Why has this campaign to save a neighborhood lake resonated so strongly across Virginia Beach? 

So many of us have fond memories about time spent by the water. Whether fishing with Dad, catching frogs with friends, crabbing for dinner, or simply contemplating life. Water is in fact the source of all life. Water connects us. The prospect of developers using our waterways as "the next frontier" just seems, well, sacriligious. 

On September 19, 2023 VB City Council will vote whether to approve a Modification of Use to return a church parcel to residential housing so that a developer can fill in a lake to build houses. Times have changed a lot in the six decades since the church bought this beautiful property. Back in the 1960s, lakes were not lots and ponds were not parcels. But now, developers are hungry for new building sites. And federal protections of wetlands have been relaxed. If Council doesn't take measures at this time to protect our waterways, the nature of Virginia Beach will change. Irreversibly. 

This campaign is not just about a neighborhood lake. Its about the future of Virginia Beach and whether we accept that our lakes, streams, and ponds are fair game for infill development. It is true that pipes can move water, but our children won't remember that great time spent by the storm drain. This is about our next generation. And it's about their fond memories. And its about protecting life. 

Ask Virginia Beach City Council to make a bridge towards a better future by using their vote to protect our lakes, ponds, and streams from infill development. Their options are not just to approve or deny the church's conditional use permit. They have the authority to separate Lake Conrad 2 from residential zoning as a condition of the Modification of Use. They then have the power to pass legislation that protects all of Virginia Beach waterways from infill development. 

CityCouncil@vbgov.com