Virginia Beach council approves rezoning for Preserve at Westneck, 9–2

The Virginia Beach City Council voted 9–2 on March 24 to approve a conditional rezoning and modifications to proffers for the Preserve at Westneck, a proposal that would convert portions of P‑1 Preservation land to PDH‑2 and allow a developer to build 143 age‑restricted single‑family homes while restoring nine holes of the former Signature at Westneck golf course.

The vote followed a lengthy public hearing in which supporters and opponents packed the chamber and spoke for hours. Supporters — including residents from Indian River Plantation and representatives of the developer team — said the project would eliminate a long‑neglected, overgrown parcel, restore a golf amenity, add senior housing, and provide stormwater and traffic improvements paid for by the developer. Jonathan Skinner, president of Harrison and Lear, said the outreach had been extensive and the proposal balanced community concerns with practical constraints. "We are focused as well on preservation and reforestation," Skinner said during the presentation.

Applicant counsel Chris Pockta described the application and the updated proffers that accompany it, saying the offer is a compromise shaped by the owner, operators and residents. "This product project is the product of compromise," Pockta told council, and he detailed proffers that include conveying much of the open space to a homeowners association, requiring a lease for golf‑course operations, and tying certain approvals to course restoration. Pockta also said the proffers require the golf course to be operating and certain permits to be in place before housing construction is completed.

Opponents — led by the Westneck Community Association and its counsel, Jeff Hunn of Pender & Coward — urged council to deny rezoning. Hunn argued the application would break expectations tied to the P‑1 preservation zoning and to transition area design guidelines, and he repeatedly read portions of the city zoning ordinance to make his point. "You must follow the Virginia Beach zoning ordinance," Hunn said, urging the council to honor prior commitments to residents who bought into Westneck under existing rules.

Speakers on both sides emphasized safety and quality‑of‑life concerns. Dozens of residents recounted rodent infestations, a brush fire in 2023 and deteriorating conditions on the site; many said the plan represented the only viable option to remove the hazard and return usable open space to the community. Several Westneck residents and association leaders warned that rezoning P‑1 land to PDH‑2 would reduce required open space and increase density in a 55+ neighborhood. Dr. Stephen Willing, a retired physician, testified that prolonged construction and increased traffic could impose measurable health burdens on the neighborhood's older population.

Council members debated those competing frames: whether the proposed proffers and developer‑funded fixes (including an intersection signal discussed during testimony) and a binding lease for the course offered sufficient protections, versus the precedent that rezoning preserved land might set and the legal and planning questions raised by opponents. A motion to deny the application failed; a substitute motion to approve passed 9–2. The council did not record individual member votes in the public transcript beyond the final tally.

What the approval means: The action authorizes the conditional rezoning and the proffer modifications as presented to council, enabling the developer and property owner to move forward with site‑development steps under the approved conditions. Supporters said the proposal will restore roughly 40.1% of the site as accessible, maintained open space compared with the lower usable percentage cited for the current overgrown property; opponents emphasized that proffers and HOA arrangements still leave questions about long‑term maintenance and enforceability.

Next steps: With council approval, the project team can proceed to the city review and permitting steps described in the proffers and technical packets. Several speakers noted that the proffers include provisions for stormwater improvements and the potential transfer of open space to a homeowners association; the transcript records back‑and‑forth about details of leases and eventual HOA governance but shows key implementation details remain to be finalized as part of private contracts and subsequent approvals.

The council adjourned after recording the vote. The proffer package, the conditional rezoning ordinance and related administrative steps will determine the timeline for permits, construction and the golf course lease or operation agreements.