The City Council is moving forward with a sprawling warehouse development project.
Despite a protest ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, the council voted 5-3 to rezone about 540 acres of farmland for the Port 460 project. The proposed development, to be built by Maryland-based Matan Inc., would include 10 warehouses in a 4.7-million-square-foot complex.
Critics of the proposal are chiefly concerned about traffic. According to Mayor Michael Duman, 41% of the issues brought to the council revolved around an increase in traffic.
But traffic will come regardless of whether this project is approved, Duman said.
The Port of Virginia, with more than $1 billion invested in waterway and infrastructure improvements, has become one of the most competitive ports on the East Coast. The result is an increase in traffic on U.S. Route 460 and U.S. Route 58, Duman said.
Duman addressed concerns over funding for road improvements. He mentioned support from the Port of Virginia, Virginia Department of Transportation and Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration for proposals that would ease the flow of traffic.
Duman said those improvements are necessary to meet the demand of through traffic, because it will only increase over time.
“By using the resources we have now, we may be able to get ahead of a problem,” Duman said.
Critics were skeptical and expressed worries about the increase of traffic.
“I am just concerned for the safety of my fellow citizens,” said resident Chris Dove said.
Residents in opposition organized through email and a Facebook page — Just Say No to Warehouses in Our Neighborhoods — which has about 1,200 members. Protestors gathered outside City Hall and chanted, “Keep Suffolk beautiful.”
Denise Murden, one of the organizers of the protest, said council should not have approved the project.
“There are plenty of other places for this project to go,” Murden said.
Duman added that the project could call for a reduction in speed limits.
The Port 460 logistics center would be built on Pruden Boulevard near U.S. 58, about 5 miles from downtown Suffolk. The area is a key freight corridor to the Port of Virginia. According to a Matan Inc. report, Port 460 could easily move goods to other parts of the state and beyond.
