The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
Local taxpayers have spent more than $8.1 million in the past two years to buy farmland near Oceana Naval Air Station to protect the base and keep the jets and the jobs they bring in Virginia Beach.
Now, the Navy will pitch in $3.8 million to help in those efforts, with a pledge of more money to come.
"We're very thankful for the Navy to be participating with us, and it's going to allow us to buy more," said Becky Kubin, a city attorney.
The Navy's share covers slightly less than half the city's cost of acquiring the 213 acres under the jet path between Oceana and Fentress Naval Auxiliary Landing Field in Chesapeake.
"It's a great partnership," said Kelley Stirling, Navy spokeswoman for Oceana. "The city and Navy are working together to prevent future encroachment."
Virginia Beach, with help from the state, started buying up land around Oceana in response to almost losing the base in 2005. At the time, the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended moving the jet base because too many homes were being built too close to Oceana.
Oceana is the city's largest employer with more than 16,000 military and civilian personnel and a gross payroll of more than $1.18 billion.
The base will remain viable as long as no more encroachment occurs, and the Navy's $3.8 million helps ensure that, Stirling said.
In exchange for sharing in the purchase costs, the Navy will get restrictive easements over the land that will bar homes from being built on the property. The Navy has been concerned that more homes in that area would generate more complaints about jet noise when the planes fly overhead and increase the chances of residents getting hurt in an accident, Stirling said.
The purchase of these easements, which are expected to be complete next week, fulfills a promise made by the Navy in 2007 to help the city acquire property, Stirling said.
About $1.5 million of the Navy's money will go toward reimbursing the state, which helped the city purchase the 213 acres.
The rest of the money will go into the Beach's site acquisition fund, which officials use to buy property citywide.
The money will most likely be used for land around Oceana and to protect the base, said City Manager Jim Spore.
"We wanted to give the council the most flexibility," Spore said.
Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com
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Just another bail out at expense of others
September 12, 2004 By JON W. GLASS, The Virginian-Pilot
VIRGINIA BEACH — In this Navy town, where many embrace the roar of fighter jets as the “sound of freedom,” city leaders never miss a chance to tout their partnership with the military. Even so, they repeatedly have turned a deaf ear when asked to rein in development that the Navy has said threatens the mission and future of Oceana Naval Air Station.
From 1975 to mid-2004, the City Council ignored Navy objections in nearly three out of every four votes, based on a review of Navy letters and city records.
Encroachment around Oceana became an issue at a 1993 BRAC hearing and gave city leaders a scare. But pressure to develop has continued.
“I just don’t feel they have the right to control people’s property for nothing,” Wright, who is semi-retired, said recently. “Why punish one guy when development has occurred all around him? It’s discriminatory.”
That logic resonated in City Hall. Former Councilman John Baum, trained as a land appraiser, routinely criticized the Navy for asking the City Council to zone away a person’s ability to develop their land. During 28 years on the council, Baum rarely v
The primary reason they want
The primary reason they want to keep Oceana viable is retention. If the pilots are moved to the boonies then many will leave the Navy for the private sector. This was explained to me on a trip w/ some pilots. They were concerned about being stuck out in the middle of nowhere, and especially how it impacted their families.
Tough situation.
However, your site shopping is done here in NC. We moved here to get away from the jets. The vast majority of residents ARE the employers in Va so that will be a tough sell. That's right, those of us w/ the long commute for silence are mostly self employed. Leave us to our noisy pigs and such.
Residential Development in APZ areas continue today
This is taken from the BRAC recommendations which is now LAW
“The Commission also considers that the more severe encroachment problems were created by the state and local governments by ignoring the Navy’s repeated objections to incompatible residential and commercial developments under the AICUZ guidelines. Consequently, the funds to halt and reverse the encroachment should not come from federal funds, but rather from state and local funding sources.”
The Base Realignment and Closure Commission's recommendations for reshaping the Defense Department's infrastructure officially took effect at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 9, 2005 after Congress allowed them to pass into law.
These efforts by the Navy are in direct VIOLATION of BRAC law.
Where does it end? Give Virginia Beach 82 acres on Lake Rudee for a nature park. On 9/28/08 it was reported they received $7.1 million from the federal government and now reward Virginia Beach with an additional OLF.
Tell it like it is
Since I have a real stake in this outcome, and I'm not part of any lawsuit (nor ever will be) just someone who thinks Oceana can coexist with VB. If the Navy would just come out and say "...We don't give any consideration to the noise we generate over the city of Virginia Beach when planning our practice missions. This is the way we've always done it and we don't have to answer to anyone over how or when we fly or how we spend your money..." or something to that effect, a lot of Navy critics would probably just stop and live with the noise as we do now any way...
The Base and City can co-exist
It's not the take off and landings. It's the incessant circles over the neighborhoods for 14 hours a day. Houses not even in a noise zone 20 years ago are now in the 2nd highest noise zone. I have the mortgage papers and the Navy and City maps to prove it. The airspace needed by the F-18s to do their "touch and goes" doubled the airspace that was required by the F-4s, A-6s, and F-14s. It is about noise, BRAC said it is about the noise, and the noise comes from practicing over the city. Why won't the Navy admit it? Flying over the neighborhoods is a 1950s solution to a 21st century problem.
To my_view:
The gross payroll from Oceana is $1.18 billion and you don't think that would make a difference? And that does not even include all of the government contractors that support Oceana. We love jet noise!!
Ok, we'll leave
You want the Navy to leave? Ok. Let me tell you what I will take with me:
$1100 in rent to a local apartment complex, $100 gas at my local WaWa, $200 eating at restaraunts, $100 in clothes shopping at Lynnhaven mall, $100 drinking and clubbing at the oceanfront, $100 veterinary care, $$$ at the aquarium, $$$ taxes, etc. etc. etc.
A small part of our money goes to the NEX and Commissary, the rest goes to the community. My husband is in the Navy but I work for the city. Our money is spent in the city, our friends live here in the city. We won't lose our jobs. We are looking to purchase a house, a new car is always a possibility, but you want the Navy to leave? No problem, I'm sure someone else would like my money.
See ya.
The Navy and Va Beach are very generous with taxpayer's money
That's a very good price - for landowners.
At this rate it will cost taxpayers over a trillion dollars to buy 30,000 acres for an OLF.
People in the 5 sites are watching.
give it up!
Some of you are so crazy, Virginia Beach will not die with out Oceana! It would not be the end of the world, just the beginning of the good life! That base is a ghost town, and we have other bases in this area with more people then Oceana. They closed the clinics and most go to Portsmouth where it is open 24/7. We wont lose our homes, and have section 8 living in them and we wont lose any business that we have! Stop with scare tactics and be honest! The base is nothing but noise and lie after lie!!! Get a clue!!!!! Look at all the money we have now, and it is now because of Oceana, Town Center is just one area that is growing and that is not military run! We have building going up every where, and it is not because of Oceana-we have money and growth! Move those jets and it will only get better!!!
Here's what would happen...
Oceana closes, billions in tax dollars lost, the city starts cutting services like police.
Real estate values fall through the floor, investors buy up distressed property and since there aren't any real industry jobs to be had in Virginia Beach, the navy guys aren't renting apartments or houses anymore, those properties are now rented to section-8's. Norfolk starts pushing the poor out of the public housing projects so those sites can be redeveloped into homes the poor can't afford, they start moving to the beach and guess what? Within 5-10 years of Oceana closing, Virginia Beach has a crime problem equal to Norfolk complete with a cute little choo-choo that has graffiti all over the sides of it.
I'll take the roar of an F-18 any day.