VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Dozens of Great Neck neighbors came to a Virginia Beach Planning Commission meeting to speak out against a rezoning modification they say would destroy a beloved local lake.
Church leaders with Wycliffe Presbyterian Church, located at 1445 Great Neck Road, requested to reduce the boundary of their church's property from 8 acres to 3.4 acres. The land not being used by church leaders would then be recognized as "residential," so church leaders could later sell the property.
However, neighbors say there is a lake on the church property called "Lake Conrad."
"This lake is one of our last natural settings that not only means a lot to all the people who are gathered here but is our natural protection against stormwater," Windy Crutchfield said.
Crutchfield is leading a petition to stop church leaders from developing the land on which the lake sits. She says she speaks for dozens of neighbors who are afraid developers will come in, fill in the lake, and build houses on top of it.
"I've never heard of anything so crazy before, filling in a lake so they can have more houses," Crutchfield said. "It's ridiculous."
Eddie Bourdon, an attorney representing Wycliffe Presbyterian Church, argued the planning commission's decision does not dictate the future of the lake.
Bourdon said his client is within their rights to want to sell their own land, and said if city leaders have an interest in protecting the lake, they are welcome to buy the land.
"They're welcome to participate in that process! But that is not a process that this Planning Commission has anything to do with," Bourdon said.
In a split decision, Virginia Beach's Planning Commission sided with frustrated neighbors and voted to not recommend the rezoning to Virginia Beach City Council.
Ultimately, leaders on Virginia Beach City Council have the final call, and Bourdon said leaders could vote on this issue as early as mid-September.