VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A controversial proposal for new apartments has gotten the green light in Virginia Beach.
A few acres of land on Princess Anne Road, just west of the Municipal Center in Virginia Beach, is the potential new home for 176 apartments. The Franklin Johnston Group is behind the proposal.
Several community members spoke against the plan last week during a Virginia Beach Planning Commission meeting.
The land in question falls in the Interfacility Traffic Area, or ITA. It’s the path of naval jet travel between NAS Oceana and Outlying Landing Field Fentress.
“It’s very important we keep structures out of that area,” Councilwoman Barbara Henley told 13News Now last week.
The developer’s attorney said the apartments fall outside the ITA noise zone.
Tuesday night, however, Councilman Chris Taylor said he was supporting Henley’s resolution: asking the city manager to conduct a study on city rules regarding noise and density for properties in the ITA.
“Whether a council member is going to support or not support this project for Franklin Johnston, I think these are some of the policies and issues we should be discussing,” Taylor said.
The Franklin Johnston Group project managers said their plan includes more than 50 workforce housing units. A spokesperson for the group said they look forward to the city council meeting:
“We are hopeful that the City Council supports our workforce housing community as it is an essential component to the growth of our local economy and a top priority for the City of Virginia Beach.”
Acting Chair of the Virginia Beach Agricultural Advisory Commission Billy Vaughan said he is all for workforce housing, but he is concerned about the group building on farmland.
“Maybe find a different location for the workforce housing, maybe something north of the green line, where we are not going to be violating our own comprehensive plan,” Vaughan said. “And all the ordinances that are going to have to be waived, for a lack of a better word, to accommodate those. 176 units on three acres, that’s a lot.”
Virginia Beach City Council members voted to approve the construction plan late Tuesday night in a 7 to 2 vote.