Everyone,
  This Wednesday, Sept 7 at 2 PM in Virginia Beach City Council Chambers (Second Floor Bldg 1), the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) will hear public comment on whether the Maple Street transfer site should become a permanent transfer site for non-beach grade dredged spoils.  As you know, this site has been used in the past when the Corps of Engineers was dredging the channel to keep it open for navigation.  This was a hydraulic dredge process that would occur for a couple of weeks every couple of years.  This dredging produced beach quality sand which was spread on our beaches along Cape Henry.  What the city is proposing now is to dredge residential tidal areas that have filled in with street silt and make them “deep water access”. These tidal areas will be dredged mechanically, have the spoils placed on a 20-40 cubic yard floating hopper, barge and then transported to one of two sites as of now (Maple St. and Thalia/VB Blvd). The city has proposed other sites for mechanical transfer, but as of now, only Maple St and Thalia are being established as transfer sites.  This mechanical operation is beyond the current permit for Maple St, because this is not beach quality sand and the spoils can not be deposited at Maple Street, Crab Creek (Lesner Bridge area) without a lot more permitting and approvals. This is key to this BZA meeting this Wednesday.  The city would like to say it is within CURRENT zoning limitations for the site, while we firmly believe that it exceeds R7.5 zoning (Residential) as it is presently zoned.  This meeting will determine whether residential zoning laws prevail, or the city changes it to a permanent industrial transfer site.  This is big. If the city has their way, it could forever change Long Creek. Will the city control and enforce safety rules for barge traffic on Long Creek?  Look how well the city enforces current OSHA safety rules concerning harnesses worn by workers doing second story roofing.  Just my point.  We need your support in this meeting.  Email me if you have questions.  It is just our neighborhood way of life and safety that is in hazard.

Click here for the SDCC_Position_Statement_Letter_for_Dredge_Spoils_Transfer_Sites_2011.pdf

Please send me an email if you need more information.

Your neighbor,
David Williams
SDCC President
 
PLEASE CHECK http://www.LongCreekWetlands.com for documented discussions on this major issue that will impact us.  We need your support in City Council Chambers 7 Sept at 2 PM.  This is really important.