VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — City leaders in Virginia Beach approved an apartment complex off Princess Anne Road, Tuesday night after receiving strong opposition from neighbors.
The Silo at Southern Pines will be constructed in what is now just a field near the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.
The development has 176 apartment units, 53 of which will be workforce housing.
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"As the president of the Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations (VBCCO) we were unhappy with that decision," Rick Boyles, who was at Tuesday night's meeting, said.
Boyles said many raised concerns in regards to how close the apartments are being built to Naval Air Station Oceana and how fast changes were made to the original development plan.
Since half the property is in an area where this type of structure can't be built, developers had to change their plans to fit a smaller footprint.
"At this stage in the game I don't know that there's anything that can be done here," Boyles said. "However, there are other projects on the horizon that are going to have similar issues. "
At Tuesday night's meeting, Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer said the plan had no concerns from the NAVY.
While some wished the city would have taken more time to consider all aspects of the plan, Dyer said additional housing is needed as more and more people continue to move to Virginia Beach.
"This is very important to our national defense in retaining people in the armed services right now in a world that's kind of dangerous," Dyer said. "So hence was my sense of urgency, but again, we've been working on this project for months."
Freddie Fletcher, senior management developer with Franklin Johnston Group, said they are excited with how the city is moving forward and will continue to address concerns brought on by residents.
"It only gets more technical from here, but we expect to be able to work with city staff as well as with the neighborhoods to ensure that the property is ultimately received well, " Fletcher said.
Fletcher said there is still a long process for this development, but ground could possibly be broken by the end of 2024.
