NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Camp Morrison Industrial Park in Newport News has decades of history dating back to World War I. Now, the city is considering a new plan to turn the vacant lot into hundreds of homes to boost housing availability.
"Why not give other families opportunities with jobs to have a place to live?" said a resident near Camp Morrison who supports the housing plan.
Camp Morrison Industrial Park sits empty as broken windows and ivy roots take over what's left of old warehouses. Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones says the land could be used to meet a housing need within the city.
"We've done a housing study, and what we've seen is that we need an abundance of middle-class housing in the city. We have what's called a 'missing middle,'" said Mayor Jones.
That "missing middle" is what Mayor Jones believes will boost housing availability. The goal is to revitalize Camp Morrison, as it's served as a World War I site before it was replaced with warehouses.
The proposal includes clearing the way for a 638-house community, including 201 single-family units, 237 town homes, 96 duplexes and 56 quadplex units, along with wider 50 and 60-foot roads and open space with trails and a dog park.
"We would like to see more home ownership in Newport News, and more people that work in Newport News live in Newport News," said Sheila McAllister, Director of Planning.
The Newport News Planning Commission opted in June to delay a vote to approve rezoning of the site to get community feedback and allow the developer of the site to make adjustments. The plan now includes a member of the design committee to help represent the community, more green space and buffers for the railroad.
Some people are for it, but there are some citizens against it who expressed their concerns at a meeting on June 4.
"638 different homes, multiply it by two, probably, with cars. Where is all that traffic going to go?" a concerned resident said at last month's meeting.
Mayor Jones says he plans to do the best he can to mitigate complaints, adding that there will be more opportunities for community input.
"I think any buildings that are vacant and blighted are going to have higher rates of crime. So we need to be vigilant, and like I've always said: this is currently a liability. These are abandoned warehouses over 100 years old. How can we take this, put a little money into it, transform it and provide middle-class housing for our residents?" said Mayor Jones.
The commission will vote on an updated proposal on August 6. City Council will then vote in September.
