VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach Planning Commission members will soon review construction plans for 176 apartment units in the southern half of the city.
The Franklin Johnston Group is behind the proposal. Project Manager Freddie Fletcher told 13News Now the plan mixes in workforce housing.
“There will be 53 units, so 30 percent of the project, that will be for workforce housing,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher said the group wants to buy private farmland on Princess Anne Road behind the Courthouse Marketplace shopping center. The developer also has an apartment complex nearby.
“It’s formally, agricultural piece of land that is no longer commercially viable,” Fletcher said.
But, that property sits behind Virginia Beach’s “green line,” a longstanding symbol of separation between development to the north and agriculture in the south.
“There are a lot of issues below the green line that come into play,” said Councilwoman Barbara Henley.
Henley said she worries the construction could create conflict with Naval Air Station Oceana.
“Because of the ITA that the navy recognized during the BRAC this is the flyway between Oceana and Fentress,” Henley said. “It is very important that we keep structures out of that area, so there is not a problem with noise or accident potential.”
That’s also a concern for Rona Marsh, who wrote to city council members asking them to deny the plan.
“This is a high density development, but this is the wrong place for it because of the potential flooding in that issue as well and the traffic issues,” Marsh said.
Fletcher said the Navy is on board with the proposal, and he’s hopeful to see the apartments move forward.
“It’s what we need to have attainable housing in this portion of the city,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher said they would expect the workforce housing rates to range as follows:
- 1 Bedroom: $1,300 to $1,450
- 2 Bedroom: $1,500 to $1,650
- 3 Bedroom: $1,750 to $1,900
Fletcher said those rent prices are all based on the Franklin Johnston Group charging 20 to 25 percent less than the market rate rents in the rest of the property and subject to some fluctuation as the market rate rents change.
He said the units will be set aside for people making between 60-100 percent of Area Median Income (AMI).
The Virginia Beach Planning Commission will meet Wednesday at noon to discuss the apartment proposal by the Franklin Johnston Group.