PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A proposed housing development by Grove Church is sparking pushback in the Churchland area of Portsmouth, where residents say infrastructure concerns must come first.
The "Vision Place Project," a development that would bring 192 apartment units and 76 single-family homes to a 32-acre parcel on W. Norfolk Road, has been met with skepticism from longtime community members worried about the strain it could place on schools, roads and city services.
News 3 received an email from a concerned Churchland resident expressing concerns about the proposed apartments.
Nelson Velez, who owns the Book Owl Bookstore, says the city needs to address current issues before approving new developments.
“The concern should be taking care of law enforcement, taking care of education,” Velez said. “Once those two twin towers of death are taken care of, then they can maybe look at expanding businesses and residential.”
Dr. Melvin Marriner with Grove Church says the church has owned the land next to the Castle Heights neighborhood and has been paying taxes on the land since 2007. He says the church's goal is to use the land for much-needed housing in the area.
Marriner told WTKR over the phone that developers, Ripley Heatwole Company, Inc., have already completed a traffic study, reviewed school zoning, and received approval for their water and pumping station.
The project is currently awaiting rezoning approval from Portsmouth’s Planning Department.
But longtime Churchland resident JoAnn Clarke, who has lived in the neighborhood for over 60 years, is not convinced the city is ready to support such a large expansion.
“We have a lot of unfunded capital improvement projects on hand that we need to deal with,” Clarke said. “We just can’t pay for these projects to add for the infrastructure, even though they’re off-site.”
Last year, the Churchland Civic League launched a petition opposing the development. Clarke believes residents deserve answers before any development is approved.
“Is it the developer that takes priority, or the citizens?” she said. “They have to learn that the citizens have needs that need to take priority.”
News 3 reached out to the Ripley Heatwole Company, but has not received a response.
As the rezoning request remains under review, some residents say they hope city leaders will listen to those already living in the area before welcoming more.
