Exmore Town Council hears public comments on proposed development

By Ava Canade

During last night’s public comment period of the regularly scheduled Exmore Town Council meeting, several citizens commented on a proposed planned unit development that would put 870 houses across the road from Broadwater Academy.

A dozen citizens spoke before the Council to a standing room audience that stretched outside the meeting room. Those in attendance expressed their concerns about the large-scale development. Most of the comments focused on concerns about quality of life, the cost of resources for the town if the development occurs, and that the land was zoned for agriculture rather than development.

Ken Dufty, a business owner in Exmore, told the Council that the tax rate for the municipality has stayed the same or even gone down compared to others on the Shore. He also cited studies that established that residential building is not a revenue builder and could create a drag on resources in Exmore.

Multiple citizens urged the Council to conduct an independent impact study about the effects of the development on Exmore. Speakers such as Tyler Hall, who lives in Exmore after moving from Virginia Beach eight years ago, urged caution with the impact study.

He expressed his concerns about the possibility of a firm swaying results towards the developer and stated that “we don’t need an assessment to tell us what we already know.”

Many residents who voiced their concerns about quality of life had said they moved to Exmore to leave the crowded conditions of their previous homes.

Amanda Lowry, who also moved to Exmore from Virginia Beach a year ago, said her move was to have peace of mind that she didn’t have in Virginia Beach. Seeing the growth in Virginia Beach, she warned the council that the development in Exmore could lead to having “developers gobbling up property like a hungry hippo.”

Developer Chris Carbaugh was in attendance and offered to answer questions from concerned citizens. He also stated he would like to present his project to the community to outline the plans for the development.

There was no vote held at the meeting regarding the development approval.