VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WVEC) -- A developer hopes to turn agricultural land in Virginia Beach into residential property.
Up to 50 acres owned by Argos Properties on the north side of Princess Anne Road and Holland Road may soon be home to 32 houses.
“It will increase traffic a lot because the next project will have an entrance off of Princess Anne Road which is going to add congestion," says Chirco.
According to city reports, this development would add 380 average daily trips to traffic, which is still shy of capacity. Ed Brown said congestion isn't the only problem.
“The area that the developer is requesting to re-zone to residential is wetlands, and it drains into West Neck Creek," said Brown.
The director of the department of planning, Barry Frankenfield, said the wetlands won't be touched.
"Only 15 acres are being developed, and it does not impact wetlands," Frankenfield said.
Brown said this still doesn't answer the flooding problem.
"We're concerned that if the land is developed into residences it's going to make the flooding along Princess Anne Road worse than it currently is, and the taxpayers will be left holding the bag to clean up the problem later," said Brown.
According to Frankenfield, the city was prepared for this.
"The preliminary strong water study to ensure that in a certain level of storm, which will be in a 100-year storm, which I think is a 9 or 10 inches of stormwater over ten hours, that there will be no impact on the adjacent properties. So, that is our design to ensure that those properties are not impacted," said Frankenfield.
Virginia Beach City Council is set to vote on the topic Tuesday night.
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