The City of Virginia Beach City Council adopted the current Comprehensive Plan in 2017. The City Council lays out specific goals for each area of the city in the Comprehensive Plan. In the Suburban Focus area section that deals with Shore Dr., the City Council sets forth Guiding Planning Principles to achieve a stated goal of Great Neighborhoods. Here are some quotes from the CP that show how inconsistent the Marlin Bay Development is with the plan that the City Council has adopted for Ocean Park and Shore Dr.
“Our primary guiding principle for the Suburban Area is to create “Great Neighborhoods,” and “to support those neighborhoods with complementary non-residential uses in such a way that working together the stability and sustainability of the Suburban Area is ensured for now and the future.” ( page 1-60)
- “The planning policies that apply to the entire Shore Drive Corridor and Bayfront Communities are:
- Preserve and protect the character of the established neighborhoods
- Achieve the lowest reasonable density for future residential uses.” page (1-71)
“For example, new residential development on larger parcels should be consistent with the character of any residential uses in the surrounding area, as well as consistent with the guiding planning principles for the Suburban Area.” “Residential density in the Suburban Area should be low to medium where the surrounding land use patterns and densities are appropriate for such. Higher densities are appropriate for development in the Urban Areas.” (page 1-62)
“Infill development on small vacant parcels within an existing neighborhood or on parcels being redeveloped should be compatible to the existing development around it. Designing a structure that is scaled and proportioned with surrounding development is typically more difficult than utilizing a design that simply fits the site and meets zoning regulations. The result, however, is a structure compatible with the neighborhood with respect to land use and design, and will give the impression to those who pass by that it has always been part of the original development.” (page 1-63)
The Bayfront Advisory Commission (originally established as the Shore Drive Advisory Committee and then the Bayfront Advisory Committee) was established by City Council in 1998. The mission given by City Council to the Bayfront Advisory Commission is: to review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding public and private projects and issues associated with the Bayfront area, and projects or issues associated with the Bayfront area that the City Council may refer to the Commission. At the April meeting, the Bayfront Advisory Commission did not approve the design for this project, finding it incompatible with the Design Guidelines for Shore Dr.
Link: ComprehensivePlan.pdf
Ocean Park Civic League 
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