VB council denies proposal for car dealership on site of ‘Thrashmore Woods’; BMX bikers still looking for new home

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — A proposal for a new car dealership has been struck down by Virginia Beach City Council, but the current BMX hobbyists who use the parcel of land in question are still looking for a new home.

In an 8-3 vote Tuesday, Virginia Beach City Council voted to deny Checkered Flag’s proposal to put a dealership on a parcel of land near Interstate 264 and Rosemont Road, at 3736 Sentara Way.

The reason most council members seemed to vote against the development proposal came after an hour of community members speaking in opposition and expressing Checkered Flag has “done nothing” to correct issues at their already neighboring dealership. Those issues deal mostly with noise and light pollution.

For nearly 20 years, the plot has hosted local BMX enthusiasts who set up their own track. They call it Thrashmore Woods.

However, BMX riders are still considered trespassers on the property, which has been owned by Virginia Beach-based Runnymede Corporation since 1996.

However, last year, Winners Property, LLC. — the parent company of Checkered Flag — said they wanted to build a 12,000-square-foot dealership and parking lot on the land.

The city was unaware Thrashmore Woods existed. The president of Runnymede confirmed there was never an agreement between the BMX bikers and Runnymede. In November, an attorney representing Checkered Flag said the city planning department didn’t know the trails were on the land.

One BMX enthusiast told 10 On Your Side in November that he hoped if they weren’t able to continue with Thrashmore Woods, they’d be able to find another plot of land that would welcome the group.

On Tuesday, council members Michael Berlucchi and Linwood Branch asked City Manager Patrick Duhaney to try to find a permanent home for the BMX track.