Virginia Beach City Council Meeting – August 12, 2026
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Virginia Beach City Council Meeting – August 12, 2026
On August 12, 2026, the Virginia Beach City Council convened for a formal session that included a briefing on a new electronic voting platform, consideration of 13 planning items, a lengthy public hearing on the proposed sale of the Virginia Beach National Golf Course, and several other items. The meeting lasted over four and a half hours, with public comment periods drawing significant attendance and impassioned testimony.
Consent Calendar
- Approved 11 items on the consent agenda as read by Vice Mayor Wilson, including resolutions to extend the city-school revenue sharing policy, appoint Bridget Hensel as assistant city attorney, authorize revenue bonds, execute a ground lease with T-Mobile, accept various state grants, and donate ballistic vests to Northampton County EMS. Vice Mayor Wilson abstained on item 6 (Twin Mills Road encroachment) and item 11 (short-term rental parking ordinance) was deferred to September 1, 2026.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Virginia Beach National Golf Course Sale: Over 60 speakers addressed the council, the vast majority opposing the sale. Key themes included concerns about process transparency (eight closed sessions, alleged pre-RFP negotiations with Dragas Associates), the financial terms (public subsidy of $37.8 million plus inflation, including $17.9 million rebate, $1.8 million VBDA funds, $4.3 million infrastructure cap, and up to $10.2 million in performance grants), the addition of 42 acres not in the original RFP, traffic and infrastructure impacts, housing density (659 units below the green line), and the appearance of conflicts of interest due to campaign contributions from Dragas entities. Supporters, including Helen Dragas, Century Golf executives, former council members, and residents, emphasized the need for attainable housing, the preservation of the golf course with private investment, economic benefits, and the developer's reputation. A 14-year-old resident spoke against the sale, criticizing the council for prioritizing developers over the community.
- Farmhouse Rezoning (1805 Kempsville Road): Several civic league presidents and residents spoke in opposition, citing concerns about stormwater drainage, traffic congestion, school capacity, and the loss of green space. Supporters included the CEO of CHIP (Children’s Health Investment Program) who praised the developer’s corporate partnership. The applicant’s attorney noted that the farmhouse would be preserved and that 7% of units (18) would be attainable housing for 10 years.
Discussion Items
- Voting Platform Upgrade: The IT department presented a new iPad-based voting system with a refreshed display, touch-screen buttons, and automatic refresh features. Council members asked questions about audio clarity for motions and seconds, and the system was implemented starting that day.
- Planning Briefing: Staff briefed the council on 13 planning items for the evening and 8 for the August 18 hearing. Notable items included a conditional rezoning for 251 multifamily units at 1805 Kempsville Road (with a subdivision variance), a conditional use permit for a cheerleading facility expansion, and text amendments on short-term rental parking and mini-warehouses. The planning commission had recommended approval on most items.
- Council Hazards Reports: Council members reported on National Night Out events, the summer youth employment program, e-bike safety education (18 citations issued to date, 165 total bike incidents, 67 e-bike related), and an upcoming briefing on undersea mining off the Virginia coast.
- Substitute Motion to Defer Golf Course Vote: Councilmember Henley moved to defer the vote for 90 days to allow for further study of concerns raised. The motion failed 2-9.
- Alternative Version Approval: The council then voted 9-2 to approve the sale of the golf course with an added condition (paragraph five) requiring the developer to commit to a specific percentage of affordable housing units before the rezoning is considered by the planning commission and council.
Key Outcomes
- Virginia Beach National Golf Course Sale: Approved 9-2 with the alternative version requiring a firm affordable housing commitment prior to rezoning. The city manager is authorized to proceed with the term sheet and purchase and development agreement with Dragas Associates, subject to future rezoning approvals.
- 1805 Kempsville Road Rezoning: Deferred for 30 days (10-1 vote) to allow further discussion on pedestrian safety improvements (Hawk signal funding) and community concerns about stormwater, traffic, and school capacity. The applicant had proffered $100,000 toward pedestrian signalization, but the estimated cost is $500,000–$600,000.
- Planning Item 5 (Daycare at 804 Gammon Road): Approved 11-0.
- Appointments: Amanda Jarrett appointed to the South Side Network Authority (11-0).
- Other Planning Items: Several items were approved on consent, including the change in nonconformity at 1330 Creedal Road, conditional rezoning for Pungo Square, and conditional use permits for the sports center signage and short-term rentals. The ordinance to amend short-term rental parking requirements was deferred to September 1, 2026.
Meeting Transcript
So, Mr. Mayor, members of the council, welcome back from recess. The first briefing will be a briefing provided by our IT department. It'll be a briefing on your voting platform system. Right? So it's a new system. And we're gonna briefly the council on how to use it. All right. So Tia Harrington with the IT department, she's a solutions manager. We'll come into the presentation. Okay. Hi, my name is Tia Harrington for Information Technology. I don't want to. We can't hear you. Okay. Is that better? Okay. Hi, my name is Tia Harrington for Information Technology. I'm here to present on a new voting platform and device upgrade. The new voting platform will have a new look and feel for council members and for the public. The voting devices will be changing from a Windows device to an iPad. The voting process and procedures will remain the same. For the motioning and voting process, the process will stay the same. What a clerk will still call for the mover and seconder, and record them in the system prior to the vote being opened. Once the clerk opens the vote, the screens shown will show the council. The voting buttons are I, nay, abstain, and absent. Once chosen, the voting buttons will change to the colors to reflect the selected button. I will change the green, nay to red, abstain to yellow, and absent to blue. The vote buttons can be selected by touching the iPad screen. After the clerk closes the vote, the finding voting results will show to each council member on the iPad. On the council display screen, the final voting results will have a new look. The screen will display the agenda item, the mover, and the seconder recorded for the item, and a vote summary. The vote summary now displays names only, not your pictures. The names are in order by mayor, vice mayor, and then the council members' names are in alphabetical order by last name. For registered speakers, the chamber display has a new look. The public will be able to view the agenda item, the name of the current speaker only, and the screen will also have a shows a timer. The timer for the application will not be used. The official timer for speakers will continue to be the timer located on electurn. A new feature within the application is when the application is idle for a period of time or when changes are made to the agenda. The iPad will need to be refreshed to ensure you are viewing the current agenda and the voting functionality works. The refresh instructions have been placed. The steps for refreshing the iPad are find your name in the right corner, select the current meeting, and then click the play button, and these steps will refresh the screen. So one iPad will show the voting screen prior to the votes being cast, and a second iPad will show the refresh process. Do y'all have any questions? I'll be close. Is that right? Well, yours has a mouse, ma'am. Everybody else's will be a touch screen. Okay. Yes.
openpublica.com