In partnership with Preservation Virginia, the nation’s oldest statewide historic preservation organization, the Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission invites you to celebrate May as Historic Preservation Month through “Pints for Preservation.” Take part in this refreshing experience at local craft breweries in support of the Cape Henry Lighthouse and its ongoing preservation needs.

Throughout the month of May, each participating brewery is donating $1 per pint sold of their special designated Historic Preservation Month beer to support the lighthouse. The special beers are:

• Reavenator Maibock – Reaver Beach Brewing Company
• Without Question Light Lager – Pleasure House Brewing
• Witty Wilde Belgian Wit. – Vibrant Shore Brewing Company

Find out how much you know about local history as your trivia team competes for prizes during the two remaining trivia nights. Each event will test your knowledge about Virginia Beach’s history starting at 7 p.m. on these dates and locations:

• Monday, May 22, Pleasure House Brewing, 2032 Pleasure House Road
• Thursday, May 25, Vibrant Shore Brewing, 505 18^th St.

Commemorative pint glasses will also be available for a donation ($10 each; 2 for $15) during the trivia nights and all proceeds go to the lighthouse’s restoration fund.

Contact Mark Reed, 757-385-8573, mreed@vbgov.com for additional information about the Historic Preservation Month events.

The Virginia Beach Historic Preservation Commission is a City Council-appointed body that advises council on issues related to historic resources. They seek to preserve, protect and maintain the historic integrity of Virginia Beach and the former Princess Anne County through a program of advocacy and increased public awareness and involvement. The commission actively supports projects to survey historic resources, recognize historic buildings, districts and events, and research hidden areas of the city’s history. Visit www.VBgov.com/historicpreservation for additional information about the Historic Preservation Commission.

Shore Drive Phase IV (SD P4 as many like to call it) has been planned for the past 17 years. The project is slated to improve traffic and pedestrian safety as well as stormwater and aesthetics on Shore Drive between Marlin Bay and the Lesner Bridge in Ocean Park.

The City Council recently defunded, for the 3rd time, the SD P4 project indefinitely as part of their 23/24 FY Budget. The community was recently made aware of a new SD P4 study, which can be researched below, that identifies a project cost increase of $20 million from $30 million to $50 million. Based on the huge increase and lack of Council support, it appears that this project may not begin construction until 2040 or beyond.

The newly released SD P4 Engineering Design Study and background information can be found at the Ocean Park Civic League website – https://opcl.org/2023/05/09/this-just-in-2/

The actual study documents are fairly large file sizes and can be downloaded here – https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aMyj-7ws1xg9tOgIjLc4lxC3kI-1TXhr

So is this project a pipe dream? We certainly hope not. Stay tuned for more developments and make sure to attend upcoming Bayfront Advisory Commission meetings to provide your input. Next BAC meeting is Thursday May 18th at 3:30pm – https://weloveshoredrive.com/2023/05/10/bayfront-advisory-commission-meeting-thursday-may-18-at-330pm-ocean-park-rescue-squad/

Please note the new start time for the District 8 Community Meeting. The meeting will start at 6:00pm on Thursday May 18th.

The Bayfront Advisory Commission will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday May 18th at 3:30pm in the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad building.

The meeting agenda, past month’s minutes and additional package information can be found below. The file is slightly large, so be patient with the download.

Councilmember Chris Taylor will host a town hall meeting on Thursday May 18th at 6:00pm to update residents on current city projects & issues that impact District 8. City representatives will attend to discuss topics such as recruitment needs, EMS & volunteer squads, election system updates, traffic safety & more.

The meeting will be held in Rooms 1 & 2 of the Great Neck Recreation Center. Click here for a map to the center https://goo.gl/maps/KRmhPfTd8kaoNWGw8

This is an opportunity for residents to have a say in policy development and decision-making.  City Council has requested that residents be provided an opportunity to provide their input as to how they want to elect their City representatives.

The online survey hosted by the Cooper Center for Public Service is now available. It is open to Virginia Beach residents through Friday, May 26. 

 TAKE SURVEY 

To request a hard copy of the survey, contact Community Engagement Strategist Nancy Bloom, nbloom@vbgov.com, 757-385-6279. Surveys received by May 26 will be provided to CCPS for inclusion in their report.

The community listening session meetings concluded on Monday, April 3.  Each meeting was live-streamed and recorded and can be viewed on demand on the “Past Meetings” tab.

This is an opportunity for residents to have a say in policy development and decision-making.  City Council has requested that residents be provided an opportunity to provide their input as to how they want to elect their City representatives.

Community Meetings are the first step of the process. There will be 12 meetings over a 10 day period for citizens to learn how we reached the current voting structure and have the opportunity to provide feedback and future recommendations.

Meetings will be held in person and virtually. The list of meetings is shown in the image below.

If you plan to attend a meeting, it is recommended that you register online at the following link. You can also learn more about the additional steps being taken as part of this community engagement effort there.

https://www.publicinput.com/vbelections#3

Responsibly dispose of household hazardous and electronic waste.

January 28 | 9:00am-noon
East Parking Lot of the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

It’s a great time to recycle old electronics that have stacked up around the house or in storage over the years. The Aquarium is again hosting an E-Cycling Event to recycle household hazardous and personally owned electronic waste, in partnership with Goodwill, TFC and the City of Virginia Beach Waste Management team.

Click here for more information on the recycling event – https://www.virginiaaquarium.com/plan-your-visit/events/e-cycling-event

Click here for a map to the Virginia Aquarium – https://goo.gl/maps/Gm3rRMYiaAHL3f1t6

Residents have an opportunity to comment on potential plans for commercial development in the Shore Drive corridor. Proposed plans include mixed use development, pedestrian friendly connectivity, storm water prevention. If interested, please attend or submit comments at the links below

Public Meeting on Commercial Area Pattern Book and
Bow Creek Neighborhood Resiliency Toolkit Set for June 30

​VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (June 17, 2022) —​ ​A public meeting for the community to provide input on concept drawings and illustrations for the Commercial Area Pattern Book and Bow Creek Neighborhood Resiliency Toolkit will take place from 5:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, at the Planning and Community Development Office, 2875 Sabre St., Suite 500.

The Virginia Beach Department of Planning and Community Development, in partnership with consultant Work Program Architects (WPA), introduced these projects to the public in February as “Community Revitalization Guidelines.” This two-part project evolved into the Commercial Area Pattern Book and Bow Creek Neighborhood Resiliency Toolkit. WPA will present preliminary concepts based on the public input received in February and March for each project. Upon assessment and comment of the concept drawings and illustrations, drafts of both documents will be developed for further public review.

When completed, the Commercial Area Pattern Book will identify neighborhood compatibility strategies and develop design concepts based on community patterns, vision, and market trends within the strategic growth areas (SGA) and suburban areas of the city. The Bow Creek Neighborhood Resiliency Toolkit will provide guidance, flood resiliency strategies and best practices for residents in the Bow Creek area, which could be adapted to other areas of the city.     

For more information about the project, contact Mark E. Shea, AICP at meshea@vbgov.com or visit www.VBgov.com/revitalization.

At the time of this post, no contact has been received from any Council Member, VBED, VBDA or City Staff.

Follow-up email sent May 24, 2022

Dear Mayor Dyer and City Council Members,

I wanted to send this follow up email to confirm someone in the City is actively working on providing answers to the questions submitted last week.  To date, we haven’t received any reply to the request.  Excluding a blank email from Council Member Wilson, which I took to be a notification that she can’t discuss this issue due to her conflict of interest.

The community is aware that this 2^nd round of Pass-Through Bonds was approved on consent with a 7-0 vote (2 COI, 2 Not Present), however, answers to the questions would go a long way to clearing up confusion that may be present in the community on this subject.

I assume the VBED department would be the ones to answer and if so, maybe Mr. Adams can send me the point of contact.  I will be happy to follow up with them rather than reply via these large distribution emails.

Thank you for consideration and action,

Todd Solomon

Shore Drive Community Coalition President

Original email request sent May 17, 2022

From: Todd Solomon [mailto:todd@sdcc.info]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2022 1:20 PM
Subject: City Council Agenda – May 17, 2022 Item J(7) – Resolution to Approve $164mil Bond for WCCB
Importance: High

Dear Mayor Dyer and City Council Members,

I am passing on some concerns and questions that have been raised by the Shore Drive community regarding today’s upcoming agenda item J(7) -Resolution to APPROVE the issuance of Residential Care Facility Revenue Bonds up to $164-Million re Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay.

We would greatly appreciate replies to the items below to help us better understand the details behind this resolution request. 

1. Will WCCB be exempt from property taxes or will they still be required to pay taxes during the bond period?  It is my understanding that with Industrial Revenue Bonds/Passive Activity Bonds (IRB/PAB), the City becomes the deed holder until the bond is paid off.  Bonds of this type usually exempt the developer from property taxes.  WCCCB has stated it needs no help with this project, waving property taxes would be considered help. 
2. What are the VBDA’s rates/structure and what are the fees associated with this bond issuance?  Most municipalities charge a fee or have a fee structure to manage these types of bonds.  Example, Alexandria VA charges 25 basis points per bond amount and Loudoun has a structure Bond Financing Fee Schedule – Loudoun County Economic Development, VA  
3. Doesn’t the City hold some risk albeit very small?  The City has stated that there is no risk to its bond rating for this request. If WCCB defaults on the bond payment and the bank covering the request isn’t able to sell the property or if the bank is no longer in existence, wouldn’t the City via the VBDA be next in line to cover the bond requirement? 
4. How can the VBDA/CC justify approving an additional $164mil bond pass through request for the Independent Living (IL) tower until several key issues are resolved? The previously approved $110mil bond issuance supported WCCB’s Memory Unit construction.  This current request supports the IL tower which is still in litigation at the State Supreme Court.  The designs for the tower also require the relocation of the existing beach access which needs a super majority Council approval.
5. Will the City/VBDA be asked to supply an additional bond for the remaining $140mil in the future?  The Fitch Bond Rating review below states that WCCB will need $400mil in debt service to complete the full campus expansion.  The previous $110mil approval plus this $164mil request still leaves $140mil.  https://www.fitchratings.com/research/us-public-finance/fitch-downgrades-westminster-canterbury-on-chesapeake-bay-va-rev-bonds-to-bb-outlook-stable-18-02-2022
6. Where can I obtain a copy of the Bond Application submitted for this request?

Thank you for taking the time to educate us on this somewhat confusing method of financing development projects.

Sincerely,

Todd Solomon Shore Drive Community Coalition President

Email sent May 25, 2022

Dear Mayor Dyer and City Council Members,

I recently read on the City’s website that City facilities will light up blue in remembrance of the victims of the May 31, 2019 tragedy. 

“Love For VB” Around Town

• The Love For VB symbol is displayed in the “Love” sign at the Virginia Beach Animal Care and Adoption Center.
• The forget-me-not flower will again be painted at Mount Trashmore on the front façade of the hill below the City seal. Weather permitting, it is scheduled to be completed around mid-May.
• Remembrance flags, featuring the Love For VB forget-me-not flower, will be flown at more than 40 locations throughout the city.
• City facilities including Building 30, the Virginia Beach Convention Center and Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center will light up blue in remembrance, May 23-31.

However, I would argue that one of the City’s signature structures was left off the list, the Lesner Bridge.  The $100 million signature structure was designed to be a beacon of welcome to residents and visitors.  The LED lighting was one of the few upgrades added to put the “Signature” in signature bridge.  The first year after completion, the lights followed a well thought out schedule.  After this time, the schedule was scrapped and the lights were set to permanent blue/white scheme. 

Recently it took a City Council resolution to have the lights changed to a Blue/Yellow scheme in support of Ukraine.  So it is possible to have the lighting colors changed, although it doesn’t seem easy to get approval.

I would like to pass on two requests that have been mentioned by Shore Drive residents and hope you will be able to take action on both.

1. Can the Lesner Bridge lights be changed to all blue (matching the blue on City facilities) on May 31^st in remembrance of the victims of the May 31, 2019 tragedy?
2. Can the original lighting schedule be approved and reinstated for year round celebrations?  The first opportunity would be the Red/White/Blue scheme for Memorial Day, which I know may be too quick a turn around, so maybe July 4^th?

I have attached a link to the previous lighting schedule for information if needed.  What’s up with the fancy lighting on Lesner? Check out the plan. | #WeLoveShoreDrive

Thank you for consideration of this request.  I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Todd Solomon

Shore Drive Community Coalition President