Last Thursday, on what felt like the coldest, wettest night this year, I ventured out to the Portsmouth-Chesapeake Lodge No. 82 to hear a little more about Chesapeake City Councilman Roland Davis’ proposal for a $7 million (roughly) field house to rejuvenate the Western Branch area.

It was pelting cold, fat rain drops. The lodge was at the end of Gum Road, just shy of where the road cuts off for an ongoing construction project in the works. The parking lot was a giant mud pit.

I figured it would be a short night because the weather was so bad.

And like so often happens, I was wrong.

There was standing-room-only in the tiny lodge — at least 70 people showed up at the meeting, which had been heavily promoted on Western Branch Growing Forward’s Facebook page.

Davis, in a nutshell, is proposing the city amend its capital improvements plan for the 2017 fiscal year beginning July 1 to include funding for a field house in Western Branch. According to Davis, the project would be an economic shot in the arm for the Chesapeake Square community and would make Western Branch a destination for local sports teams.

The Chesapeake City Council is expected to discuss Davis’ recommendation tonight.

Although the proposed project is merely a proposal, people wanted to ask questions and put in their 2 cents. Some wanted a swimming pool. Others called for opening it up to the community, even selling memberships. Soccer moms talked about how much money they spend going to Virginia Beach for practice each week and the possible economic boon it would bring to Western Branch.

It’s somewhat rare — and refreshing — to see so many people engaged in their community. Regardless of the project’s ultimate fate, the people of Western Branch deserve a thumbs up for involvement, particularly when the project is in such an early stage.

Although I’m from Suffolk and have grown up in this area, I’m not very familiar with many people or activities in Western Branch or Chesapeake. While nothing beats real politics, real faces or real discussion, I feel like I’ve learned about the community dynamics from Western Branch’s Growing Forward Facebook page.