VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach city council on Tuesday voted 9-2 to sell the Virginia Beach National Golf Course to Dragas Companies.
The developer wants to build more than 650 homes on the property while keeping a public 18-hole golf course, though part of the course would have to be reconfigured. Dragas Companies CEO Helen Dragas said the proposal is about making the most of the land.
"It's about ensuring that this public asset fulfills its potential and broadly serves all citizens," Dragas said at an earlier meeting.
The meeting went on for nearly four hours, with a majority of speakers asking the council to vote no on the sale. Mayor Bobby Dyer had to ask the audience multiple times to quiet down so discussion could continue.
City Council member Joash Shulman shared his perspective on Facebook, saying the project would shift further investment in the golf course from the city to the private sector and generate new tax dollars the city could use for other things like schools and public safety.
"Ultimately, my responsibility isn't to determine which side has more Facebook comments," Shulman said.
Council member Barbara Henley has previously questioned the proposal.
"It is very likely that there's something besides the Dragas proposal that would be better," Henley said.
Ultimately, the council voted 9-2 to approve the sale, after a motion from Henley to delay the vote for 90 days was rejected.
One additional provision was approved in the motion that will require the developer to disclose how many of the housing units must be affordable before the project's required rezoning will start.
Virginia Beach residents filed a lawsuit to stop the sale from moving forward. In court documents filed Monday, attorneys for the city responded, saying the lawsuit would give the plaintiffs "veto power over the elected members of the Virginia Beach City Council."
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