City Council Approves Redevelopment Plan for Former Wood’s Orchards Site

316-Unit Apartment Complex to Move Forward Following Land Use and Zoning Changes

Aug 05, 2025

At its July 9, 2025 meeting, Hampton City Council approved all required land use changes, rezoning, and a use permit for Orchard Oaks on the Boulevard, a 316-unit apartment development planned for the former Wood’s Orchards site on East Mercury Boulevard. (Courtesy DBA Architects, Whitmore Company)

The Hampton City Council has approved all necessary changes to allow the redevelopment of the former Wood’s Orchards property into a high-density multifamily housing complex. The decision came during the Council’s scheduled meeting on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, following a public hearing and staff recommendations in support of the project.

The approved plan, known as Orchard Oaks on the Boulevard, will transform approximately 10 acres at East Mercury Boulevard and Woodland Road into a residential community featuring four apartment buildings with a total of 316 units, a central clubhouse, outdoor pool, and other amenities.

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Council voted to amend the Hampton Community Plan, changing the land use designation for the affected parcels—183 and 183A East Mercury Boulevard and 261, 265, 303, and 305 Woodland Road—from Low Density Residential to High Density Residential. The Council also approved rezoning the properties from General Commercial (C-3) and One-Family Residential (R-11) to Multiple Dwelling Residential (MD-4) and issued a use permit to authorize the multifamily development.

City staff supported all three applications, noting that the project aligns with Hampton’s land use and resilience goals. Staff highlighted that the development would revitalize a long-vacant property, provide new housing options in a growing area, and incorporate design features to complement the surrounding neighborhood. Plans include energy-efficient construction, landscaped buffers, and the adaptive reuse of the original Wood’s Orchard barn as a community feature.

The development will include one three-story building and three four-story buildings. The lower building will front Woodland Road to better transition to adjacent single-family homes. The site also includes 420 parking spaces, bicycle storage, sidewalks, and shared resident amenities.

A traffic impact analysis determined that the development would generate fewer daily vehicle trips than what is permitted under the site’s previous zoning. Recommendations include adding turn lanes along East Mercury Boulevard to improve traffic flow.

The Planning Commission previously recommended approval of the project. While public feedback at a March 2025 community meeting was mixed, Council’s final decision moves the project forward.