City Council Formal - 09/16/2025

one. On this fine and rainy day, I'm going to call this to order. And uh we're privileged to have the invocation by Chaplain Don Jackson, who's the veterans of foreign war of United States of America. Chaplain, come on forward.

And if you are willing and able, please stand.

Pray with me, please. Almighty God, we thank you for the many blessings that you bestow on us daily. We thank you for the honor of living in this great nation, this beautiful city of Virginia Beach. We give thanks that we are frequently spared the ravages of hurricanes tornadoes wildfires and floods that dev devastated other parts of our country. We pray for our brothers and sisters who suffer such tragedies.

Surround them with your love, comfort them, and give them hope. We pray that you will continue to have mercy on and bless our community. We are shocked and saddened by the political violence and violence against our school and children that have shaken this country. We ask you to intercede and end these senseless acts.

Remind potential perpetrators that we are are children of God and are proudly collectively known as Americans. We long for return to a time of tolerance, acceptance, and individual respect. Lord God, we thank you for our first responders who face danger daily to keep our city safe. Be with them, bless them, and surround him with your shield of protection. We pray for our military and

their families as they sacrifice to maintain our freedom and way of life.

Watch over them and keep them safe. We thank you for the city, the service of our city leaders, particularly this council. We pray for their safety in these tumultuous and violent times. May they always seek and follow your guidance in their discussions.

May their decisions be based not only on the benefit of our city and its citizens, but whether they are acceptable in your eyes. Amen.

Amen. Thank you. And if we may have a moment of silence for all of those who paid the ultimate price to keep our city and our nation safe.

Now the pledge of allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

for which we stand under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Okay. Thank you, madam clerk. Do we have a roll call?

Yes, your honor. All present. Um, including Vice Mayor Wilson and Council Member Ross Hammond who are participating virtually via WebEx.

Welcome to our virtual council pay table. Thank you for at this. going to ask for a motion for the certification of the close session.

Second.

Okay.

The vote is open by a vote of 9 to zero with council well I'm sorry let me ask Vice Mayor Wilson council member Ross Hammond um would you all just like to abstain on the close session?

Yes please.

Okay. Council member Ross Hammond.

Is she there, Jamie?

Yes.

I a vote of 9 to zero with Vice Mayor Wilson and Council Member Ross Hammond abstaining. You have certified the close session to be in accordance with a motion to recess.

Okay. Thank you. Um, could I have a motion to approve the minutes of the formal informal sessions of September 2nd, 2025 and the special formal session of se September 9th, 2025?

So moved.

The vote is open.

Council, thank you. Um, Vice Mayor Wilson, may I have your vote?

Yes.

Ross Hammond, may I have?

Yes.

11 to zero with um the verbal votes of Vice Mayor Wilson and Council Member Ross Hammond, you've approved the minutes as submitted.

Okay. Thank you. Um, you know, um, the Sister Cities Association of Virginia Beach postponed uh, due to inclement weather. Though before we get to the consent agenda, I'm going to read the SC script for speakers. I want to remind everyone that the city council speaker policy that allows certain representatives a group to speak for 10 minutes applies only to planning items. All other speakers, whether speaking

individually or on behalf of a group, will have up to three minutes to speak on any single item.

Speakers are reminded that comments during the formal session at of the meeting must be limited to the subject of the item that is being considered by the council at the time you are called.

For items placed on the consent agenda, a speaker will have up to 3 minutes to address any single item. If the speaker wishes to speak on multiple consent agenda items, the speaker will have a cumulative total and six minutes to address those items. Again, the speaker must limit his or her his or her comments to the subject matter of the items they have addressed. Finally, I call upon all speakers and all persons

in the chamber to be civil in their discussion in the court. Whatever views you hold and wish to express, the city council wants to hear from you and to ensure that all viewpoints and all persons are respected. the best way to do this for all all of us to strive for civility and respect and m Mrs. Henley, if I can ask you to do the courtesy of the consent agenda

for the ordinances that will be on consent.

Number one, the ordinance to add Ocean Hills neighborhood to city code sections 21-382, 21-353, and 21-384 and extend the sunset date to April 5th, 2029 regarding the residential permit parking in the historic Cavalere Shores neighborhood. Item two, an ordinance to authorize the city manager to execute a subgrant agreement to accept and appropriate $8,775 from the Virginia Department of Historic

Resources, DHR to the fisc year 202526 planning and community development operating budget and authorize a $8,775 grant match. Ray, the update of National Register of Historic Places nomination for the US Coast Guard station, SeaTac Life-Saving Station. Item three, an ordinance to accept and appropriate $669,568 from Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA to the fiscal year 2025 2026 Fire

Department operating budget ray administration of Virginia Task Force 2.

Item four, an ordinance to accept and appropriate $216,870 in aid to localities grant funding from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs to the fiscal year 202526 fire department operating budget, RAID training, construction of training centers, firefighting equipment, and protective clothing. Item five, an ordinance to accept and appropriate $51,129.38 and $1,533.88 from Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA to the fiscal year 202526 Fire Department operating budget Ray Virginia Task Force 2 mobilization for the floods in Texas.

Item four, Virginia Beach Residences LLC, Baker Road Properties LLC.

Did I turn two pages? I did. Pardon me.

Go back. This is uh ordinances item six.

An ordinance to accept and appropriate $22,500 from the sale of equipment to the fiscal year 202526 fire department FEMA administrative grant. Raid the purchase of replacement vehicle for Virginia task force 2, the rolling stock fleet. Item seven, an ordinance to accept and appropriate $17,63.75 and $511.91 from Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA to the fiscal year 202526 Fire Department operating budget Ray

Virginia Task Force 2 for the mobilization for tropical cyclone Aaron.

Item eight, an ordinance to carry forward and appropriate uh 10,867,297 into the fiscal year 202526 operating budget rate purposes previously approved in fiscal year 202425.

Item nine and this will defer for 90 days to December 9th. Ashton Builders One LLC for a certificate of appropriateness rate an appeal of historical review board decision on the application to modify number 25-12 to install white vinyl fencing which was denied at 2582524 peaceful lane in district 2 and this will allow the item to go back to the historic review board for more review. I

open a public hearing on planning. Uh and these will be the planning items.

Number one, Donna D. Harris and Boris G drew for a variance to section 4.1B of subdivision regulations Ray Lotwidth at 970 White Landing Road in District 1.

Also for approval, Global Montello Group Corporation for a change in nonconformity Ray to relocate an existing non-conforming sign at 1689 Alaskan Road and that's in district 6.

Item three, also for approval, Michael L. McGlin and Tracy R. McGlenn for a change in nonconformity. Ray adding a front porch and a second story addition with a balcony to an existing single family dwelling at 31135th Street. And this is in district 6.

Item four, the Virginia Beach Residences LLC, Baker Road Properties LLC for a modification of profers to a conditional change of zoning. Ray, construct a 375 unit multif family development at 1276 Baker Road and vacant parcel north of 1276 Baker Road. This is district 4th uh district 4 and it had been deferred from uh uh August 12th of 2025. And this is for approval.

Also item five for approval. VB FBDC LLC doing business as Funny Bone Draft Cade/Pinrook Square Associates LLC for a special exception for alternative compliance.

Ray, install a 91 square foot sign at 4554 Virginia Beach Boulevard, Sweet 100. And this is District 9 for approval. Also for approval, item six, Charlottes Hassen CEC Family Trust for a conditional use permit rate a short-term rental at 213 4th Street in District 5 for approval. Item seven, also for approval, David and Deborah Dowy and David Wayne and Deborah M. Dowy for a conditional use permit Ray a short-term

rental at 423 21st Street. And this is district six. Also for approval, item eight, Richard F. Davis and Richard A.

Davis for a conditional use permit Ray a short-term rental at 30428th Street, unit 206. And this is district 6.

Item nine, also for approval, an ordinance to amend city zoning CZA section 2404, Ray Western campus overlay district.

And item 10, uh, also for approval, an ordinance to amend the city flood plane ordinance sections 1.3, 4.3, 4.10, 6.1, 6.3, and 6.7.

reunctionally dependent uses uh residential construction requirements and grandfathering and that's for approval. Uh we will hear item 11. So I move approval of the uh consent agenda is read.

Do I have a second?

Second.

Okay. Dr. Ros Hammond, you asked to make a comment on planning item number four.

Sorry.

Can you hear me?

Council Ross Hammond, just give us a second. Let's do the vote first and then make comments. Okay. Mine.

All right. Let's go ahead and open the vote.

The vote is open.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um, Council Member Ross Hammond, may I have your vote?

Yes.

Have your vote?

Yes.

You have approved the consent agenda as read by Council Member Henley.

Did you get my vote?

Yes, ma'am. Thank you.

Okay, Dr. Ross Hammond.

Yes. Um, I would like to applaud uh Mr.

Bean and the Virginia Beach residents LC developers who took my suggestion seriously about including attainable affordable housing within this development.

They went back to the drawing board and after a 30 days reference came up and added a 7% to these multifamily units to address affordable and attainable housing. So I want to say to them, thank you. They give the perfect example for what we would like to see moving forward. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you all. That completes the the consent agenda. Now we will hear item 11, ordinance to amend the 2016 comprehensive plan, master transportation plan, removal of a portion of Southeastern Expressway and Green Belt between Princess Anne and Hudam Way District 2. Do we have speakers?

Yes. The first speaker is Lisa Murphy.

After Miss Murphy is Mike Ireland.

Welcome.

Good evening, mayor, uh, vice mayor by phone, members of council and staff. For the record, my name is Lisa Murphy. Uh, normally here as a zoning attorney, but I'm here tonight as a citizen and as the chair of the Virginia Beach Development Authority, and I I appreciate you all reappointing me to that um to that body.

I'm here tonight because uh we've got a very important uh matter for your consideration. Just three months ago, I know it's hard to remember, it was dry and it was incredibly hot and we were in acoustical sheet metals facility. That was June 13th. Uh we held an event, the governor and the secretary of commerce came down to Virginia Beach to announce the uh expansion of acoustical sheet metal. As I mentioned that day,

acoustical sheet metal is a true Virginia Beach success story. As most of you know, 30 years ago, they were a small local business with just eight employees. In the last 5 years, they've grown exponentially from their first building in Innovation Park of just over 100,000 square ft to a second phase with another 130,000 square foot building, which was completed just last year. Uh

at the June event, we announced with the governor that acoustical sheet metal would be further expanding in Innovation Park. And that expansion would double the size of their uh facility, taking it from about 230,000 square feet total to just under 500,000 square ft and more importantly nearly doubling the size of their workforce here in the city. Uh when phase three and four are complete, acoustical sheet

metal will employ nearly 900 employees.

Uh, as I said, with just under uh 500,000 square feet of uh of facilities in the city, we're fortunate, very fortunate, and that's part of the reason I'm here today, that Acoustical Sheet Metal has chosen to grow their business in Virginia Beach, and we are proud of what that represents for the city and for its residents. We're also pleased to be able to provide acoustical sheet

metal with additional land in Innovation Park to continue to grow and expand their successful business in our city.

Um that's, you know, having a business and having them have the area to expand is is not a given. We've got to have um we've got to be able to compete with other cities, with other regions, with other jurisdictions. So, um, we're very pleased that they've chosen to expand further in in the city. As your, uh, staff report indicates, what we've requested is the removal of the southeastern, uh, Parkway and Green Belt

Reservation that generally encumbers uh, the land the VBDA has agreed to sell to to acoustical sheet metal. And what this is is about a 300 foot wide approximately reservation of land. Um it's it's not an easement, it's not a uh dedication, but it's a reservation for uh an area that the city may want to potentially use in the future. Uh as the staff report also indicates, there have been significant changes to the

development patterns in the area since um uh the uh SCPG was put in place. Uh most notably in uh March of 2022, City of Virginia Beach and uh City of Chesapeake terminated theirou recognizing that there was never going to be a Southeastern Expressway. Um as you can see, we've got uh development around that. I want to point out to you there is a BMP. So the uh part of what

this reservation um would you know if it was going to provide some sort of additional trails which which we can provide in the park and along Hidome Way um it would have to cross over a rather large uh BMP facility. So again as the staff report indicates that the development in the area has changed. The city owns 4,000 plus or minus acres in the area. And so at this time, it's appropriate to remove the reservation

from this particular parcel so that it can be used uh fully to uh to benefit the citizens. I'm happy to answer questions that you have. I know um economic development staff is a is any questions at this point. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you.

The next speaker is Mike Ireland.

After Mr. Ireland, we have one WebEx speaker.

Welcome, Mayor. Council members, thank you for allowing me to speak in favor of this amendment. Um, I'm going to put I want to put a little bit of a human face to our company. Um, we we have uh approximately 650 employees right now.

We build and integrate large complex industrial generator systems for on-site power generation. These systems go across the country to infrastructure and data center uh companies across across our great nation. And we have about like I said 650 employees and these employees we we hire employees with absolutely no skills at all. We have our own house training. We certify people to be

welders and we give people a step up. We we have employees that are project managers. We have employees that are welders electricians um engineers, accounting people, HR experts. We have across the gamut of employment in this company. And I want to make sure that you don't think we're just a small manufacturing business um that just has um you know unskilled labor. That's been said before, but

that's not the case. Uh we have about 650 employees but when we started uh about 2000 I came to the company and we were eight guys in a junkyard. You might remember that old Gil Steel building with that big concrete mountain. Well, we had 1,000 square ft of space in that building. We often had trouble even paying ourselves. So um you know we would pay the vendors. We'd save a little money. Eventually we bought some

pro some property in the London Bridge Industrial Park. Um, we didn't know what to do with this property and we went to the Virginia Beach Economic Development Authority and they showed us the way.

They connected us with a banker. Uh, they helped us build the building. They gave us performance metrics to make payroll and taxes and all that kind of thing. And we met those performance metrics. And then we built a second building, hired another 40 employees. We met those metrics. Then we built a third building on that property. More metrics.

We met them all and exceeded them in many cases. In about 2019, Margaret Shy, our CEO who is here today and an investment group came and they believed in us. They invested in us and we are able to grow that we built our first facility as stated in about 2020 and that gave us about 350 employees there.

uh as as the economic development um representative mentioned, we had Governor Yncan here a few weeks ago and he uh cut the ribbon on this new facility that we want now. You know, the city of Virginia Beach has um believed in us and has invested in us for over 25 years. We have met the metrics that you've asked us to do and we have employed uh uh people across the employment spectrum. um they have

partnered with us and we have you know asked the city to uh allow us to grow from that small company of eight guys to the 650 employees that we have now.

I think our timer is off a little bit.

If you can do a quick Okay, good. Um I'm just asking for your help uh to allow us to grow more, hire another 350 employees and keep our success story going. Thank you.

I'm sorry, Mayor. I didn't realize he was the applicant when he signed up, so I'd only given him three minutes. Oh, okay. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Does he want to have you want him to have more time?

It's up you as we can give him more time.

Yes, he's he is the applicant. He didn't register as the applicant. But do you need more time?

No, sir. But I do appreciate I really want to stress the fact that uh Okay, come up and No, come up. You got to come up and speak there. My apologies.

Sorry.

Um I watched a little button here and I'm keenly aware of it.

Oh, yeah. I saw the yellow and that's what made me do that.

That's fine. Um but again um we have investment partners now that has helped us grow um to the two facilities we have now. We're asking for another 250,000 square ft, another 350 employees. Um we we uh uh feel like we have performed well uh in the last 25 years of our growth and we want to continue performing in that way. But I really do want to say to the Virginia Beach Economic Development Group that they are

the folks who taught us how to do this and helped us to do this, believed in us, invested in us, and I think they've got a return on their investment. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Thank you.

Used to work for deer.

Yeah, I remember she was very proud.

Thank you.

Um the next speaker is Martha Thorough.

She is joining us. WebEx. Miss the you are unmuted and may begin.

Good evening. The people of Virginia Beach entrusted you with protecting their investments in this city.

Before you tonight is a matter that calls for your unbiased attention, one that giving up a portion of the Southeastern Expressway Green Belt Reserve for the benefit of one commercial developer.

This land was amassed at taxpayers expense for the purpose of transportation needs. And while it won't be used for an expressway, the Virginia Beach Planning Department has told you that there will likely be a need for a road in this area in the future. You gave the land to the VBDA back in January 2024.

They now have agreed to sell it to this developer for $150,000.

$150,000 for land that is irreplaceable.

And on top of that, while you use the taxpayers's money to acquire it, the $150,000 will go directly to BBDA, not the city.

This matter was placed on a rocket docket with the planning commission receiving it for review 5 days prior to their meeting. Similar to the silos apartment projects in the vicinity, it appears that a standard that the standard protocols may not have been followed. Additionally, the updated comprehensive plan indicates that the reserved land should remain with the city, but this this provision was not

included in the document sent to the planning commission. Questions about the project's financing have also been raised, including by the treasurer of VBDA at last Tuesday's meeting. The reason for the accelerated timeline has not been clarified. It all smacks of smoke and mirror games and manipulations and the citizens will be the loser.

Again, I think an internal audit is called for and perhaps a review by the Virginia State Attorney General. Thank you.

Miss Mayor, that's all the speakers unless you would like to have Miss Murphy or someone from economic development.

Okay. Would you like to come up and uh you clarify you know the expediency part of this?

If you all just state your name for the record, please. Natalie Gilmuse, Deputy Director of Economic Development.

In terms of the reason for this particular item being in front of you, after the announcement was made in June, the company began to continue their project with their banking institution and the bank made very clear that they would not be able to secure financing as long as the reservation remained on the property.

This was information that we received within the last 3 to four weeks and we as often do in economic development try to meet the need of the market and respond with clarity on what the solutions could be and speaking through the different processes that the city allows for including going to the planning commission and now here with the city council.

Okay. Are there any questions?

Okay. Thank you.

Okay. All right. At this point, do I have a motion?

Yeah. Move for approval.

Second.

Second.

Now open for discussion. Mrs. Henley.

Uh, well, it's in my district, so I assumed that I was going to be able to uh have the first comment.

This issue is one of the most difficult I've ever had to prepare for. Part of it is because we're not approving the conditional use permit for this business.

What we're doing tonight is removing a section of right away and then making it available for sale uh to this individual developer.

So we are really not we are tonight we are changing our master plan.

The normal process for amending the comprehensive plan and the master transportation plan has not been followed and it's a major change to both plans. This has hastily come to us as it went before the planning commission last week without the proper consideration and public information. This issue was not on the initial agenda distributed for the planning commission meeting of September, but was hastily added on

September 4th. And now on September 16th, it is before us for change to remove a section of the rightway acquired by city council to provide a transportation corridor across the city and to leave that issue vaguely to future staff consideration is not the way we should be do we should do such important planning acquisitions.

City Council is a continuing body. Since the early 1980s, the city council has recognized the importance of preserving a viable transportation corridor across the city. Since first proposed by council member Bob Jones in the early 80s, which then became a part of a proposed roadway known as the Southeastern Parkway in Green Belt, this has been a part of our master transportation plan.

City council was very concerned about preserving a transportation corridor during the rapid growth time of the 1980s.

It became a major concern that such a corridor be preserved as undeveloped property. And as undeveloped property became available, the city council purchased the property to keep it available for transportation in whatever project that might become.

I can attest to the concern often expressed in city council sessions about the amount of money that was being spent to preserve the corridor, but the ultimate understanding of the importance to have this option for the future kept the project going.

As late as this current master transportation draft plan, which is dated August 20th of 2025, on page 16 are the words, quote, "Due to transportation purposes, it is important for the city to retain right away from Holland Road to Indian River Road and so forth." And that segment is shown on the map and it includes this property.

Now before us is proposed action to cut out a section of the quarter and in some method transfer that ownership to a private company for its development.

Exactly what the earlier city councils went to great lengths to prevent.

Now, the planning commission item carries the request. Quote, "Staff is requesting that a portion of the southeastern Parkway and Green Belt between Princess Anne Road and Udome Way be removed from the current master transportation plan. Precisely in that area, our current master transportation plan draft says we should retain the rightway.

What will be left will be right away with a big gap between the two sections.

To have this left with a vague vague statement that staff will study other possible sections is not the way we normally do planning. We seem to be having conflicting staff request.

As early as this Wednesday and Thursday evenings, we have scheduled public sessions regarding the proposed comprehensive plan. This item needs to be deferred until the proper full consideration can be done. We simply cannot afford to make hasty decisions that will then be very costly to correct.

And for that reason, I will not be supporting changing this comprehensive plan in this fashion.

Okay. Do we have anybody else?

Yep. Jennifer.

Thank you, mayor. Yeah, I've been going back and forth in my mind about it and I've been asking questions of staff to understand how we got here. Uh some of the concerns Council Member Henley mentioned. Um and so can you reiterate um because it was the way it was brought to us. My understanding of it is there's a financing need for the developer and so because we've only recently learned

about that need um and the timing of when things need to happen that's why it's come to us so quickly. Can you just reexlain that please?

Of course. Um thank you council member Raps for that question. So the banking institution of acoustical sheet metal in terms of this project if you've known about the the data and the stats it's a $45 million capital investment in this project and to move forward with the actual construction of the 250,000 square foot facility. They need financing to do this and working with a bank is a part of that process. The bank

is not willing to move forward with financing this project without the reservation being removed and that is something that you would want in terms of the company to move forward as quickly as possible. Delay is also in terms of cost and even the ability for this project to move forward in the city of Virginia Beach is also at risk.

So, uh, Mr. Mayor want to clarify um in the beginning of this process when this conversation first started with the economic development staff and Cusco sheet metal this was discussed but it wasn't identified as a problem at the time. The team thought they could design around it and they worked to design around it. It wasn't until after they got to meeting with their financers that

their finances raised this as a issue and their financers raised us as an issue sometime this summer. the our team and their finance team and Okus sheet metal tried to find different ways to solve it. They ultimately could not do it in a way that satisfied the financers. So then it came to us as a request to remove the reservation so we can get this done. This is unorthodox in

terms of the pace by which we're doing this and that's the part that's the heartburn that's created here amongst the council and the public. But it really was simply that acoustical sheet metal in order to meet their delivery orders and their timelines and their project timelines needed to close before the month closed before September closed. And this is why this is here before you all. We wish this was

something that we would have known in the front end because typically when this thing happens it's usually a 2 to 3 month process but because of the urgency of um Makus sheet metal needing to meet their financing needs is why this request was brought for you at such a expedited pace.

Okay Josh, thank you Mr. Mayor. Um, I'm trying to recall the conversations about the Southeastern Expressway and um cuz I know we recently decided to forego um some of those areas, not not this one, but um uh in an amendment to uh the transportation plan, but um I do recall that there even even with this portion of the the rightway reserved, there are still considerable portions of property

that we don't We wouldn't have known where that road was going to go um necessarily, would we? I mean, there would have been more acquisitions that would have had to have been made. There would have had to have been more planning obviously, you know, funding source, uh capital program, you know, opened and can you talk a little bit about that?

Of course. Um Katie Shannon, deputy director of public works. Um, so as Miss Henley had stated, um, Southeastern Parkway has been in the master transportation plan for quite some time.

It's a conceptual alignment at this point. We previously had a capital improvement program to acquire property.

Um, that has since um, uh, been closed out. Um, the city owns a portion of the property along the alignment. The Navy military owns a portion and some of it is privately held as well. So, as was stated earlier, it's a reservation at this point in a conceptual alignment. There is no current funding to move forward with design and construction of the Southeastern. We would have to get

funding to start the design process. And as with all road projects, the alignment would be refined as the project moved into development. Um, this section is owned by the city currently. So, there would be an additional cost to make that connection in the future if if we extended it all the way to Holland Road right now. Um, but we public works can do alternative alignments um if needed

as if council directs. So, so what I'm hearing from you is there there there even even though it's just a reservation, there's no necessarily that not necessarily a plan to build this road in in in place right now.

Correct.

Um in order for us to if we had a plan, it would still require us to assemble considerable amount of additional property, not to mention the cost of to construct the road. So, correct. these this is decades upon decades of work likely. Um and originally there was five sections of the southeastern um all the way from the Chesapeake City line to about Alaskan Road area. Right now there's one section left which is

Holland Road to Indian River. Chesapeake also had a section of um the Southeastern. They have chosen not to move forward with theirs. Um, and it's kind of just right now in the master transportation plan as a conceptual alignment if and when we chose to move forward. And and finally, I I watched a planning commission hearing on this and I recall that the applicant had acquiesed to a shared use path uh alongside this

project because I know we heard from our active transportation advisory committee about um, you know, if there wasn't a road going to be there to make sure that we preserve connectivity opportunities.

Can can someone speak to that concession that was made?

Yeah, correct. Um Emily Archer, deputy director of economic development. Um thank you, Council Member Schulman. I was about to bring that up that even if regardless of the road coming through, there was still very much a need and concern that the active transportation plan, which also calls for a trail along the Southeastern Parkway and Green Belt alignment not come to fruition. Um

and uh the development authority is very committed to connectivity throughout the park. They've installed uh trails all around the existing acoustical sheet metal facility along Hudong Way. A new four-legged intersection with crosswalks at Princess Ana Hudome Way was committed to making sure a trail connections could come through in the future. But the applicant themselves, acoustical sheet

metal, has um um confirmed that they would build an 11oot trail around the eastern s south southern portion of their uh property they're considering um in lie of the reservation regardless to ensure that trail connection comes through um regardless of the future of the roadway.

Thank you, Barber. Uh if I could to the public works director, you did say when we do go forward and I'm assuming with all the property that the city has acquired for a road of this nature and they're still saying in the master plan we need to keep it. If we cut out this parcel and give it to this developer for his property, we would have to buy some more property to replace it to build the

road. And so the the as I tried to make the point when the city council acquired all this property, are we going to be debating this all night? Um acquired this property for the roads, it was very diligent about making sure we were keeping property from developing. So we would then have to buy developed property in order to build the road.

That's why we've got property that is undeveloped. So when you're looking at this to buy replacement for this when we do want to build this road, we are constrained somewhat by the other properties that are still acquired. So how are we going to make them meet up?

Yeah. Um we would have to essentially do some traffic studies and look at alternative um alignments. There's a possibility that we could use Hudome Way. There would probably have to be maybe some improvements on the future on Hudome um depending on what the final typical section of the Southeastern ended up being. I believe right now it's a two-lane road with about 115 ft of rideway. Um

at this time though we don't have enough information. There's also, as you know, potential roadways coming in with the potential development of the ITA and we would have to look at it holistically and see if the southeastern needed to be still from Indian River to Holland or if there was other alignments of it. I I unfortunately do not have enough information to provide you at this point.

Well, that's sort of my point in that we really haven't investigated this enough.

If we're going to start getting rid of portions of that southeastern Parkway that we acquired many years ago at great expense, we really need to have a plan.

We need to know what we're doing. And and I also Okay, I was just going to say if you could bring the this the um visual back on the screen because I think this will help with Councilwoman uh Rouse's comment and the some of the questions that have come up. Um, so not included in the master transportation plan currently is Hudome Way. If you look at the orange, that orange area, we

now, as of a few weeks ago, have a signalized intersection and a is it four lanes? Four-lane road um just to the north of where this reservation is. So you've got a a road all the way that continues Hudome Way that dead ends at a at a circle. Our proposal which was submitted uh for the expansion of Innovation Park along with our uh August report to city council for the last fiscal year included the extension of

Hudome Way and if you extend Hudome Way so that it dips around the BMP which you're not going to you're not going to fly over anyway. It reconnects with the rest of the reservation. So you're not giving up a segment. We actually have a road that was built that's now a signalized intersection that would provide that segment. it just goes around to the north instead of straight through. And so I I just wanted to make

sure I pointed that out u because I think it's important to understand that we already have a road section. We would propose extending it and that could provide that segment that um is is being released or no longer reserved across this property. So I just wanted to make sure that visual was clear.

Okay, worth thank thank you mayor. Thank you everyone. So just a point of clarification, this is not a developer.

It's a a thriving business that wants to develop this property. It's not a just any five and dime developer. So just want to clarify that. Secondly, um any lending lending institution will want this reservation removed not because the availability of the company or what they're doing there, but because it just assures that this company can use this land in the future. So I can understand

why the uh financial institution would want this reservation removed. Thank you.

Yeah, Barbara.

Um this is why my intent in my comments was to say we have not vetted this parcel. We have not asked all the questions that need to be asked. And so that's what happens when we put something on a very fast track and not allow the time that it needs to have the full examination that something like this needs. This is changing our master transportation plan that we've had for many years for this area and

it's also changing the comprehensive plan not in a fashion that we normally would think of changing it. And I started my comments by saying that this was a very difficult thing to address because what we are talking about is a particular use and that use permit doesn't come to this body for approval until late October.

Now, is that going to be a preuncter you've got to vote for it thing like this is?

Because that's not coming before us until October. So why are we even talking about the business at this time?

We're talking about that section of roadway on there that's labeled Southeastern Expressway. And if you look at it, it goes from the top of that line down through the orange, which now it will go to this company and will become a part of their parking lot and then continues on through. So, as my comment said, how are we going to make up that difference when we cut this parcel out

and do something else with it? We have not vetted this properly. And that's my point. We have hastily done this. We have brought this out of our process.

And apparently this conditional use permit that we're going to hear in October is going to be very preuncter.

We might as well just go ahead and assume it's approved and not waste the public's time.

Okay. Daisy, Miss Murphy, I believe you said and it shows on the map that any future roadway that would ever been planned or contemplated would have to um take into consideration this pretty major BMP.

Correct. Yeah.

So, I think that decision was already made that there's not going to be a major road coming through here. There's already a BMP. there's already development or there's already items in here that would prevent that from happening.

And there's already on the the southern half of the reservation, there is already a Virginia Power um seal easement. So that was one of the other potential uses of the southeastern expressway or southeastern Parkway and Green Belt was um Virginia Power, but they've already got an easement running through there, so there's not really the need for that either.

Thank you.

Okay, let me just uh close out. You know, for uh I guess it's been 20 years that I've been on, you know, the pleasure of being on city council, I heard about the Southeastern Expressway, and when I first got on city council in 2004, there were a lot of high hopes for it, but then they went away. And I really don't see that as a foreseeable project in the future, especially if I'm

not mistaken, Chesapeake is no longer uh going to be participating with it. And the thing is that, you know, I think one of the things councils have to do is something they do we do in the Marine Corps. Improvise, adapt, overcome, you know, depending on the situation. You know when we have steel corporations and IMS gear and uh Hermes and then we have acoustical sheet sheet metal these

are part of the DNA of what we are about they employ people but one of the things that if they didn't have deadlines that they had to honor okay we probably wouldn't be here but the fact is we are here and once again you know this is not being prodeveloper this is being pro business is being promployment. So, at this point, let's open the vote.

The vote is open.

Council member Ross Hammond, may I have your vote?

Yes.

Thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor Wilson, may I have your vote?

Is she there? Vice Mayor Wil.

Yes.

Thank you.

I vote of 10 to one. You have approved this ordinance to amend.

Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Henley. Could we have the appointments, please?

I'm sorry. Is this what you gave me or that's

Can we do that?

I tell you what, let's go ahead and we'll hold Can we hold the Mrs. Henley can't find her list?

Okay.

Yeah.

Oh, this is not what I had. Okay. Uh, for Beaches and Waterways Advisory Commission, appoint Tyler Chen as a uh, student member. For the Board of Zoning Appeals, appoint Ben Willis as the alternate member, Richard Corner as alternate member and Natalie Bori as an alternate member. Community Organization Grant Review and Allocation Committee reappoint Lori Zontini.

Deferred Compensation Board appoint uh representing finance. Historic Preservation Commission appoint as student members Grayson Netter and Grace Curan. For the Historical Review Board, reappoint Bernice Pope.

for the housing advisory board appoint Beth Anne Campbell representing a citizen member and Hannah Sabbo representing the planning department.

Human rights commission appoint Sylvia Nuri Strickland for military economic development advisory committee appoint Steven Cade for the open space advisory committee. Appoint Clay Bernick, Vincent Bowers, Francis Drum and William Flem Fleming for the public library board.

Appoint Samantha Hickey for the Social Services Advisory Board. Appoint Eric Marx and Heather Newton for the Stormwater Appeals Board. Appoint Douglas Smith for the Virginia Cannabis Advisory Task Force. A blow Cavl Malino representing a minority business council member for the Wetlands Board. Appoint Paul Holly as a full member and reappoint Steven Ballard as an alternate member. I make these nominations, please.

Okay. Open the vote.

The vote is open.

Council member Ross Hammond, may I have your vote, please?

Yes.

Thank you. Vice Mayor Wilson, may I have your vote?

Yes.

Thank you.

My vote of 11 to zero with the verbal votes of Council Member Ross Hammond and Vice Mayor Wilson. You have appointed those as read by council member Henley.

Okay. Thank you. Is there any old business to discuss? New business. Okay.

Thank you all. We are return.