Readers of these petition updates don't enjoy the power, perks, and prestige of serving on City Council, but y'all sure are a well-informed and influential bunch! You recognize that these lake issues are going to happen all over Virginia Beach as we have run out of land and run out of federal protection for waterways. Thank you for your ongoing interest and understanding that our lakes do not have protection just because a politician said they will. We have a chance to make protections happen but only with your voices and continued pressure.

While the Planning Department, Public Works, and our City Leadership await the presentation of the builders next vision for the property, you should see the investments that you as taxpayers have made in the property very recently...

To enable mandatory water quality improvments in Virginia Beach, over $140,000 was spent by our city to dredge the middle of Lake Conrad 2, install riprap bulkhead, and maintain our "public permanent drainage easement." In addition, the beautiful A-frame building received tens of thousands of dollars in a new roof, a new Trane HVAC, a new Mitsubishi mini-split air system, new carpet, and paint.  All of these expenditures were provided to our City Council and can be seen on our website www.NoBuildVBWetlands.com under the "Why Vote to Deny" selection (where the booklet is available for all to see what City Council was provided in September of this year). 

These are tax-payer made improvements all done within the past five years...on a building that the attorney described as a tear-down and a lake the city staff described as a "shallow ponding area." Neither could be farther from the truth. They have value to us--and we paid for them. 

We have been asking where our return on investment is? For a relatively low price, our city could capitalize on the past investments and buy this land for open space. Instead they are entertaining another round with a builder who wants to squish five homes on Great Neck Road and sandwich an office building between them and the current neighborhood. Nothing about this plan fits with our city's Comprehensive Plan. While they reimagine their square peg, the requirements to clean up our waterways with the filter are being cast aside. Where is the leadership on this issue? Are the environmental concerns of our city truly being taken seriously? If they were, this application would not have seen the light of day. Yet here we are with a new, convoluted plan to get Planning Commission to hear this again. The only reason this situation has become so ridiculously complex is because it just does not fit. 

We, the public, deserve the open space and to enjoy the benefits of the improvements that were done on the A-frame building and in the lake. We also deserve protections for the waterways throughout Virginia Beach that are zoned residential. Take a look around as you drive through town and make note of what areas will be vulnerable if this one isn't protected. Please comment below about your neighborhood lakes or waterways that are in jeopardy of a simialr fate. Please let CityCouncil@VBgov.com know that the public deserves our return on investment.