VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — After nearly four hours of deliberation, a jury has ordered Dominion Energy to pay Walton Funeral Home nearly $350,000 in an eminent domain case over what the utility said was the need for land as part of its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project.
Walton Funeral Home owner Frank Walton said the money doesn’t cover all the changes that have been brought to his business due to Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project.
Dominion Energy, in a statement to 10 On Your Side, said it respected the jury’s verdict.
“We respect the jury’s decision in determining the fair market value of crossing parts of Mr. Walton’s property,” Dominion said. “We appreciate the court’s time in hearing this case.”
Dominion said they needed some of the funeral home’s land for its wind energy program, and while the two sides had been negotiating since 2023, they could not come to an agreement, and they ended up in court in what the utility said was a last resort.
Walton, whose business has been at its Holland Road location for more than 58 years, said the transmission lines for Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project are not good for business.
In Virginia Beach Circuit Court, an appraiser said cutting down trees does not change the value of the property and added that commercial buyers are not concerned about trees, but rather, road frontage, visibility, how many cars drive by and more.
Note: The video above about the eminent domain case between Dominion Energy and Walton Funeral Home in Virginia Beach aired Wednesday, April 17.
Walton disagreed, and another appraiser who testified Wednesday disagreed with that assessment, saying the Walton Funeral Home property is now less desirable now that Dominion has taken part of the property with the easement.
“This is a nightmare for a property owner,” Walton said, “We had a very serene and calm environment for our customers that would come to the funeral home,” he said. “And that’s all gone.”
Dominion, in stating its case for the need of the property, said the offshore wind project will provide more than 600,000 homes with clean, reliable power. The project will see 176 wind turbines going up 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast as part of the $9.8 billion project.
But Walton said that comes with a cost to his business.
And a jury decided that cost would be $349,842.
“I would say we got about half of what we were asking for,” Walton said, “It’s been a three-year battle. I’m glad it’s over. If nothing else, I would warn any property owner if you own property and a utility or municipality wants it, you’re in for a fight, and this has been one. It’s been exhausting. It has been a battle that I hope to never have to fight again.”