Category Archives: Communications

Ocean Park Fall Festival and Art Show – Saturday October 6th from 10am to 5pm

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The 2012 Ocean Park Fall Festival and Art Show is
 

October 6th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The Festival is sponsored by and benefits the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad.

 
The event is an effort to bring residents together for a day of fun with the added benefit of raising awareness of issues to the local community and various neighborhoods along Shore Drive.
 
The Fall Festival will feature an outdoor art show, live entertainment, a craft show inside the Rescue Squad building, children’s activities, a Bounce House, displays of Rescue Squad equipment, and a fully restored vintage Virginia Beach Ambulance.
 
Located along Shore Drive, the venue includes Rescue One, Lynnhaven Marine and Capt. Max King’s (formerly Browning’s Marine). Local residents are encouraged to walk to the event, however there is parking at Max Kings, Lynnhaven Marine and neighborhood streets.
 
Three live performances beginning at 10:00 am, featuring entertainment by Stan Howard aka The Sax Man, Joe Maniscalco and Grant Austin Taylor.
 
The event organizers hope to make this an annual event that raises funds to support the Rescue Squad. This is also an opportunity to chat with members of local groups that volunteer their time to enhance the community. Many of our residents are members of The Shore Drive Community Coalition, Bayfront Advisory Committee, Lynnhaven River Now, Pleasure House Point and the  Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Mark your calendar now that, plan to spend a few hours or  the entire day with free entertainment, discussion of important local issues, and having some fun with your neighbors!
 
For more information, if you would like to volunteer, or if you want to participate in the art show or craft show, please call 468-1193.

New SDCC Agenda with John Moss as Special Guest Speaker

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Come out and hear Councilman John Moss talk about the City’s proposed projects (Light Rail and NBA Stadium) and the City’s budget along with other issues.

Click here to print the new agenda  SDCC SEP 2012 Agenda

Councilman Moss To Speak at 25 SEP SDCC Meeting

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SDCC members have an opportunity to hear VB Councilman John Moss speak before our gathering this Tuesday 25 SEPT at 7:30. The meeting will be held at our usual location, Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Station (Intersection of Shore Drive and East Stratford Rd.). Please note that the normal meeting date (the last Monday of the month) has been changed for this September meeting to avoid conflicting with the VBCCO City Council Candidates Forum to be held that Monday, 24 September. Both the VBCCO meeting and the SDCC meeting will offer our citizens the opportunity to hear about significant city issues that will directly impact us now and in the future.  Come hear Council John Moss speak on this side of the issues.

Council Candidate Forums – Monday Sept. 24th & Wednesday Oct. 17th

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Two great opportunities for you to become informed about the candidate choices for this years City Council election.

Monday September 24, 2012 – Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations (VBCCO) will sponsor a City Council Candidate Forum at 7:00pm in the Central Library

Wednesday October 17, 2012 – Lynnhaven River Now and SDCC will sponsor a City Council Candidate Forum at 7:00pm in the Cape Henry Collegiate Dryfus Auditorium.  For more information, click on this flyer.  Flyer for Candidates’ Forum

***SDCC General Meeting Rescheduled to Tuesday September 25th***

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Please note – this month’s general meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday to allow members to attend the VBCCO’s candidate forum.

 

Click here for a printable version of the agenda SDCC SEP 2012 Agenda

Tuesday 25 September 2012

***Note Date Change***

 Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC) General Meeting

SDCC General Meeting – Tuesday, September 25, 7:30 – 9:00 pm

 Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Station (Intersection of Shore Drive and East Stratford Rd.)

 

Call to order

Meeting topic:          Discussions on Current Issues

www.SDCC.info  

www.longcreekwetlands.com

www.VBGov.com

 Officers’ Reports

                                    President’s Report              David Williams

                                    Vice President’s report      Grace Moran

                                    Secretary’s Report             Todd Solomon –August Minutes

                                    Treasurer’s Report             Carol Collins

 Update on issues:    Discussions: Light Rail, Pleasure House Point Update

 Old Business

 New Business          

 Adjourn

 

Next SDCC- Monday October 29, 2012

Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Center

 

Speaker- TBA

 

Please check www.sdcc.info for more information on area news and events

Bayfront Advisory Committee (BAC) Newsletter

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Click here to read the entire newsletter  VisionNewsletter_2.9

Some highlights:

  • Bayfront Advisory Committee Meeting – Thursday September 20th

  • BAC considers name change

  • Eminent domain/condemation approved on 10 parcels to support new Lesner Bridge

What is GOBS?

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Stands for those whom we play golf with at private clubs; personal agenda for pet projects with friends and campaign contributors, and too much city business as usual.  Stands for Good Ol’Boy System.  I guess if we wanted to hear more answers to our questions, we would have a private invitation to play golf with some of our elected and appointed city officials.

Why Unanswered Questions?

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SDCC recently posted the 28 questions that were presented to Chairman Fraim of the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Commission (B&WAC) at the city’s official and only public hearing held OCT 13, 2011. Now, almost one year ago.  As some of you who attended this public forum for the Neighborhood Dredging (Spoils) Program, these questions were officially presented in writing to the chairman and were to be officially answered by this officially appointed city commission. The city would like citizens to think that our voices are heard on such important matters as this costly program (potentially $100 million) directly impacting citizen safety and our tax dollars. All that I can say is that SDCC has not received any satisfactory answers from either the city or the B&WAC chairman, although their official report was submitted to the city nine months ago.
Why are the city and the B&WAC chairman so quiet? I believe that they can not answer SDCC’s questions related to neighborhood impact, safety, environmental issues, traffic impact, costs, and operational concerns of this program. If they cannot answer my questions satisfactorily, how can they continue to proceed with the Neighborhood Dredging (Spoils) Program? I have forwarded these questions to Councilwoman Wilson (City representative to the B&WAC) a month ago to see if she could pry required answers out of the city, and so far no response. Bottom line- NO ANSWERS. It may not be that important, but it does concern public safety, impact on neighborhoods, impact on traffic through three major school areas, and your present and future tax dollars. WHY no answers? Maybe there are no responsible answers.

Bayfront Advisory Committee Meeting – Thursday Sept. 20th at 3:30pm

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The Bayfront Advisory Committee will meet Thursday, Sept. 20, at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center, Lynnhaven Room, 2800 Shore Drive, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Click here for more information  http://www.vbgov.com/news/Pages/selected.aspx?release=974

September 9th – 15th Virginia Bicyclist and Pedestrian Awareness Week

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SHARE THE ROAD

Motorists have a responsibility to share the road with those who enjoy biking and walking along Virginia’s roadways.

When you pass a bicyclists slow down and allow at least 2 feet between the bike and the vehicle.

Look for hand signals a bicyclist may use to signal a turn. When approaching a crosswalk, stop for pedestrians.

Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists and should ride with traffic.

Bicyclists should obey all Virginia traffic laws, use flashing lights, and wear bright clothing.

Bicyclists should yield to pedestrians.

If you’re out walking, move against traffic and use sidewalks when possible.

Friends of Live Oaks to be Guest Speaker at SDCC Meeting

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Here is a little background information regarding the upcoming featured speaker for the Monday August 27th general meeting.

www.friendsofliveoaks.org

The Friends of Live Oaks (FOLO) is a citizen advocacy group formed to plant, protect, preserve, and promote live oak trees in Virginia Beach.  FOLO is
giving away live oaks in containers at no charge to Virginia Beach home and business owners to plant on their property as well as neighborhood common areas and city property such as schools and parks.  A special promotion will be held in conjunction with the Lynnhaven River Now’s part in the October 6, 2012, celebration of their Fall Festival at Pleasure House Point.

Live oaks are designated as the official tree of the City of Virginia Beach, and with good reason.  Native to the area, live oaks were here long before European settlers.   The tree is one of the most distinctive and recognizable plants in the city and immediately brings to mind our coastal areas and maritime ecosystem.  They resist salt spray and storm surges, having survived Hurricane Katrina in areas where everything else was reduced to rubble.  They control flooding and storm water runoff, and shelter and nourish local wildlife.  They are amazingly drought-tolerant and disease-resistant.

Live oaks boast many assets for homeowners.  They increase property value and quality of life.  They provide incredible shade, reducing air conditioning costs. An evergreen, their dense foliage provides privacy and beautifies the garden all year round.

SDCC General Meeting Agenda – Monday August 27 at 7:30pm

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Click here for a printable version of the agenda.  SDCC Agenda AUG 2012

 

Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC) General Meeting

Monday 27 AUG 2012

SDCC General Meeting – Monday, August 27, 7:30 – 9:00 pm

Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Station (Intersection of Shore Drive and East Stratford Rd.)

Call to order

Meeting topic:          Discussion with Friends of the Live Oaks project –  www.friendsofliveoaks.org

The Friends of Live Oaks (FOLO) is a citizen advocacy group formed to plant, protect, preserve, and promote live oak trees in Virginia Beach.  FOLO is giving away live oaks in containers at no charge to Virginia Beach home and business owners to plant on their property as well as neighborhood common areas and city property such as schools and parks. 

Officers’ Reports

                                    President’s Report              David Williams

                                    Vice President’s report      Grace Moran

                                    Secretary’s Report             Todd Solomon –July Minutes

                                    Treasurer’s Report             Carol Collins

 

Update on issues:    Discussions Pleasure House Point Update

 Old Business

 New Business          

 Adjourn

 

Websites covering Shore Drive and Bayfront issues:

www.SDCC.info  

www.longcreekwetlands.com

www.VBGov.com/php  

  

Next SDCC- Sept 24, 2012 at 7:30pm

Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Center

 Speaker- TBA

 

Please check www.sdcc.info for more information on area news and events

Marlin Bay Extension to PHP – Resident Question and City Answer

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Resident question – Regarding the proposed Marlin Bay road access, will this allow for future option for the land trustees and or adjacent land owners the ability to develop the remaining number of lots available if Marlin Bay Road is extended? Can you inform us if the land trustees/owners will be donating the land over to CBF or VBgov or are their future intention to develop the remaining number of lots?

City answer – Another Ocean Park resident emailed Christy and I with similar questions over the weekend. The short answer is that the adjacent property owner to the north of the 118-acre Pleasure House Point site are not interested in donating their property. We have been told that the intention is to develop those lots.

Whether Marlin Bay Drive extended is built with the CBF project or not, the right-of-way already exists today and can be built. Since the right-of-way has already been dedicated, there have been preliminary discussions about the City working with all parties to consider a design that is as pervious as possible and as green as possible.

This is what I told the other resident who inquired over the weekend:

There are a few areas adjacent to the 118 acres that the Trust for Public Land was able to acquire (108 acres of which was conveyed the same day to the City and the other 10 acres is under lease/option to purchase with CBF), that are undeveloped and have underlying zoning that allows for future development. As you noted, those areas are in yellow adjacent to the subject 118 acres as shown here: http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/parks-recreation/design-development-projects/current-projects/Documents/php-existing-land-use.pdf

We had to pull all of the resources we could to leverage City funding toward grants from the US Fish & Wildlife Service (through the VA Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries); Virginia Land Conservation Foundation; Dominion Foundation; and a low-interest loan from the VA Dept of Environmental Quality with the grass roots support of primarily Shore Drive area residents through the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation to preserve the 118 acres from development.

Collectively, with all of the partners, we had to prioritize the property to acquire with limited resources and we believe we achieved the most we could with the pulled resources.

While we may never know for sure if the Indigo Dunes project with nearly 1,100 units could have been permitted, it stands to reason that the property may have yielded up to 1,000 units ultimately based on the underlying zoning. The City and the Trust for Public Land is applying to down-zone all 118 acres to P-1 Preservation from the PDH-1 Planned Development zoning over the last quarter of this year.

The yellow areas may end up together adding up to just a fraction >; (1-5%) of what could have been developed in the area. Unfortunately, there are no public funds designated to acquire the remaining privately-owned property in the area. However, while the lots have certain vested rights, the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area ordinance and flood plain regulations could limit some of the yellow areas in terms of number and type of units that can be developed there.

When Christy gets back into the office next week, she may have something additional to offer.

Sincerely,
Brian
Brian S. Solis, AICP, LEED Green Associate
Planning, Design and Development Administrator

Cheasapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) wants your input. Aug 23rd open house and online survey.

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The Cheasapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is providing two  opportunity’s for community input on the design of their planned educational facility.  The facility will be located on 10 acres of Pleasure House Point. 

 

CBF is hosting an open house on August 23rd from 6:00pm – 7:30pm at Bayside Rec Center.  The community will have a chance to see the current plans, ask questions and provide comments.  Click here for a copy of the open house flyer.   PHP open house flyer

 

CBF is also asking for community  input/comments on the proposed road access plan.  A link to the online survey can be found at the following link   www.surveymonkey.com/s/8YSJV73

Bayfront Advisory Committee to Meet Aug. 16 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm

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The Bayfront Advisory Committee will meet Thursday, Aug. 16, at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center, 2800 Shore Drive, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

 

The agenda for the meeting will include the following:

Update on public and private projects in the Bayfront area
Update on committee activities in the Bayfront area

 

There will be an opportunity for presentations from the public on projects in the Bayfront area. The committee generally concludes its deliberations around 4:30 p.m. The meeting is then opened to the public for comments.

 

 For additional information or to obtain a copy of the draft agenda, contact Faith Christie in the Planning Department at (757) 385-4621 or fchristi@vbgov.com. For more information regarding the Bayfront Advisory Committee, visit www.VBgov.com/Bayfront.  

PHP Stakeholder Meeting and CBF Open House is AUG23 at Bayside Rec Center

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From Christy at CBF:

The next PHP Stakeholder meeting will be Thursday, August 23 from 4 to 5:30pm at Bayside Rec Ctr. (4500 First Court Rd.).
Draft agenda:
– Debrief July 30 Open House
– CBF Design Presentation
– Access Road Discussion
– Next steps/Closing

CBF will be hosting a public Open House from 6 to 7:30 that same evening at that same location. Flyer is attached and posted at www.cbf.org/PHPOpenhouse.

“Swimming Advisory Issued for the Chesapeake Bay from Rockbridge Road to Starfish Road”

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From VBGov.com:

WARNING! SWIMMING ADVISORY
Bacteria levels do not meet state water quality standards
Swimming and wading are prohibited until further notice