In September, Travis Thereault appeared before City Council and shared his desire for the City of Virginia Beach to explore purchasing Wycliffe Presbyterian Church's excess property. Travis told City Council that this property held a very special place in his heart. Many moons ago, he attended the Helping Hands Day Camp that was held at the beautiful, natural site for decades. He remembers the loving energy and care given by the buddy/counselors and coordinators each summer for children like him with special needs. Just off bustling Great Neck Road, this property offered an opportunity for both neighbors and camp attendees a moment of their day surrounded by the glory of nature and its peacefulness. In the following years, the gorgeous and historic A-frame building (former church site) became the home to the Early Intervention Center and Infant Stim Program as an outreach program of the church. Until the church's financial needs triggered the sale of the property and a builder presented a plan to the city to destroy the lake, building, playground, and parking lot permanently.
Unfortunately, the Open Space Acquisition Committee turned down the purchase of the land. They were presented with three options by the city: to buy all of the land, part of the land and lake, or just buy the lake. They turned down the opportunity for these reasons:
- Issues regarding the maintenance of existing stormwater structures in response to its potential value as an expanded stormwater asset.
2. Relatively low number of households served by 10-minute walk, as has become a municipal and national standard.
3. Low social vulnerability quotient regarding the surrounding area.
4. Lack of direct contact between OSAC and seller, as is customary.
This is disappointing of course because...
1) The city (taxpayers) has very recently paid over $160,000 to maintain this stormwater asset. They are paying $68,100,000 to create a new stormwater park in the center of the city. Investing in an existing stormwater system is a substantially less cost than recreating one.
2) The OSA Program criteria, just recently updated, gives no specific number or percentage of how many residents are served. The "relatively low number" includes the neighborhoods of Great Neck Estates and Great Neck Manor who have zero open space dedicated to their old neighborhoods (built before city requirements for open space).
3) The equity criteria outlined in the OSA program should not discriminate against the social vulnerability of our Special Needs community. Unless that is happening, this property is a perfect candidate as a Community Center for the Special Needs population of Virginia Beach, something that does not currently exist in Virginia Beach. Social vulnerability refers to the resiliency of a community to survive and thrive when confronted with external stresses.
4) This "direct contact" criteria does not exist on the very recently updated and adopted program outline. However, it does make perfect sense that the negotiations to purchase property should be conducted with the property owner and not the builder who is essentially holding it hostage with his plans to build houses on a lake and has been trying to drive the price tag up on us taxpayers.
Travis spoke from his heart to our City Council in September when asking them to seriously consider buying this unique property to preserve the existing infrastructure for nature, for the public, and for his special needs community. We hope the OSAC will revisit the opportunity to purchase this land. City Council has the Power to say NO to returning these special grounds and waters to residential housing use and yes to preservation of the historic use--the highest and BEST use!