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Virginia Beach — The City Council approved the expansion of a senior living community located on the Chesapeake Bay despite opposition from nearby condo owners.
The council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to support the construction of a 22-story glass tower and a seven-story memory center on the campus of Westminster-Canterbury On The Bay at 3100 Shore Drive.
The council listened to 50 speakers, for and against the project, over more than 3½ hours before casting votes. Council members Louis Jones, Rosemary Wilson and Jim Wood had conflicts of interest and were unable to vote. They did not attend the meeting; neither did Councilwoman Jessica Abbott. Councilmen Aaron Rouse and John Moss voted no.
Councilman Guy Tower said the 22-story story tower is reasonable, and he does not think it will have a significant detrimental impact on the surrounding properties.
The new buildings will add 217 independent living, 75 assisted living and 48 memory care units. The expansion will redevelop the properties of Casa del Playa Condominiums, the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier and Lynnhaven Fish House Restaurant.
Construction will occur between 2021-25. When it is finished, the campus will have 905 units and 1,096 parking spaces.
Jeanne Lauer, attorney for Ocean Shore Condominiums, has promised to sue within the next month. She will challenge the height of the proposed 250-foot glass tower. Lauer argues that Westminster-Canterbury’s zoning district permits a maximum height of 165 feet for senior living buildings. The Planning Department has said the height can be determined by the council.
Several residents of Westminster-Canterbury called into the council meeting to sing its praises, and several prominent community members spoke in support in-person as well.
Ben Unkle, CEO of Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay, said the community needs more senior housing because there will be a severe shortage in the future. He said the development needs to be 22 floors to make the project financially feasible and to avoid rate increases for residents. Currently, Unkle says the community has a wait list of people who would like to move in.
“You already know that Virginia Beach has a desperate need for all types of senior housing,” Unkle said. “We have an acute, and a long predictable, and now looming senior housing crisis that will come home to roost by 2030.”
Many nearby condo owners opposed the development, but not because they don’t want more senior housing. They just don’t like the height or material of the 22-story tower and are not looking forward to hearing construction. Some also questioned whether fire and rescue squads would be able to evacuate seniors quickly during an emergency. Many also said they did not feel as if leadership of the retirement community or council members listened to their concern.
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Paul Terkeltaub, a resident of Ocean Shore Condominiums, said Unkle won’t tell neighbors whether construction workers plan to hammer piling into the ground or opt for a quieter method of boring and pouring the concrete.
Terkeltaub asked Tower to recuse himself because earlier this year the councilman had forwarded emails of complaint to the developer. Tower told The Pilot he did not regret passing along emails as all communication he receives are public records.
Tom Forrest, another resident of Ocean Shore, said he felt the council members sided with the developers before the hearing. He said he thinks it is inappropriate that several of the council members met with Westminster-Canterbury representatives and did not meet with local residents.
“Not a single council person has shown up to meetings we have requested,” Forrest said.
Westminster-Canterbury will return to the council at a later date to request a new public beach access point on its property as well as two elevated pedestrian bridges that would link the new buildings to the existing ones.
The council currently does not have enough members to approve the relocation of the beach access as it requires a supermajority vote and three council members must abstain due to conflicts.
Alissa Skelton, 757-995-9043, alissa.skelton@pilotonline.com.