The Civic League has been asked to share this information from a member.
Harvest Farms is an application for a PDH rezoning (highly discouraged in the City zoning ordinance) with 7 commercial B2 parcels (16 acres) on two tracts of land equaling approximately 121 acres - about 70+/- acres on the corner of Princess Anne Rd and Indian River Road - across from Red Barn and 51+/- acres across Princess Anne Road just south of Ashville Park (the old airfield). While there are a multitude of concerns already being discussed daily in the news about Sea Level Rise, recurrent flooding, and subsidence, there are other concerns, especially in this area of the city. Of significant note is the fact that these parcels are at the extreme end of the Transition Area, just before the start of the Rural Area, and developing here is both sensitive and subject to compliance with the City's Comprehensive Plan and Transition Area Design Guidelines.
At the July 5th Transition Area / ITA Citizens Advisory Committee Meeting, the applicant had not received approval of its stormwater design - both required and crucial to this area. The application is still under review at the Planning Department yet is scheduled for public discussion and review by the Planning Commission on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, at noon in City Council Chambers.
In addition to the presentation lacking any official input from the required city department review process (things like infrastructure, floodplain / wetlands review, etc.), the cumulative effect to the surrounding area and zero community input, the application requested density of 164 housing units on these two tracts - far exceeding the absolute maximum allowable density of one unit per acre of developable land if all other aspects of the application were 100% in compliance with the Comprehensive Plan, the Guidelines and able to earn this density on the existing documented matrix. The developable acreage is unable to be ascertained without further input from the planning review process.
Further, commercial development in the Transition Area is intended to be neighborhood serving, small in scale and primarily at large intersections. This application for 7 commercial B2 parcels along Princess Anne Rd, Indian River Road and within the requested development would be in addition to the already commercially zoned 3 acre B2 parcel that sits on the corner at the light (in front of the horse farm, etc.). This is an extreme request with little to no control over eventual commercial development given the current rezoning request.
Please convey the following and make every effort to attend one of these important meetings:
PUBLIC MEETINGS ANNOUNCEMENT:
Pungo Properties LLC would like to welcome the public to meet and discuss the proposed development: Harvest Farms.
Location:
Princess Anne Rec Center
1400 Nimmo Pkwy, Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Dates:
July 19th, 2018 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm in Room 1
July 25th, 2018 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm in Room 5.
