Committee recommends transferring Jericho Road school site to city for park or open space

Virginia Beach ' A special committee charged with deciding the future of the former Jericho Road school site unanimously recommended that the school board transfer the remaining land to the City of Virginia Beach for open space or park use, and the board was told the committee will ask the board to approve that recommendation at its Aug. 12 meeting. Vice Chair Weems, presenting the committee's work at the retreat, said the site's parcels can be reconfigured to leave roughly 13.7 acres for a residual property and that parks staff view the Aragon Village neighborhood as "underserved" because about 3,000 homes there lack a public park. "It is our recommendation ... to transfer the property to the city for open space or park use," Weems said, and she added the committee's members are prepared to take the recommendation to the full board for a vote on Aug. 12. The committee reported a timeline that would begin with a board vote to authorize negotiations, followed by drafting an agreement with the city, council consideration, and, if agreed, demolition and survey work early next year. Staff estimated demolition and legal/survey work could cost about $1.2 million and suggested the division's reversion funds could be used for those expenses; civic members and city council representatives said the council prefers accepting the land as a gift then funding park development and maintenance. Several board members asked detailed questions about possible future uses, zoning and safeguards. Miss Melnick and others noted the property is currently zoned for single-family homes and said any nonpark use would require rezoning. Some members expressed concern about transferring land and then losing control of future decisions; counsel explained that the division could include conditions in the transfer agreement, but once property is conveyed the city controls its future under municipal law. Weems said the committee recommended that the board request a written commitment from the city that the property would be used for open space or park and said the committee would pursue language in the transfer documents to that effect. The committee identified a fallback plan if the board does not support the transfer: to issue a request for information (RFI) with parameters requiring some portion of the land be retained as park/open space while allowing other reuse under strict covenants. The committee said it prefers Option 3 (transfer to the city) and will seek the board vote on Aug. 12; if the board directs otherwise, the RFI would be the backup. Ending: The board did not vote at the retreat; members asked for the Aug. 12 agenda item to include draft transfer language and an analysis of demolition costs and reversion-fund use before a final vote.