Great Neck Estates-Lake Conrad 2

Over the course of four years, plans were developed to sell property that a church no longer needed to a builder for new homes. Had it not been for the radical idea to fill the lake on the property, that includes a city drainage easement, this plan would have been easily approved.

• April 2020, Bishard Homes contact the city's Development Service Center (DSC) and asked for consideration of a plan that would fill in Lake Conrad 2 in order to build 12 homes. They would construct a new retention pond behind Wycliffe Presbyterian Church, on the church's property. 

• The DSC advised Bishard Homes of concerns that included the volume of water held by the land and the lake and the jurisdiction of federal and state organizations over this body of water, classified as "Waters of the United States."

• The new retention pond behind the church, although it would be constructed by the developer, would remain the legal and financial responsibility of the church, because it would remain on property retained by the church.

• Public Works determined that the new pond would not be necessary and a pipe could handle the drainage off Great Neck Road.

• The neighborhood, Great Neck Estates, learned of the project by a resident who was also a church member during a sparsely-attended civic league meeting in late 2021 ( almost two years after the builder approached the city). The church had distributed a booklet to their congregation, linked below. They indicated that they would communicate with the community who would have an "extremely slim" chance of interfering with the plan (item #9).  As the plan progressed, it became apparent that the church was not providing any information at all. The church also did not answer emails posed by concerned residents with questions.

• The Army Corps of Engineers, the EPA, and the DEQ gave their approval to fill in Lake Conrad 2, due to it's size being just under "one acre of impacts."

• In February 2023 (3 years after discussions between developer and city initiated) in response to concerns raised by the neighborhood, City Councilman Chris Taylor met with neighbors and made the suggestion that a petition be constructed. The community complied and developed an information campaign to reach all interested parties, which included Great Neck Estates, Great Neck Lakes Association, and residents concerned with coastal resiliency and flood protection policy in Virginia Beach, as well as the special needs residents involved with the Helping Hands and Infant Stim Programs. 

• Councilman Taylor encouraged the church and developer to provide a meeting for the community to hear of the plan and to voice their concerns. The community raised numerous concerns and animosity for the way the church and developer undermined transparency and open dialogue 

• Over the course of the next year, widespread objections were voiced throughout the city of Virginia Beach to the concept of filling in wetlands in order to produce new land for infill development. The petitions (online and ink) grew to over 9000.  

• Just before each City Council hearing, the developer requested a dramatic change to the plan without community input. First in November, when City Council indicated filling in the lake was not optically acceptable and the developer offered to redesign around the lake. Second in April, when they removed the new business zoning and said they would figure out what to do with the lake portion at a future date. 

• The community again objected to the lack of communication with a sudden reversal of plans with no traffic study and no opportunity for public scrutiny.  Several members of the church staff and trustees urged City Council to approve the plan despite the request by the neighboring community to defer until more information was shared. In April 2024, the City Council approved without any written plans of the new lower parcel being submitted to the Planning Department.

• In late April, the developer requested a private meeting with community leaders, Wycliffe Church, and the new proposed church. No plans were shown but were discussed for a new church, intent on doubling membership and doubling the existing parking lot, and doublint the existing A-frame building.  Wycliffe Church accused the community leadership of sharing false information but could not or would not share specifics so that again, we could achieve open transparency and communication.