if you are interested in donating for signs or legal assistance, please contact YourNeighborhoodNext.com we do NOT receive donations made to Change.org. In order to create more land, a developer and the city of Virginia Beach have proposed an idea to fill in a lake off of Great Neck Road. The citizens of Virginia Beach reject the precedent this would set that our lakes and ponds are the next victim to poorly planned development. The city made commitments through the taxpayer funded Flood Protection Program that new developments would not be approved if they added to the demand on our stormwater systems. This petition goal is to let the city leadership know that we do not consider our lakes to be buildable land.

Lake Conrad is part of the Great Neck Lakes system, a contiguous streaming lake system that flows into the Lynnhaven River. It contains abundant wildlife including hawks, frogs, turtles, fish, herons, ducks, fox, raccoons, migratory birds, butterflies, and long-eared bats. There are approximately 140 mature trees on the property to be sold by Wycliffe Church, roughly 3 acres of rolling hills and 1 acre of a lake that is designated as part of Virginia Beach's stormwater retention and drainage system. In place of this land, Bishard Homes proposes 12 homes in the $900,000 price point on 10,000 square foot lots, approximately 6 of the homes will be built on the in-fill and 6 on the high ground near Great Neck Road. The request by Wycliffe Church to change their zoning back to residential housing in order to sell to this builder will be presented to the Planning Commission on August 9, 2023 and City Council in September. We ask for your support that the request to return the lot to housing be denied. When the land was zoned R-10 in the 1950s, lakes were not considered buildable land. And they shouldn't be today. The property should be preserved as it has served Virginia Beach for generations--as drainage and Green Space. Virginia Beach city planners and city council should not promote any proposal that would threaten this stormwater drainage facility and natural ecosystem in the Great Neck corridor.

Thank you for recognizing the precedent this would set for our other wetlands in Virginia Beach and sign the petition. ***If you would like to donate money towards signage and flyers please venmo @Windy-Crutchfield NOT Change.org*** You will be provided with a receipt.