Virginia Beach has a parking problem
City hopes temporary lots will help during surf park construction
VIRGINIA BEACH — The city stands to lose more than 500 parking spaces in the Oceanfront resort area during construction of the surf park.
The parking crunch is a problem as tourist season approaches, and Mayor Bobby Dyer has acknowledged the need for an immediate solution.
To address the issue, Virginia Beach is reconsidering a zoning law that has kept some usable parking lots vacant.
Myoung Kim’s temporary parking lot at the corner of 31st and Atlantic Avenue has sat vacant for a year. His permit to operate the lot expired at the end of 2021, and the city would not allow him to extend it.
The zoning law currently only provides a one-year permit and explicitly states extensions are not allowed. The law was intended to make the resort area more attractive by encouraging more permanent, well-maintained lots, according to the city.
But Kim is not ready to build on his land across from the 31st Street Park and the King Neptune statue, so the gravel lot sat empty last summer as drivers searched for parking spots.
On Wednesday, the Planning Commission voted to recommend the City Council change the law to allow for extensions of temporary parking lot permits. It will help fill in the gaps the city will experience during construction of Atlantic Park, Zoning Administrator Hannah Sabo told commissioners.
If approved by the City Council later this spring, the zoning code would be changed to allow for up to two, one-year extensions of permits for temporary lots through 2026.
The city is losing more than 500 public parking spaces in the resort area with the closing of the two lots on south and north sides of 19th Street at Pacific Avenue during construction of the Atlantic Park project.
The city operates some parking lots and garages at the Oceanfront. Commercial parking lots also are permitted, including temporary ones, in some parts of the resort area.
Temporary lots serve a purpose for land that may otherwise sit vacant if owners are not ready for construction.
They don’t have to meet all standards of a permanent parking lot.
Landscaping is required around the perimeter. Paving is not required, but materials used are regulated by the city.
“It’s a benefit for our both parking needs and for any neighboring properties that would rather not have just a vacant lot sitting there,” Sabo told members of the Resort Advisory Commission this month.
The commission supports the code change.
To free up more spaces, the city also is looking at an option for businesses to rent their lots during off hours, such as when banks are closed, Sabo said.
Kim is happy to hear the city is reconsidering, and he plans to apply for an extension. He said mostly local residents, many of whom are senior citizens, have been asking to park in his lot, but can’t.
“It’s going to be good for people,” he said. “It’s convenient.”