www.ourfuturevb.com It’s Our Future CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH Technical Report Adopted: December 8, 2009 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TECHNICAL DOCUMENT Table of Contents CITYWIDE Background ........................................................................................... 3 Land Use ............................................................................................... 6 Environment ....................................................................................... 11 Transportation ..................................................................................... 69 Public Facilities .................................................................................. 74 Housing ............................................................................................. 103 Historical/Cultural ............................................................................ 110 Economic Vitality ............................................................................. 118 Tourism ............................................................................................. 127 Military Employment ........................................................................ 132 Agriculture ........................................................................................ 133 PLANNING AREAS Bayfront ............................................................................................ 136 Bayside ............................................................................................. 153 Courthouse/Sandbridge ..................................................................... 172 Great Neck ........................................................................................ 195 Holland ............................................................................................. 212 Kempsville ........................................................................................ 233 Little Neck ........................................................................................ 252 Oceanfront ........................................................................................ 267 Pungo/Blackwater ............................................................................. 285 APPENDIX Natural Heritage Definitions ............................................................. A-1 Bibliography ..................................................................................... A-3 Glossary ............................................................................................ A-4 Southern Rural Area Soils .............................................................. A-15 Planning Commission Design Awards ........................................... A-17 BACKGROUND The City of Virginia Beach is a large, maturing and highly diverse municipality that includes the entire range of urban, suburban and rural areas. Virginia Beach experienced a significant population increase over the last two decades, most of which occurred in the 1980's. A strong economic climate throughout the 1990's, opportunities for housing and employment, the abundance of environmental amenities, and the growth in the military were major factors that contributed to a steady growth rate of the City from 1990 through 2000 and a continued moderate growth rate over the last few years. Virginia Beach is located where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Our City’s geographic area comprises a total of 307 square miles. The land area consists of 248 square miles with much of the northern sector devoted to more urban uses. The southern part of the City is rural. Inland waterways cover roughly 59 square miles of the City and comprise water, marshes and wetlands that stretch along hundreds of miles of shorelines throughout the areas of the City. Almost 20,000 acres of the inland waterways are owned and controlled by federal and state authorities. In a recognizable way, the relationship between the land and the water defines the City’s physical environment and enhances the quality of life for its citizens and visitors alike. The Green Line was established in 1979. North of the Green Line it is the policy to support growth and urban activity in accordance with this Comprehensive Plan. The Transition Area is planned for low density residential and non- residential uses consistent with the character of that area. The rural area, located south of the Transition area, is planned for agricultural, very low density residential and non-residential uses that reinforce the rural quality of life in that area. It is the policy of the City to restrict public water and sewer service extensions into the rural area. Citywide- Background 3 Land and Water Area Tables Citywide Land Area 248 square miles Water Area 59 square miles Total Area 307 square miles North of the Green Line Land Area 131 square miles Water Area 14 square miles Total Area 145 square miles Transition Area Land Area 16 square miles Water Area < 1 square mile Total Area 17 square miles South of the Transition Area Land Area 100 square miles Water Area 45 square miles Total Area 145 square miles Note: Figures include Planning Areas and Military Inst allations Source: City of Virginia Beach Planning Department Citywide- Background 4 DEMOGRAPHICS The Citywide section summarizes and compares the quantitative data discussed in each of the individual planning areas, and shows how the individual elements come together to describe the City as a whole. Population and Demographic Characteristics 1980 1990 1995 2000 2005 Demographic U. S. U.S. City U. S. U.S. Characteristic Census Census Estimate Census Census * Total Population 262,200 393,100 421,500 425,257 431,000 Military Population (%) 18.2% 18.6% NA 13.3% NA Median Household $20,200 $36,700 $43,000 $48,700 $59,000 Income Median Age 26.9 years 28.9 years NA 32.7 34.9 Work Force 110,300 197,500 212,500 213,000 236,000 High School Graduates 80% 88% NA 90% NA College Graduates 22% 25% NA 28% NA (Approx. 8% increase or a net gain of about 3200 people per year between 1990 and 2000) Racial Composition: 1980 1990 1995 2000 2005* White 86.5% 80.5% NA 71.4% 70.2% African American 10.0% 13.9% NA 18.9% 19.0% Asian/Pacific Islander 2.5% 4.3% NA 5.0% 5.5% Hispanic (All races) 2.0% 3.1% NA 4.2% 4.8% Native American 0.2% 0.4% NA .4% .3% Other 0.7% 0.9% NA .1% 1.4% Theoretical Build out to year 2026: 506,000 to 525 people assuming .8 to 1.0% annual growth rate. NA means Not Available Source: U.S. Census - * U.S. Census 2005 American Community Survey (sample size used) Citywide- Background 5 LAND USE LAND USES EXISTING RESIDENTIAL While much of the existing land use in the City represents a low density suburban character, certain defined strategic growth areas located outside established residential neighborhoods are seeing a more compact, mixed-use form of development. The predominant form of residential land uses consist of low to medium density single family dwellings located in the northern and central portions of the City. In the Suburban area, multi- family uses are typically concentrated along several of the City’s main arterials. The citywide ratio of single family and multi family is beginning to change. Over the past few decades, the growth of housing has been dominated by the single family detached unit. The number of single family detached units, as compared to the citywide total of about 170,000 units has hovered around 60% for many years. Since 1996, however, the proportion of single family detached units dropped from 59% to 57% and multifamily units increased from 26% to 28%. While these are slight percentages, they reflect a shift toward more compact development consistent with the city’s comprehensive planning strategy that seeks to reduce sprawl, protect valued natural resources and optimize efficient use of existing infrastructure. Part of the emerging urban residential growth may be seen at the City’s Town Center where about 600 rental and condominium units have been built in the past 7 years. There are approximately 2100 dwelling units in the rural area of the city. EXISTING COMMERCIAL Similarly, while the vast majority of commercial areas of the City remain primarily low intensity, suburban style development, there are defined growth areas that reflect a transformation to a more vertical mix of uses capturing compatible commercial, office, entertainment, and other complementary activities. Within the suburban areas of the City, commercial development varies in size from small scale strip shopping establishments to large malls, with certain design characteristics shared among many establishments regarding roadway frontage, large parking areas, and out parcels which are often devoted to gas stations, convenience stores and fast food restaurants. Much of this commercial development is located at major road intersections and along many of the City’s primary arterials. Major suburban commercial centers located in the City include two regional-scale malls, Lynnhaven Mall (1 million square feet of gross floor area), and Pembroke Mall (600,000 square feet of gross floor area). Several community-sized shopping centers are located around the City at Kemps River Landing (Kempsville), Hilltop (Great Neck), Red Mill Commons (Courthouse- Sandbridge) and several in the Bayside and Bayfront Planning Areas among others. Other community-sized retail centers are at the intersections of the Princess Anne Road and Lynnhaven Parkway, and Lynnhaven Parkway and Salem Road. Citywide- Landuse 6 EXISTING OFFICE Several major office uses and