A plan to transform an 8.5-acre property that houses a brewery into an apartment complex will move forward despite community opposition.
On Tuesday, City Council approved a subdivision variance and a conditional rezoning for Attain at Farmhouse, 251 apartments split between two four-story buildings. The site would have six parking garages and community amenities.
A farmhouse that’s more than a century old would be preserved for a potential commercial use. Back Bay Brewing’s Farmhouse brewery is operating at the site but announced earlier this year that it’s looking for a new home.
Preserving the farmhouse was a priority for the Wood family, which owns the property, according to Shauna Firman, who spoke for the family during the meeting.
“For the family, this project is about more than development,” Firman said. “It is about history, stewardship and finding a responsible path forward for land that has been in their family for more than 100 years.”
Community concerns have included the height of the buildings, changes to the property, traffic and impacts upon services. Danielle Swartz, president of the Brigadoon Civic League, said citizens were frustrated because the decision seemed to be a foregone conclusion.
“We have more than 6,500 petition signers opposing this rezoning and then redevelopment into four-story apartments,” she said. “Those are not just numbers on a page. Those are thousands of people who took the time to say, 'We are concerned. We do not believe this is the right development for this location.’”
The decision had been delayed a month over the price of a pedestrian crossing along Kempsville Road that the project requires. The developer initially offered $100,000. The 9-1 vote Tuesday followed a new condition that the developer pay the city $600,000 to cover crossing signals.
Officials have said the developer had addressed some community concerns during months of discussions.
“Don't feel defeated because there are proffers in this agreement,” said Councilmember Cash Jackson-Green, who represents the district where the project is located. “That means we’re listening. We listened to you and, because of that, changes were made.”
Mayor Bobby Dyer, who supported the project, said the city needs to confront the housing crisis. The developer will make 7% of the units priced for households earning at or below 100% of the area median income.