The developers backed down and agreed to restore the retail space for our Village Square. This win belongs to every one of the 317 people who called out this bait and switch. Keep a close watch on the construction site to ensure they follow through with the original plans.
June 2, 2022
Final supporters
Please sign this petition to stop the construction of apartments on Lot 123 in our future Village Square before its too late. These spaces were planned to be retail and should be retail. By changing them to residential, the fabric of the Village Square will be destroyed by leaving only two small retail spaces on Lot 124.
At the EB annual meeting on May 24, 2022, Jeff Wells, fellow neighbor, architect and former chair of the EB economic development committee, revealed that our dream for the Village Square is not being built as planned. Of the approximately 10,000 square feet of planned first floor retail in the two Village Square buildings under construction, approximately half is to be built as first floor apartments, bike storage and storage units for the apartments. (See plan). By the way, this change in plan was not circulated or announced to the community. Hence, the uproar that followed by those in attendance.
A little history:
When East Beach was first planned in 2002 by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, the plan permitted up tom150,000 square feet of commercial space and 750 residential units. Over the years, the commercial space has been reduced multiple times in favor of many more residential units.
In 2016, a revised plan was presented to the community that reduced and set the commercial and retail to 56,000 square feet.
In this plan, the Village Square (the site just north and south of Pleasant Avenue at Shore Drive currently under construction) included first floor retail of 21,000 square feet with 76 apartments above.
The current Village Square Apartments on the north side of Pleasant Avenue were supposed to have ground floor retail -- that space has been eliminated. The "triangle" site (current location of the Farmers Market) was slated for 7,000 square feet of retail on the first floor and 40 - 50 condos above -- retail space has been dropped and more housing is proposed instead of condos. The balance of the planned commercial space would be found in four liner buildings, which includes East Beach Veterinary Clinic, the commercial spaces along Pretty Lake Drive and some mixed-use buildings on Pleasant Avenue.
All of this is disappointing, however, there was still hope that we could get a decent Village Square for the neighborhood. A half-dozen small retail spaces and decent sized restaurant surrounding some well-designed public space would be a wonderful gathering place for the community and those beyond.
Take a look at the plan: Building 1 (Lot 124 on the corner of Pleasant Avenue and Shore Drive across from the new apartment building) is now planned to contain a 1,900 square foot ice cream shop and a 2,500 square foot restaurant or deli. Building 2 (Lot 123, adjacent to Lot 124) is now slated for four small apartments (600 - 1,000 square feet) and a slightly larger corner office, along with bike and regular storage for the apartments. These residential apartments and storage units are exactly the opposite of what should be facing the Village Square according to best planning practices. To create a successful Village Square, all spaces around the square should be retail.
After the meeting, 40-some signatures were collected from those at the meeting to stop the build-out of the apartments. We urge you to join us and sign the petition to stop this travesty to our Village Square from going forward.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
May 26, 2022
May 26, 2022
Reaching this milestone proves our community refuses to let developers rewrite the plans for our Village Square. Post the link to your Facebook feed today and email your council representative to demand they honor the original vision.
Reached 100 supporters
May 25, 2022
May 24, 2022
We are approaching the 250 signature mark and need a final push to force developers to listen. Text three neighbors right now and ask them to sign. Post the link on your own Facebook page to keep this momentum moving forward.
May 22, 2022
We are approaching the one hundred signature mark and need a final push to get there today. Post the link to your Facebook page right now to ensure the developers see our neighborhood is paying attention. Text three neighbors who live in East Beach and ask them to sign before the next planning meeting.
74 Comments
This cannot stand and the original plans for retail must move forward. Several new residents / buyers in East Brach, including my wife and me, inquired before buying our home and were told the space would be retail. Changing that now would open the developer up to law suits given the possible misrepresentation and or the lack of agreement from existing residents.
As a relatively new resident I am appalled at how many apartments have been built in the short time I have lived here. Our community does not need more apartments!
Promises unkept. Part of the appeal of moving here was the appeal of a walkable neighborhood with future businesses at our entrance. This decision has far reaching implications for the overall valuation and tax base of the neighborhood.
I agree. East Beach was always intended to be mixed-use. While we had to tolerate reduced retail from the original plan, this new limited amount is ridiculous. East Beach was supposed to be among the best new urban plans in the nation. It's CNU Charter award was based on the premise of a functioning town square. I am so disappointed.
It is unethical to keep changing the plans to substitute residential for planned commercial property. This is very unsettling for residents who were expecting the developers to keep their promise to us.
It is very congested in the area and across Shore Drive. The buildings are so close to the road that if you are triaging to get out you have to pull out as far as you can can to see if any traffic is coming toward you. It is claustrophobic. People need green space. Traffic in the mornings was not backed as it is now from over development from multi family living . I would think twice before moving here now that this is happening. Quality of life is important for those living here now and that is something that people elsewhere in Norfolk and VB are telling me about East Beach.
Until the City does something about the traffic situation on Shore at Little Creek Blvd, no more residential. It is absolutely ridiculous.
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The developers backed down and agreed to restore the retail space for our Village Square. This win belongs to every one of the 317 people who called out this bait and switch. Keep a close watch on the construction site to ensure they follow through with the original plans.
June 2, 2022
Final supporters
Please sign this petition to stop the construction of apartments on Lot 123 in our future Village Square before its too late. These spaces were planned to be retail and should be retail. By changing them to residential, the fabric of the Village Square will be destroyed by leaving only two small retail spaces on Lot 124.
At the EB annual meeting on May 24, 2022, Jeff Wells, fellow neighbor, architect and former chair of the EB economic development committee, revealed that our dream for the Village Square is not being built as planned. Of the approximately 10,000 square feet of planned first floor retail in the two Village Square buildings under construction, approximately half is to be built as first floor apartments, bike storage and storage units for the apartments. (See plan). By the way, this change in plan was not circulated or announced to the community. Hence, the uproar that followed by those in attendance.
A little history:
When East Beach was first planned in 2002 by Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, the plan permitted up tom150,000 square feet of commercial space and 750 residential units. Over the years, the commercial space has been reduced multiple times in favor of many more residential units.
In 2016, a revised plan was presented to the community that reduced and set the commercial and retail to 56,000 square feet.
In this plan, the Village Square (the site just north and south of Pleasant Avenue at Shore Drive currently under construction) included first floor retail of 21,000 square feet with 76 apartments above.
The current Village Square Apartments on the north side of Pleasant Avenue were supposed to have ground floor retail -- that space has been eliminated. The "triangle" site (current location of the Farmers Market) was slated for 7,000 square feet of retail on the first floor and 40 - 50 condos above -- retail space has been dropped and more housing is proposed instead of condos. The balance of the planned commercial space would be found in four liner buildings, which includes East Beach Veterinary Clinic, the commercial spaces along Pretty Lake Drive and some mixed-use buildings on Pleasant Avenue.
All of this is disappointing, however, there was still hope that we could get a decent Village Square for the neighborhood. A half-dozen small retail spaces and decent sized restaurant surrounding some well-designed public space would be a wonderful gathering place for the community and those beyond.
Take a look at the plan: Building 1 (Lot 124 on the corner of Pleasant Avenue and Shore Drive across from the new apartment building) is now planned to contain a 1,900 square foot ice cream shop and a 2,500 square foot restaurant or deli. Building 2 (Lot 123, adjacent to Lot 124) is now slated for four small apartments (600 - 1,000 square feet) and a slightly larger corner office, along with bike and regular storage for the apartments. These residential apartments and storage units are exactly the opposite of what should be facing the Village Square according to best planning practices. To create a successful Village Square, all spaces around the square should be retail.
After the meeting, 40-some signatures were collected from those at the meeting to stop the build-out of the apartments. We urge you to join us and sign the petition to stop this travesty to our Village Square from going forward.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
May 26, 2022
May 26, 2022
Reaching this milestone proves our community refuses to let developers rewrite the plans for our Village Square. Post the link to your Facebook feed today and email your council representative to demand they honor the original vision.
Reached 100 supporters
May 25, 2022
May 24, 2022
We are approaching the 250 signature mark and need a final push to force developers to listen. Text three neighbors right now and ask them to sign. Post the link on your own Facebook page to keep this momentum moving forward.
May 22, 2022
We are approaching the one hundred signature mark and need a final push to get there today. Post the link to your Facebook page right now to ensure the developers see our neighborhood is paying attention. Text three neighbors who live in East Beach and ask them to sign before the next planning meeting.
74 Comments
We were promised an area with shops we could walk to when we moved here 18 years ago. What happened??
This cannot stand and the original plans for retail must move forward. Several new residents / buyers in East Brach, including my wife and me, inquired before buying our home and were told the space would be retail. Changing that now would open the developer up to law suits given the possible misrepresentation and or the lack of agreement from existing residents.
As a relatively new resident I am appalled at how many apartments have been built in the short time I have lived here. Our community does not need more apartments!
Promises unkept. Part of the appeal of moving here was the appeal of a walkable neighborhood with future businesses at our entrance. This decision has far reaching implications for the overall valuation and tax base of the neighborhood.
I agree. East Beach was always intended to be mixed-use. While we had to tolerate reduced retail from the original plan, this new limited amount is ridiculous. East Beach was supposed to be among the best new urban plans in the nation. It's CNU Charter award was based on the premise of a functioning town square. I am so disappointed.
It is unethical to keep changing the plans to substitute residential for planned commercial property. This is very unsettling for residents who were expecting the developers to keep their promise to us.
It is very congested in the area and across Shore Drive. The buildings are so close to the road that if you are triaging to get out you have to pull out as far as you can can to see if any traffic is coming toward you. It is claustrophobic. People need green space. Traffic in the mornings was not backed as it is now from over development from multi family living . I would think twice before moving here now that this is happening. Quality of life is important for those living here now and that is something that people elsewhere in Norfolk and VB are telling me about East Beach.
Until the City does something about the traffic situation on Shore at Little Creek Blvd, no more residential. It is absolutely ridiculous.
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We were promised an area with shops we could walk to when we moved here 18 years ago. What happened??