VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach City Council deferred a vote Tuesday on a proposal to redevelop the site of Back Bay Farmhouse Brewing off Kempsville Road into more than 250 apartment units.
The vote was delayed for 30 days as city leaders considered concerns about traffic and the cost of a proposed pedestrian signal near the development.
The current proposal would preserve the existing farmhouse.
The redevelopment has been under consideration since March and has drawn both support and opposition from nearby residents.
One major concern is the potential increase in traffic from the apartment complex. Developer Bonaventure has discussed building a HAWK signal, a pedestrian-activated traffic signal, near the development.
However, some residents questioned whether the developer would contribute enough money to pay for the signal.
"When I followed up with the city, they had met with the lawyer afterwards, and Bonaventure agreed to give the city $100,000 toward the projects to make it safer," said Samantha Roaquin of the Kempsville Coalition. "Just alone, a HAWK signal is $600,000, so are you prepared to fork over an additional $500,000 to pay for this?"
City Manager Patrick Duhaney confirmed the developer agreed to provide $100,000 toward the project. He said the signal could cost up to $600,000.
The cost prompted some council members to call for a delay in the vote.
"To be good stewards of the taxpayers' dollars, which I know is up for question tonight, is that something you can consider," Councilman David Hutcheson said. "I'm not necessarily saying we have to have an exact number tonight, but we have to figure out where the middle ground is that it can be accomplished because that's one of the big issues here, right?"
Council voted to defer the redevelopment application for 30 days.
Click here to see how we use AI at WTKR News 3.
