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By Jaedda Armstrong
VIRGINIA BEACH
Members of Kempsville Presbyterian Church were dominant at a meeting to get the public's opinion on what to do with the patchwork of fields between Oceana Naval Air Station and Fentress Naval Auxiliary Landing Field.
After the federal government decided that more homes would cause more noise complaints from residents, Beach officials launched a $228,000 study to figure out what development best suit s the 4,700 acres of land.
Kempsville Presbyterian, on Kempsville Road, recently b ought more than 500 acres of land near the center of the study area.
The church plans to build a larger facility to accommodate its growing ministry. About 100 members of the church attended the meeting.
In 2005, the federal government overturned the city's initial development plans for the section, called the interfacility traffic area, when it threatened to move the master jet base out of Virginia Beach because too many homes surrounded Oceana.
Jets traveling between Oceana and Fentress fly over the interfacility traffic area, and federal officials were concerned that more homes would generate more jet noise complaints.
Virginia Beach agreed to limit residential development in the area and even b ought nearly 150 acres in the ITA since 2005 for about $5.8 million.
Many residents said the meeting was loud and disorganized, and they couldn't give their input.
"It's great that so many people turned out, but it's so many people that the meeting became uneffective," said Councilwoman Barbara Henley, whose district, Princess Anne, is in the study area.
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ITA meeting
Mrs. Henley mentioned that the meeting was not effective because there were too many people. The meeting could not be effective when all that was asked of those in attendance was to place a colored dot on a map to denote your favorite or least favorite place. When most of this area is privately owned, how could anyone other than the land owner or their quests know anything about it. This study and the meetings being held are nothing more than the City depriving the land owners of the right to develop their property without compensation. If the Navy does not want this area developed they should buy the property or the development rights by purchasing an easement over the property to compensate the land owner. The slide show was interesting, but was mostly of places outside the ITA.
IFTA
What surprised me about the meeting was so many people wanting to give their 2 cents worth about what could and could not be built on someone elses property. I would like for the City to have a meeting that only includes those land owners who have larger pieces of property that they will want to develop or sell to developers in the future. People who are in this area who only own a few acres where their homes are should not be trying to tell the large land owners what is allowed on their property. Kempsville Presbyterian Church has a stake in what can be done with their property, but they should have limited the attendance to just a few church administrators. I think the City should wait for the Navy to finish their Environmental impact study before making to many drastic decisions for this area. What will they do if the Navy decides the new jets are incompatible with this area and send them south to Florida?
Jesus
The navy looks out for us, how looks out for them? Jesus. They need Jesus near the jets. The church and all the kids at its daycare will be fine as churches have force fields around them to block out all the noise and loose dummy bombs that occassionally fall off the planes. Time to pray about it folks.
You want to get rich? Start a church.
It never ceases to amaze me; people move right under a runway then complain about the noise.
This is not just a BIG church, it’s a BIG school where LOTS of children will be outside playing and learning. This area is not compatible with the mission of the Navy and training pilots.
Don’t forget the Navy is going to start a study this summer on the Joint Strike Force F-35 aircraft. It is a MUCH louder aircraft than the F-18 C/D models it is replacing.
The church knew this was not compatible property.
They should not build!
All the Navy is going to get is more noise complaints!
What did they actually say at the meeting?
Isn't 500 acres a lot of land for a church? I wonder if the members will rename their church. Technically, the church would be moving to an area that is not in Kempsville anymore.
I wish there was more information in the article about what inputs the church members were giving. Were they trying to persuade the board about what businesses would be in the area? I am not sure they should do that if it is about the land that they didn't buy.
i can see the complaints
now if they let them build that church! Just say NO!!
If they cannot build the
If they cannot build the church on their own land then they are not truly 'free' are they? What would be the point of national defense if a person or group cannot build on their own land?