This Strategic Growth Area is a western gateway to the City of Virginia Beach and is bisected by I-264.
Much of the area is developed with low to mid-rise structures representing a mix of office and light industrial uses of varying quality. There are a number of undeveloped and underdeveloped properties located throughout this SGA.
Newtown Area - Pending Implementation Plan
The City is currently engaged in the development of the Newtown Area Implementation Plan for this Strategic Growth Area. When completed, this plan will provide planning and design guidance relating to Transit-Oriented Development, multimodal transportation improvements, and economic growth opportunities for this area.
The planning and development policies to emerge from this implementation study will be incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan upon the SGA plan’s completion and adoption.
Recommendations
Until the implementation plan for this area is adopted, the following recommendations apply to this SGA:
SGA-wide
Non-residential uses including office, hotel, institutional and low intensity light industrial uses are recommended for this area.
Limited retail uses scaled to support the local employment base are appropriate in both areas.
Implement I-264 improvements including a connection between Cleveland Street and Greenwich Road via an I-264 flyover, as well as other roadway improvements that will improve mobility in this area.
- Office, institutional, hotel and mid- to high-rise residential uses are recommended for this area.
Limit the height and intensity of land uses on property located adjacent to Fair Meadows to protect this neighborhood from possible adverse impacts.
Attractive and effective landscape screening should also be part of any development planned adjacent to this neighborhood.
Development proposals must be accompanied by environmental and traffic impact assessments to demonstrate that proposed projects will not present unacceptable impacts on the area’s natural environmental resources or transportation systems.