City of Portsmouth, Virginia - Department of Planning

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PLANNING DEPARTMENT

City Hall Building
801 Crawford Street, 4th floor
Portsmouth, VA 23704
Phone (757) 393-8836
Fax (757) 393-5223

Destination Portsmouth
is a series of adopted Development Strategies, Plans and Initiatives which will implement the vision of the 2025 Comprehensive Plan. Click here to find out more.

FEMA has made some changes to its Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Please check the links below for some basic information about these Rate Maps, as well as a list of affected properties and what you can do to retrofit your house or building.

Preliminary Summary of Map Actions (605 kb)

Flood Hazard Mapping Fact Sheet (802 kb)

Need help retrofitting? www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/pubs/lib312.shtm

The Planning Department’s mission is to provide support for programs and activities related to the physical development and use of land in the City. These activities include, but are not limited to the development of the City’s Comprehensive Plan as well as reviewing and permitting land uses through processes such as rezoning and use permits.

The department provides staff support to a number of City Council appointed Boards and Commissions including the Planning Commission, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Downtown Design Committee, the Urban Design Committee, the Wetlands Board, and the Craney Island Study Commission.

Finally, the Department represents the City at the regional and state level on issues such as the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and Transportation Planning through the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.