
None

Other:
No building permit shall be issued and no certificate of occupancy issued, unless a certificate of appropriateness has first been obtained. In addition, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall take no action in cases where certificates of appropriateness are involved until such certificates are obtained.