VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach city leaders have pushed back Monday’s vote on whether to sell a city-owned golf course to Dragas Companies for next month.
The city of Virginia Beach said on Monday morning that due to an error in a notice regarding the Virginia Beach National Golf Club, the public hearing and vote are rescheduled for Aug. 11.
The initial notice incorrectly listed the acreage of the golf course as approximately 300 acres instead of the approximately 350 acres, prompting the hearing to now be re-advertised, the city of Virginia Beach said.
The developer has proposed investing nearly $40 million into the 350-acre property, replacing the golf course with a mixed-use community that includes 659 for-sale homes, parks, trails and open space. City leaders have said the golf course has operated at a loss for years and estimate redevelopment could generate about $3.4 million annually in new tax revenue.
The plan has divided neighbors, with some saying it addresses the city's housing needs, while others want to preserve one of Virginia Beach's few publicly owned golf courses.
Watch previous coverage: Golfers seek answers as proposed sale of Virginia Beach National moves toward public hearing
Some speakers asked council to slow the process during last week’s meeting, saying the decision needs more community feedback and answers to outstanding questions before any vote.
"I'm not here opposing this project or supporting this project. What I want to do is encourage you to vote long enough to gather some additional public input," one resident said.
District 2 Councilwoman Barbara Henley, whose district includes the golf course, also questioned the process at last week’s meeting. She said she was not involved in early discussions about the proposal and believes additional options should be considered before moving ahead.
"I think the thing we really need to do is to say there's no way in the world we're going to be ready to deal with this next Tuesday," Henley said.
Henley said she was left out of preliminary conversations about the proposal.
"I wasn't a part of these preliminary discussions were apparently going on," Henley said.
Virginia Beach neighbors will be watching closely for the decision set for Aug. 11.
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