Category Archives: City Government

Public Works Public Information Meeting in Ocean Park re:storm water improvements on southside

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From an email:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: There will be a meeting of the Ocean Park Civic League on February 23rd beginning promptly at 6:00 p.m. at the Ocean Park Rescue Squad Building to address drainage improvements to Ocean Park. Please spread the word to your neighbors who may not be on our email distribution list. Below is the information from the City representative who will be conducting the meeting:

> Dear Mr. Thomas,
>
> I am a Project Manager with the City of Virginia Beach Engineer’s Office. We have recently developed alternative drainage improvement plans for the Ocean Park – South neighborhood and would like to hold a Public Information Meeting at the Ocean Park Rescue Station on Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting will be to update the residents about our recent evaluations and receive input from the citizens and Civic League regarding a preferred drainage improvement alternative. Vice Mayor Jones has received a verbal notification of this meeting.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Michael S. Bumbaco, PE
> City of Virginia Beach
> Public Works Engineering/Water Resources

Emphasis ours.

VMRC Joint Permit Application for Long Creek Dredging

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On 30 January, the VMRC sent a letter to notify the residents along Long Creek of a Joint Permit Application #11-1830 concerning maintenance dredging. The commission requests protests to their application to be submitted within 15 days of the date of the memorandum (done by 14 February) if you wish to express your concerns with this project. The Permit letter and project drawings should be available on the VMRC website (www.mrc.virginia.gov) and will soon be made available on the http://www.SDCC.info site. I have attached my reply to this posting.

February 2, 2012

Mr. Justin D. Worrell, Environmental Engineer
Virginia Marine Resource Commission
2600 Washington Avenue
Newport News, VA 23607

Re: Joint Permit Application #11-1830, Long Creek Maintenance Dredging

Dear Mr. Worrell:

I thank you for giving our residents the opportunity to comment on the proposed maintenance dredging permit for Long Creek. One of our residents asked me the purpose of this notification as she has never received one before in the 37 years of living here. As she was not able to decipher the attached drawings, she asked how she could make an informed decision on this permit without sufficient information. I acknowledged her concerns. Is your letter of 30 January to serve as sufficient information or will public hearings be held?
On my review of the permit, I too have strong concerns. Many of the residents and boaters using Long Creek acknowledge that periodic maintenance dredging is needed every 4-5 years, but we question the scope of this project. As I have attended the majority of the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Committee meeting related to the Neighborhood Dredge (Spoils) Program for the Lynnhaven basin, I am very aware of the strong mistrust that many have of the city’s true motives concerning the proposed dredging of the Lynnhaven Basin, and Long Creek, and in particular, the use of Maple Street and Crab Creek areas as permanent mechanical transfer sites.
Concerning Long Creek and this permit, we are concerned with lack of thoroughness related to the city’s planning, the lack of sufficient studies related to traffic, safety, and the impact on the neighborhoods mainly involved. We have strong concerns about the quality of the dredged material, whether beach grade or unusable spoils, and the stated need for the permit’s mechanical dredging. We vehemently oppose any use of the Maple Street containment area for anything other than hydraulically transferred beach grade sand as non-beach grade sand would have detrimental environmental impact on both the adjacent preservation area and the water quality of Long Creek, one of our prime fishing areas.
We are requesting that the Joint Permit #11-1830 be sent back to the city of Virginia Beach to more adequately address our citizens’ concerns. Until such time as these concerns can be substantially met, we cannot support this permit.

Sincerely,

David M. Williams
President, Shore Drive Community Coalition
2104 West Admiral Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 234521

(757) 481-1668

Maintenance Dredging Permit Request Joint Permit Application #11-1830 from City of VB

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This is the City’s Joint Permit Application(JPA) that could impact Maple Street and/or Lynnhaven Inlet Placement site.

Here’s the 22 page PDF.

Storm drain cleaning in Ocean Park today, and over the next couple weeks

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You’ve seen the contractor Tri-State cleaning storm drains in Ocean Park around the Ocean Park Baptist Church area.

I was just assured by the contract supervisor for the City of VB that the contract cleaning will be completed, then service requests by home owners will be completed in the next couple weeks. That includes lines on the pump station, and also the Crab Creek out fall line.

They are not only cleaning, but also using the fancy movie camera in the storm drain looking for damage or issues thing too.

CIP projects info added to our HOT page

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Our HOT page is here.

Here’s what was added:

Shore Drive Corridor Improvements Projects

    2.116.000: Shore Drive Corridor Improvements – Phase II (Partial)
    This project will provide safety improvements, including pedestrian walkways and bikeways, along the Shore Drive corridor from South Oliver Drive/Waterspoint Place to Treasure Island Drive. It will also include improvements along Shore Drive at the Northampton Boulevard interchange and to the intersections at Pleasure House Road and at Greenwell Road.
    2.117.000: Shore Drive Corridor Improvements – Phase III (Partial)
    This project begins at Vista Circle, near the eastern end of the Lesner Bridge, and extends eastward through the Great Neck Road intersection and terminates at Croix Drive. This project will improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and safety in the roadway and intersections; improve storm drainage; include a multi-use trail, 5-ft sidewalk and on-street bike lanes; and enhance the corridor with aesthetic elements such as landscaping and lighting.
    2.118.000: Shore Drive Corridor Improvements – Phase IV
    This project begins at the Marlin Bay Drive/Sandy Oaks Drive intersection and ends at the west end of the Lesner Bridge. This project will improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and safety in the roadway and intersections; improve storm drainage; include a multi-use trail, 5-ft sidewalk and on-street bike lanes; and enhance the corridor with aesthetic elements such as landscaping and lighting. It will include improvements at the East Stratford Road intersection.

Note: projected end date of all infrastructure improvements of Shore Drive including replacing the Lesner Bridge is ~ September 2019.

The Army Corps of Engineers laid out its plans for restoring the Lynnhaven River on Tuesday

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Read the entire article and comments at the Pilotonline.com:

Council members, without committing to the city’s share of the funding, expressed support for the plan and to continuing the revival of the city’s largest waterway, on the mend after decades of pollution, over development and other abuses.

Excerpt from one comment:

Perhaps the restoration of Pleasure House Point is a part of this plan and all can be combined. Hopefully the citizens will be able to see this plan on the City’s website.

“A divided School Board agreed Tuesday to sell an acre of land at Thalia Elementary School to the city, clearing the way for dredging a channel of the Lynnhaven River.”

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Read and comment at Pilotonline.com:

As part of the deal, the city agreed to several conditions to mitigate those concerns, including promises to cease operations during student dismissal and to restrict dump trucks from crossing in front of the school.

Neighborhood Dredging Study Draft Final Report is Available for Public Comment

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The Beaches and Waterway Advisory Commission (B&WAC) has completed the Draft Final Report for the Neighborhood Dredging Study and is accepting public comments on the report.  The deadline for comments has been set for NOON on Tuesday December 6th.  See the email from B&WAC Chairman Tom Fraim below for additional details.

Tom Fraim email excerpt – “Final comments from the public will be set for noon on December 6th and we will incorporate constructive comments for the real FINAL REPORT TO COUNCIL at 5:00PM on December 8th in the City Manager’s conference room. I expect the meeting to take less than 10 minutes. We will  not take additional public comment and with the exception of approving the minutes of the last meeting, we will not have an agenda. The approved Report to Council on the Neighborhood Dredging SSD Program will be posted on the City Website on December 9th while it is being properly constructed with maps, engineering reports, cover sheet, index, binding … etc.

 As you will read in the report, we interpret the instructions from Council to direct us to find additional site options that would have less impact on the neighborhoods and does not give us the option of eliminating sites selected prior to their approval of the program. We cannot eliminate Maple Street from future consideration, but we are asking Council to do exactly that … “

Read the draft final report here  11_28_DRAFT_FINAL

 

Items in the report that may be of particular intrest:

  • An unsupported requirement that five dredging zones are needed.
  • The reasons for public opposition to Maple Street and Crab Creek sites are legimate concerns.
  • The opposition to Maple Street and Crab Creek site is a standard NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) situation and will go away when the local residents need dredging projects.
  • The Lynnhaven Drive site is a preferred alternative to the Maple Street site, but only City Council can remove the Maple Street site from the overall plan.

 

All residents in the Bayfront area are encouraged to comment on this report.  Please send all comments to the following email addresses:

Tom Fraim, B&WAC Chairman – tfraim@masacorp.com  

Jim Spore, City Manager – CMOffice@vbgov.com

City Council – ctycncl@vbgov.com

David Williams, Shore Drive Community Coalition President – David@sdcc.info

 

Citizen Info Meeting for Shore Drive Phase III

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From an email:

A Citizen Information Meeting for CIP 2-117, Shore Drive Phase III will be held on Wednesday, November 30, 2011, at John B. Dey Elementary School from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm. The school is located at 1900 North Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach, VA, 23454. This meeting will be an open forum; no formal presentation will be given.

Shore Drive Phase III begins at Vista Circle, near the eastern end of the Lesner Bridge, and extends eastward through the Great Neck Road intersection and terminates at Croix Drive. In general, this project will improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and safety in the roadway and intersections; improve storm drainage; include a multi-use trail and on-street bike lanes; and enhance the corridor with aesthetic elements such as landscaping and lighting.

Feel free to forward to anyone who has been left off of the invite list, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks!

Toni Alger, P.E.
Senior Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach – Public Works Engineering
2405 Courthouse Drive, 3rd Floor
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Office: 757-385-8746
TAlger@vbgov.com

Also posted in our Calendar.

What Will It TakeTo Be Heard?

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Call me naive maybe, but I was taught in public school and spent my college and military years believing in our Democracy.  Even after egregious and impeachable acts of Richard Nixon, LCol Oliver North, and J. Edgar Hoover, and unnamed others who have hacked into our rights, our freedoms have prevailed somewhat intact.
The politicians of that “ill-clique”  up in Washington seemed removed from who we are and how we live our daily lives in a city like Virginia Beach.
I am reminded that all politics are local. The violations of our trust and confidence do not always occur  just from Washington.  Some of our citizens have experienced a trampling of their rights from our city staff and city appointed  “Advisory” committees. Any violations of our Constitutional rights should be directly challenged and corrected.

Should citizens be prevented from speaking at scheduled open forums or from asking the city questions concerning the safety of public projects that involve our neighborhoods? Should the city’s Public Works Department be the safety monitor and enforcer for those projects? Should a neighborhood’s rights be mauled to enable a “good ol’gal”  private business expansion? Should a neighborhood be pulped from dump truck traffic just to support  one private party who would commercially benefit? Mr. Fraim  has so stated. Ask Thomas Fraim, Chairman of the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Committee about open and transparent city staff meetings or free and open public committee meetings.

This Veteran’s Day, consider all those who have fought for our freedoms and our very Constitution. Consider this, if Hitler’s Third Reich had defeated us in WWII, or if Stalin’s communists had won the Cold War,  would our rights and our freedoms continue today? So, why should we accept any trampling on our rights,  back door politics, special deals, lack of transparency, and egregious acts from some city staff members?

Will the Mayor and City Council arrive at an honorable course of action that recognizes the mounting and significant citizen opposition to the Neighborhood Dredge (Spoils) Program?   Will city staff acknowledge the numerous serious flaws and lack of sufficient studies that exist in the Neighborhood Dredge (Spoils) Program?  We citizens will watch closely while some in City Council deliberate their fate and our  given rights.

New link added – VB’s ePro, Electronic Police Reports Online

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From VBGov.com:

Welcome to ePRO (electronic Police Reports Online), an interactive web application that allows public access to reported crime, traffic accident reports, and active warrants.

Guidelines for tonight’s public meeting re:Dredge Transfer Stations

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From an email:

We have received a number of calls about this evening’s public meeting and the guidelines for those who wish to speak.

1) Anyone wishing to speak must sign up before the meeting starts

2) Each speaker will be limited to 3 minutes.

3) If a group is in attendance and has chosen someone to speak for them, that speaker will be allowed up to 10 minutes to speak on behalf of the group.

4) Any questions to the commission from the public can be submitted in advance on cards that will be provided at the meeting. Those who wish to submit a question can get a card from Rebecca Lear and submit the card to the moderator.

5) Because the commission wants to hear from as many speakers as possible, speaking time will be only for direct comments. Any questions will be addressed through the cards that are submitted to the moderator.

6) Public comments will be taken (from those who sign up) until 9:00 when the meeting will adjourn.

The Commission will answer questions and take comments on the four following topics only:

· The feasibility of alternative dredging methods, such as hydraulic rather than mechanical dredging;

· The potential for beneficial re-use of spoils;

· An analysis of the impact on affected communities (both those receiving dredging and those in the vicinity of the existing and proposed transfer stations) with a focus on identifying sites that are sufficient to support the needs of the project but have the least potential for adverse impact for the community; and

· A proposed framework with parameters for operation of the spoils sites, including potential use of the site by the public for dredging by entities or individuals other than the City.

If you wish to sign up in advance to speak, you may contact Rebecca Lear at 385-1948, or e-mail her at: rlear@vbgov.com

The meeting will be held 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Great Neck Recreation Center, 2521 Shorehaven Drive.

Thank you.

Drew Lankford
Media and Communications
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach
dlankfor@vbgov.com
(O) 757.385.8062
(C) 757.409.4353

Note: Received this email at 1129a Oct 13 2011.

The Pilot article notes, ‘the city has not identified any dredging project near the neighborhood.

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Letter to the Editor about proposed Maple Street Dredge Spoils area at Pilotonline.com:

Re ‘Beach plans appeal over dredge site,’ Hampton Roads, Oct. 5: It is beyond my comprehension that the city of Virginia Beach, through its city attorney, would contemplate appealing to the Virginia Beach Circuit Court to reverse the Board of Zoning Appeals’ determination that the Maple Street site on Long Creek cannot be used for a public purpose. I was stunned to read of the appeal, especially since the public purpose intended is for the construction of a permanent, industrial dredged spoils transfer operation in the heart of a residentially zoned neighborhood.

Neighborhood Dredge Spoils Project, Our Constitutional Process

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It is our Democratic process that permits us to freely petition our elected governmental representatives to address an issue that could potentially damage our property and take away from its value. It is our Constitution and our First Amendment rights that allow us the free exercise to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Should our own Virginia Beach City government be included in this right to “petition the Government”? I proclaim most strongly “yes” and have, as have so many others, put it all on the line to support and defend our Constitutional Rights.

Should a city appointed board tasked with making recommendations to resolve significant issues accept statements from the city’s staff, but not permit assembled citizens the right to state their position or to redress staff statements? Should derogatory statements that “there is much misinformation out there” be accepted without challenge from the board when the assembled are not permitted to speak to address the sources of that information?

To many citizens, these issues may be of small importance or no consequence, but I think it is vitally important. If we do not hold our local government accountable to us, we perch ourselves on the point of becoming irrelevant as free people with the power to elect. We merely become payer of taxes, not the proponent of our Rights. The rights exercised by City government are as important to us as the headwaters of a river. We must all be engaged and involved. It is our elected government whether it be city, state or Federal. We deserve what we get.