An effort to make it harder to approve major land use changes in southern Virginia Beach fell in the General Assembly.
Virginia Beach had requested state permission to amend its charter so that a supermajority of City Council votes would be required for major land-use changes south of what's called the Blue Line. It would have meant nine of 11 votes rather than a majority.
The Blue Line is the cutoff for extending city water and sewer services, which might allow more intense development. It is below the better-known Green Line, an anti-sprawl boundary. Virginia Beach has been weighing whether to permit some additional development between those two lines.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Wilson said the effort had support from farmers and could be brought forward again.
It came amid controversy about some votes below the Green Line, which were opposed by Councilmember Barbara Henley, who represents the area, but supported by others on council. Henley supported the Blue Line request to require a supermajority vote after it included “more consideration” before any extension of services.
Officials in Virginia Beach have said changing the charter would make it harder for future councils to approve projects with more intense land uses below the Blue Line. It would require a public hearing for any extension of services and only allow it under certain conditions.
The proposed charter change failed in a House of Delegates subcommittee on Jan. 29 and a Senate committee on Feb. 2. Before the Feb. 2 vote, Sen. Jeremy McPike, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Local Government committee, said he was concerned about potential precedent of requiring a supermajority for land-use decisions.
Sen. Christie New Craig, a Chesapeake Republican, carried the Senate version and stressed that the bill was specific to Virginia Beach.
She said it could come back next year if the city requests it. Her district includes parts of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
“I thought this was a great bill,” she said Monday. “You know, it protects our agricultural property, which is very important to Virginia Beach … ”
Mayor Bobby Dyer said the city will work to preserve farming despite the setback in the General Assembly.
“It’s more important what we do locally,” Dyer said during an interview. “I intend to honor my commitment and maintain the Blue Line as long as I’m mayor and even after I’m gone.”
Brent McKenzie, the city’s legislative affairs director, spoke on behalf of the change in Richmond last week. He called it “an important piece of legislation” to preserve the agricultural area.
McKenzie also said it would protect an environmentally sensitive area where much of the city’s tree canopy is found. It is also home to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
