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City staff present land inventory and constraints for industrial and business development
Summary
Economic development staff told council they reviewed 2,144 city parcels (12,692 acres) and found roughly 9% with potential for business or industrial use; many parcels were eliminated for adjacency to residential areas, easements, wetlands or configuration issues, and staff recommended further vetting and potential outreach after the comprehensive plan update.
Deputy Director Emily Archer told the City Council staff completed an initial scoring and vetting of city‑owned property to identify parcels potentially suitable for industrial or other economic development. Archer said staff started with a 2,144‑parcel inventory totaling about 12,692 acres and applied criteria including size (looking for at least 3 acres), location, zoning, utilities and environmental constraints. "We cast a wide net," Archer said, and advanced parcels with any potential to a second vetting stage that included public works, utilities, parks and recreation and the city attorney’s office.
Archer reported that about 9% of city land had some potential and that candidate parcels were unevenly distributed by district. Examples discussed included a 9‑acre parcel off Indian River Road in District 2 that likely contains wetlands; a Centerville landfill parcel eliminated for environmental and access constraints; and a former Circuit City site in Burton Station being explored by VBDA for redevelopment. Archer noted several parcels will need additional studies such as environmental site assessments, market studies and appraisals before any solicitation.
Councilmembers asked whether some city parcels should be considered for open space or housing instead of business. Archer said staff could perform a similar analysis of privately owned parcels after comprehensive‑plan adoption and emphasized some candidate parcels are already subject to use restrictions or easements (for example, Birdneck Road property acquired from the Commonwealth restricted to municipal or tourism uses).
Why it matters: Council members framed the inventory as the first step toward attracting jobs and new revenue but also stressed the need to align land decisions with community values, flood risk, and neighborhood compatibility. Archer said next steps include further vetting, potential RFPs for specific sites, and coordination with the comprehensive plan process.
No formal council action was taken; staff will return with follow‑up analysis on specific parcels as requested.
