City lawmakers will determine whether a Virginia Beach developer’s proposal to build a 165-home community near Suffolk Executive Airport will fly or be grounded this week.

The Suffolk City Council, which meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday, will look at a request to rezone 121 acres off Turlington Road for the proposed Millstone subdivision. The meeting is in the Municipal Building, 441 Market St.

The project would be on land currently owned by recently elected Councilman Charles D. Parr Sr. and the Art Ray Corp.

Despite concerns by some commissioners, the Suffolk Planning Commission recommended approval of the plan last month.

Parr said he will abstain from voting Wednesday.

The project is in concert with the city’s recently adopted update to its comprehensive plan, as well as last year’s Carolina Road Corridor Study, according to City Planner Cindy Taylor. Both call for more for more residential growth in the southern end of the city.

Parr recently said he thought more residential development in the area would help downtown.

“I believe that when you have a core downtown you are trying to develop, you need population for it to survive, “ he said. “I believe those people will become customers of the existing businesses in downtown and will attract more businesses to the area.”

allison.williams@suffolknewsherald.com