The Virginian-Pilot
©
VIRGINIA BEACH
The city bought the London Bridge Commerce Center for $6 million, more than twice its assessed value, part of its ongoing efforts to keep Oceana Naval Air Station here by getting homes and businesses out of its crash zone.
The city announced its purchase of the commerce park on Friday.
The property is home to some hair and nail salons, along with lawyer's offices. It was assessed at $2.3 million, according to Jerry Banagan, the city's real estate assessor.
By buying the property, the Beach eliminates about 20 potential commercial uses of property that shouldn't be in a high accident-potential zone around the jet base, said Elizabeth Chupik, a city attorney.
That's a nearly 9 percent reduction in the number of incompatible business properties in this Oceana accident zone.
As part of its efforts to keep the master jet base in Virginia Beach, the city and the state are spending $15 million annually to buy incompatible properties around Oceana from willing sellers.
"More than anything, getting that many incompatible uses out in one sweep is huge," Mayor Will Sessoms said.
The city's appraisal on the 18-acre park came in much closer to the $6 million price, Chupik said.
The appraisal took into account the new interstate access ramp opening up near the property and the significant income produced by the tenants, Chupik said.
The tenants will be able to stay in the park until their leases run out, Chupik said.
Beach officials plan to redevelop the property eventually for lower-traffic industrial uses, in keeping with what's allowed in the high-accident zone.
Gene Seay, whose father and uncle developed the park, said the ramp construction made the land worth the price.
"It will be a big asset to the city and its tax base," Seay said. "It became a business decision, not an emotional decision.... That was a very nice price."
Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
Never made sense.......
With the close proximity of the eastern shore and the jets, I have never understood why someone couldn't have redirected the majority of the training over there. Seems like the answer is staring everyone in the face. Leave the base where it is and conduct most of the training in a safer environment......the lower portion of the eastern shore. Or would that put the wildlife and eco system in more of a predicament versus what is taking place in Va. Beach? There has to be a reason someone can't find a simple solution to excessive noises these jets now make and increased number of traffic over the years...whats the real reason? You could buy a bunch of concrete for 6 million bucks for a runway over on the eastern shore!
because one of the arguements the Secretary gave for
having his 2nd OLF close to Oceana was he wanted a field close to minimize dead-flight time. When these planes are flying, or possibly even turned on, their maintenance clocks are running. The argument was to be as close to the home field as possible to minimize this.
Part of the reason for a home field is to perform most, if not all of this training AT the home field, that is a major contributing factor for putting parallel runways at the home field. So the facility can do FCLP/touch and go ops as well as continue other flight ops away from the home field. Thus, to be flying away from Oceana is counter productive to the maintenance schedule and costly just to be flying to a training site.
This idea is used only when it is convenient.
The city didnt need to...
...pay more than the property was worth to get it. How about fair market value? The city figures they can just waste taxpayer dollars to acquire property, that fair market value dollars would have just as easily have gotten. Vote out the incumbents NOW !!!
Very good Virginia Beach
I am only sorry that NAS Oceana has not always received priority consideration.
The news continuously affirms the need for the base to remain protected and supported.
Very good Virginia Beach
I am only sorry that NAS Oceana has not always received priority consideration.
The news continuously affirms the need for the base to remain protected and supported.
Different rules for different areas?
Why can residents stay around Oceana and Fentress in incompatible property? Are there 30,000 acres of land with no residents or businesses around Ocean or Fentress? NO. Then how can the Navy condemn 30,000 acres for a new OLF, and kick people off their generational lands? Why is there 2 different standards? Every time you read the paper you see new developments around Oceana and Fentress, yet the city and the Navy pretend they are buying back property to fix things, they are only applying a small band aid! It is a shame the residents are paying taxes so the city blatantly spend more for property than it is worth....nothing new.
A Huge Coup
Light industrial is one of the few compatible uses around Oceana NAS. At the same time, we have much light industry on Cleveland Street that needs to be relocated to redevelop the area per the Pembroke Area Implementation Plan.
We just bought 18 acres to start moving them to.
Folks …follow the money!!
Who was the “seller (s)”? Who got this sweet deal??? We know the buyer was us, the tax payer.
This reminds me of when they purchase a couples house a couple years ago for $400K demolished it and re-sold the land to a developer for $50K who then put up an even larger house on the lot AND sold the new house for $400K.
People need to “OCCUPY” city hall until an official investigation is conducted.
It’s your tax money, follow it and you will see the dirty back room deals exposed
Oceana Commerce Park
Why buy the park and allow the current tenants to remain in harms way and then when their lease is up ; move them out and put someone else in place of them with less traffic flow ? Why put anyone else in the same position ? What am I missing besides recieving some sort of revenue ? If its about any kind of safety for anyone ; that went out the window for monetary value !
If this land is incompatible from a business POV, how come
the Mayor is letting so many people and schools exist in an environment that is incompatible? I'm just a little confused on your LG priorities. Look at the study of 2003, it deomonstrated 22 different schools many in incompatible zones, many of them elementary schools. What do teachers and students do in these schools? Don't they look forward to recess? Some of your schools have flight paths within 1000 feet of your kids with dB readings way above 90. The schools are "ok" to be there because maybe they have sound attinuation, but what about recess? Guess the kids have hands over their ears? What about the little ones playing after school in their community near their school? That's compatible? Your mayor does not address that. Why?