NEWS: Williamsburg Aims to Protect Local Decision Making While Lobbying State

City approves 2025 Legislative Agenda, outlines stance on state and national issues

The Stryker Center in Williamsburg is the home of the City Council and boasts space for public meetings and special events. (Photo Credit: George Arbogust)

In November, the Williamsburg City Council approved the City’s 2025 Legislative Agenda, noting the document “outlines the City’s position on issues facing the nation and state that may impact our locality.”

“Land use decisions are best implemented at the local level where elected officials know and experience directly the nuances, impacts and repercussions, both intended and unintended, of such decisions upon the locality and its residents,”reads the document. The effort to preserve local zoning control comes on the heels of state wide regulation efforts such as HB2-2100, which failed to move out of committee, but proposed to “prevent localities from over-regulating occupancy, parking, setback and other factors,” according to Housing Forward Virginia, a nonprofit which advocates for more affordable housing.

Dropping from the City’s …