The following SDCC approved proposal was presented to Council.  It can be used as a tool to help focus speakers at the October 28 Council Meeting.  Please come out and show some support.  It would be nice if the Shore Drive area could receive some of the same treatment that is given to the Oceanfront/Northend.

                    SHORE DRIVE BEACH WALKWAYS  

BACKGROUND

  The attraction of the Shore Drive Area is the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the Lynnhave Waterway.  It is primarily a high density residential area with a substantial population of retirees and young families.  At the present time it has very few developed accesses to the Bay. The sand and sand dunes at the end of each street are a considerable obstacle to many residents, seniors, handicapped individuals, mothers and fathers herding “kids”, babies in carriages, and assorted beach paraphernalia to and from the beach.  Many of our older residents, although they decided to retire here for the beach and the bay find they lack access to the very attractions that brought them here
  Over time we face an erosion problem. As people traverse the dunes they create deeper and deeper paths.  The wind and at times the water find these paths natural conduits and further erode the sand barriers.

OBJECTIVE:

  To construct walkways at the end of each street to the Chesapeake Bay in the Shore Drive corridor from Bay Lakes Pines to First Land State Park.

PROPOSAL:

  That this task be accomplished in three phases over the next nine years.  This proposal constitutes the first proposal or phase one.  This phase calls for the construction of nine walkways out of a total of 34 possible walkways. Phase one call for the construction of a walkway at the end of about every fourth street. Some specific locations have been identified and are request sites. They are: Kendell,  Sandalwood,  Rookery Way,  W Jefferson,  Powatan Albemarle, and Roanoke.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

  All walkways shall be design to permit handicapped access.  The materials, design and construction of walkways similar to those at Fort Story and at Sea Shore State Park would be ideal and reasonable in cost.

BENEFITS

  Walkways would enhance both the aesthetics of the area the real value of all types of residences. It would open the beach to all, the handicapped, families with young children and the elderly.  It would reduce the erosion of the dunes and the vegetated areas adjacent to the beach and the dunes. 

REQUEST

It is requested that the city assume responsibility for funding and construction of the walkways starting in 2004.  This proposal is submitted by the Shore Drive Community Coalition (a coalition of 22 civic leagues and condominium associations).  It is endorsed and supported by The Shore Drive Advisory Committee, The Cerebral Palsy Association, The mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities and a majority of the citizens in the area.