STOP LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE TO REVISE R-5R ZONING

A Petition of the Citizens of Virginia Beach
Presented to the Virginia Beach Planning Commission

WHEREAS a committee composed of members of the North Virginia Beach Civic League has proposed an amendment to the current zoning ordinance regarding R-5R zoning with limited input from the citizenry at large,

WHEREAS proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance does not consider the property rights of current property owners,

WHEREAS many citizens have invested in R-5R lots with the knowledge they could construct duplex dwelling on said lots under specific rules with some flexibility as to setbacks, square footage and height,

WHEREAS the proposal for the amendment includes false, misleading, and undocumented statements,

WHEREAS proposed amendments may reduce or redistribute the actual square footage of construction possible in the R-5R zoning district that will cause a hardship to the owner that may result in economic loss and functional living space

WHEREAS proposal specifically states that the restrictions are designed to lesson the construction of duplex structures,

WHEREAS proposed amendments would tend to reduce garage space constructed and would exacerbate the existing parking problems in R-5R zoning districts,

WHEREAS proposed amendments would not allow a property owner to rebuild
his current building if destroyed by a disaster,

WHEREAS proposed amendments create regulations that make architectural styling into zoning ordinance, causing the architectural taste of a small group to supersede the taste of property owners,

WHEREAS the market for living units in R-5R zoning experiences strong demand for reasonable size units with amenities to attract buyers,

WHEREAS current zoning restrictions for R-5R zoning have become more and more inflexible in recent years, restricting the construction envelope to a rectangular box for duplex construction,

WHEREAS lots in R-5R zoning can vary by 100\% in size from a low of 4,000 square feet in Chesapeake Beach, 5,000 (on average) in Ocean Park to to 8,000 square feet and larger at the North End,

WHEREAS amendments propose side loading garages and bonus front porches for certain architectural styles that are not possible on lots that vary so widely in size creating an unfair advantage to the larger lots,

WHEREAS the amendment would allow new encroachments into side and front yard set-backs, interfering with an established neighbors rights,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Planning Commission of Virginia Beach reject the proposed amendments to the R-5R zoning ordinance and charge staff with the task of working with a cross section of citizens who may make recommendation to ease the rigidity of R-5R zoning ordinances to allow more creative designs for products in R-5R zoning district to more closely relate to market demand:

This petition is submitted by the following citizens of the City of Virginia Beach: