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Council approves Food Bank distribution site rezoning after neighbors raise noise and traffic concerns
Summary
Council unanimously approved a conditional I‑1 rezoning to allow a ~110,000 sq ft Food Bank distribution center on Dam Neck Road with proffers that preserve roughly 6+ acres of forested buffer (about 140 feet to nearest homes), limit hours and control truck idling; nearby residents raised concerns about truck routing, nighttime idling and loss of woods.
The Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia sought city approval to rezone roughly 24 acres on Dam Neck Road to an I‑1 (light industrial) district to build a distribution warehouse that replaces its Norfolk facility.
Attorney Eddie Verdon told council the Navy‑city Joint Review Committee approved the project as compatible with NAS Oceana restrictions, that staff and the planning commission recommended approval, and that the applicant has committed to detailed proffers including preservation of more than six acres of existing treed buffer (with roughly 140 feet of preserved forest between the building footprint and adjacent Glastonbury homes), stormwater compliance, limited hours of operation and controls on tractor‑trailer idling. Verdon emphasized this use is a warehouse/distribution facility rather than a public distribution site.
Neighbors and nearby homeowners spoke in opposition. Ben Jackson and Greg Panza, who live on Glastonbury Drive, said they were surprised by the size and proximity of a 110,000‑square‑foot building, expressed concerns about vehicle and truck traffic patterns (lack of a turn lane on the access corridor), potential overnight idling, loss of wildlife habitat and the change to neighborhood character. Some speakers said they had not seen direct outreach at doorsteps despite mailings and cited the crash‑zone/flight‑path proximity as an additional concern.
Verbal rebuttal from the applicant’s counsel explained the site layout had been revised to eliminate activity between the building and residential lots, to preserve the forested buffer and to orient loading and truck access away from homes; he also said that staff traffic engineering concluded a separate turn lane was not required and that truck runs to the facility would be limited (the Food Bank expects only a handful of tractor‑trailer visits per week under proposed operations).
After deliberation, council voted 11–0 to approve the conditional rezoning with the proffers offered in the application. Several councilmembers said the outcome reflected a balance: the city had limited light‑industrial land in the SEGA/Oceana buffer area, the applicant had offered stronger buffers and hours than a generic industrial user, and the Navy and staff had not objected to compatibility.
