The City of Chesapeake partners with the U.S. Navy to acquire property interests from willing landowners near the Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads - Northwest Annex. The City entered into a multi-year agreement with the Navy that enables us to work together and match funds for the purchase of real property or conservation easements that help to prevent development encroachment and to preserve the mission of the Northwest Annex. The Navy's funds are provided under the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI) Program and the City's funds are available through the Open Space and Agricultural Preservation (OSAP) Program. Additional information can be found on the REPI Program Site.
Properties located within approximately 5 miles of the Northwest Annex are located in a protective zone called the "Military Influence Area." This area is designed to limit development activity that could affect the Navy's Relocatable Over The Horizon Radar (ROTHR), which is sensitive to electromagnetic interference (EMI). Property located within this area may be eligible for the program. Willing property owners may sale their property fee simple or enter into a conservation easement. Under a conservation easement, the private landowner retains ownership of their property and could continue to farm the land and/or live on the property, but other land uses are restricted. The City and the Navy also cover other costs associated with these transactions such as title searches, appraisals, environmental studies, among other items necessary for the closing.
Through this program, the City has acquired three properties, including:
- Sawyer Tract off Elbow Road: 642 acres
- Gees Group Property off Ballahack Road: 639 acres
- Philippians 4:11-13 Property off Ballahack Road: 43 acres.
Please contact the Planning Department at 757-382-6176 to learn more about the MYA/REPI Program.