At the Virginia Beach City Council meeting held on 12 April, SDCC President, David Williams, and Bay Island residents Mike Megge, and Rob Lawlor presented their comments, concerns and questions related to the proposed Neighborhood Channel Dredging Project. The numbers and scope of this project are quoted from a presentation given by Mr. Hansen, Deputy City Manager, and Mr. Phillip Roehrs, Waterway Engineer on 15 March to the City Council. To view the 15 March presentation, go to VBGov.com and search word “SSD”. Presntation is titled “Neighborhood Channel Dredging” dated Oct 2010.
 
These are the summarized comments that were presented by the SDCC president:

Many citizens in our areas have concerns with the proposed dredge spoils project in the Lynnhaven Basin.  Our concerns are:

Safety: Barges, workboats, dump trucks, who will monitor the sites, and who will supervise the traffic?  Who will be responsible for the safety? Will the city be responsible? Who will shut it down if it is unsafe?
Scope:  The basic numbers presented by the city for the Robin Hood Forrest SSD brief (15 March/available at VBGov.comm word search “SSD”) indicate that even for this small 26 property project, the dredge spoils amount would total 12,551 cubic yards which equals 1,255 dump trucks (@10 CY per truck) How much time will it take to cycle these dump trucks through just this one project? This project is scheduled to start in two years and complete three cycles in sixteen years.  This is a major project. It could generate 1.2 million cubic yards from 2500 properties in the first cycle alone.  That is 120,000 average 10 CY dump trucks.  I was told a senior city staff member, that they would use efficient 20 cubic yard dump trucks.  A 20 CY dump truck weighs 80,000 pounds and is not suitable for residential grade streets.

Environmental Impact:  We have been told by a senior city official that “It will not harm the basin, but will improve the water quality because of better water flow”.  I seriously doubt this.  Many have worked very hard to improve the water quality and restore the oyster beds in the Lynnhaven, and now with this project, it could potentially destroy all this effort. This project will impact the fish, oysters, crabs and the water quality.
Burden On Communities:  This project has the potential to place a severe burden on a few areas with heavy dump truck traffic, noise, and pollution hazards through the neighborhoods.  Who will benefit from this project? Many or just 2500 property owners who want deep water access?  If the dredge spoils come from one area, those spoils should be hauled from that area.  It is unfair to place such a burden on just two or three transfer sites.  With the Crab Creek transfer site, how will dump truck traffic impact traffic when the new Lesner Bridge is under construction?  I believe that the previous traffic and safety concerns that many residents had with a proposed permanent transfer site at the Lesner Boat Ramp (LBR)/Crab Creek two years ago remain. Except, now we will have new bridge construction along with the dredge spoils dump trucks and barge traffic.  How well will that work?

Special Service District (SSD):  What are the particulars?  What will be the cost to the taxpayers?  What is the return on investments for the taxpayers?  Will this project be supported by the SSD funds, or will taxpayers who don’t live on the water have to pick up the additional costs?

Duration:  This project is proposed to start after two years of SSD collections, be reviewed for rate at four years and be completed at sixteen years after three dredging cycles.  This is a major project.  How many residents will it benefit and what will be the burdens on our neighborhoods to provide deep water access to a relative few property owners?
I request the City Council to consider the safety, scope, environmental impact, burden on the communities, and the duration of this project.  I ask you all, is this going to be reasonable project, or a benefit to a select few?

Thank you,

David Williams
President, SDCC

Please note, in fair disclosure, that I, Mr. Megge, and Mr. Lawlor all live in the basin and presently have deep water access available. The remarks of Mr. Megge and Mr. Lawlor will be submitted separately.

The votes are in! Charlie Harrelson is First Runner-up.

Cox Conserves Heroes announced the winner of the recent polling for our top regional environmental contestants. Thanks to all of you who voted for Charlie Harrelson, the Kemps Landing Magnet School student who designated Pleasure House Point as the beneficiary of his winnings. Chris Clifford, from Gloucester, won the top prize for his work with Park Partners on the Peninsula.

But considering that there were three candidates from Virginia Beach to split the vote, the fact that Charlie was first runner-up is a credit to all of you who voted for him. As Mr. Clifford noted in his acceptance speech, there were no losers in this competition, just a gathering of winners.

Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation will receive $1,250 on behalf of the PHP acquisition. Thanks, Charlie, and thanks to all of you who voted.

Cox will be airing a 30 minute show about all the finalists.  You can read about the winner and see a schedule of the show times at this link Cox Conserves Heroes Winner & Show Press Release

After listening to several city presentations on the proposed dredge spoils project and after reviewing the Robin Hood Woods proposal (available for viewing at VBGov.com, word search “SSD”), I believe that there are some major missing components to the city’s project.  Deputy City Manager, Dave Hansen and Water Resources Engineer, Mr. Phillip Roehrs presented the  project’s overview at the March BAC and the SDCC meetings.  According to the plan, there will be five transfer sites throughout the Lynnhaven basin where dredge spoils will be offloaded from barges and then transferred to dump trucks to be taken to a spoils dump area near Oceana..  Residents who want there areas dredged will pay into a city “Special Service District” (SSD) fund created by those residents paying higher taxes on their property for a certain period.  So, what’s missing in the city’s proposal?

Safety management.  Placing commercial barges throughout the basin, on Long Creek, offloading at Crab Creek or by the Marina Shores proposed transfer site could present a boater congestion problem.  Who will monitor the safety of these operations?  Who will have that responsibility?  The city?  The contractor?  The Police or the Coast Guard?

Scope of the project.  The city’s presentation for just one site, Robin Hood Forrest states that phase 1 will dredge over 12,500 cubic yards of materiel from that area alone. If a tandem wheel dump truck can load 10 cubic yards of materiel, how many dump trucks will it take?  How long will it take 1,250 dump trucks to transfer the spoils to the dump site?  And that amount of spoils is only for one area, not including the other areas throughout the basin.  This project will be reviewed at four years (go/no go?), but is projected to have three cycles out to 16 years. Then, the cycles could start again. This could be a very big project.

Environmental issues.  What will major mechanical dredging do to the water quality of the Lynnhaven basin?  What will be the impact on the oyster beds, fish, crabs, and the swimmers?  Mr. Roehrs stated that the project would improve the water quality. So many people have worked so hard to rebuild the oyster beds and our water quality, it would be a mistake to destroy these efforts for the benefit of maybe just 2500 home owners (number given in Robin Hood Forest brief).

Work hours.  Mr. Hansen stated that the City Council would determine the work hours for the projects, but with so much materiel to be dredged and trucked, how can that be accomplished with just a Monday-Friday 0730-sunset schedule?

Impact on Traffic.  If N. Great Neck Road will be an exit route for the dump trucks coming from Crab Creek and the proposed Marina Shores Marina dredge spoils transfer site, how will the trucks impact morning and afternoon school traffic for the three schools (John B. Dey, Great Neck Middle, and Cox HS)?  What about impact during the construction of the new Lesner Bridge.  Traffic will already be slowed by construction, what will the dump trucks contribute?

Special Service District (SSD).  How will the SSD work for the resident who wants his property dredged, the neighbors who DON’T want their property dredged, and for the taxpayer who will inevitably get involved if there are cost overruns? Who will be responsible for the project’s expense?

Who’s spoils are who’s? If spoils are dredged from one area, but the transfer site for that area is not ready yet, where will those spoils go?  Probably go to somebody else’s transfer site?  Many people believe that if the spoils came from one area, they should be hauled from that area. Otherwise, somebody else’s spoils could become your spoils.  What would be the incentive to develop other spoil transfer sites if the city could make do with a couple or two?

Perhaps the city should take a step back, hire a reputable consulting firm to find the answers to these questions. The answers to these questions should be made public at for all of our taxpayers to become informed.  The impact on our lives, our safety, and our tax payer’s dollars will be threatened if this project is not conducted with sufficient care, concern and technical oversight.  This project should never be for the benefit of just the few at the expense of the many. I think the tax payers deserve better answers.

From an email by Robert K. Gey P.E.,
City Traffic Engineer
(757) 385-4131
rkgey@vbgov.com.

Some formatting like bold lost in posting below:

Shore Drive Safety Improvements Update April 6th, 2011

This is the sixth update for Shore Drive Interim Safety Improvements. This report is updated monthly and reports the current status of Shore Drive safety CIP projects. The first section is the current status of the Shore Drive CIP phase III. The next project is an existing CIP item. The additional four items were new items brought forward by the Bayfront Advisory Committee as additional interim safety enhancement items to be put in place until Shore Drive Phase III and Phase IV construction can be completed.

New this month – Lake Joyce Crossing has an anticipated notice to proceed date, traffic signal timing implementation has been scheduled, sidewalk and handicap ramps east of the Lesner Bridge have been completed.

Items completed to date – Sidewalks and handicap ramps, new streetlights and upgrades have been completed, Pleasure House Road/Shore Drive Sidewalk (CIP 2-731.001), and trimming of the overgrown vegetation all have been completed.

Shore Drive – Phase III (CIP 2-117)

The agreement with the consultant is currently being executed.   Anticipate issuing design NTP to Kimley-Horn in mid-April 2011.  Public meeting is tentatively scheduled for July 2011.  A 60% design submittal is anticipated to be received in fall of 2011.  Construction advertisement is scheduled for July 2013.

Shore Drive Interim Safety Improvements

Lake Joyce Crossing (CIP 2-731.003)
Issuance of a Notice to Proceed to the contractor is anticipated by April 15, 2011, pending execution of construction contracts by City.   Construction completion is anticipated by early October 2011.

BAC safety recommendations 2010
Installation of crosswalks and handicap-accessible ramps at West Great Neck Road and Starfish Road to add missing crosswalks – The Shore Drive sidewalk work is complete. 

Traffic signal retiming – This work will utilize CMAQ funds and will be performed via contract.  New traffic signal timings will be installed and fine tuned beginning the week of April 27th.

Pedestrian cameras to preempt traffic signals – Pedestrian detection cameras will be installed at Red Tide and will preempt the existing traffic signals at Starfish Road and West Great Neck Road to create gaps for pedestrians. This will work as though a pedestrian button had been pushed at both signals and will not interrupt normal traffic progression. The traffic signal work is

Shore Drive Safety Improvements Update April 6th, 2011, continued

nearly complete and is expected to be put into full operation by the middle of April, weather permitting. 

Installation of approximately 500 ft of missing sidewalks and handicapped ramps along Shore Drive between North Great Neck Road and the Lesner Bridge – The goal is to fill missing segments to have one continuous sidewalk on at least one side of Shore Drive. The Shore Drive sidewalk work is complete.

There’s a website set up that has links to petitions, news about the proposed move and more.

Click here for the website.

From Empsy Munden, Pres. Cape Story by the Sea:

If you have not followed the dredge saga, here is your chance.

CSBTS monthly meeting Monday April 11 at 7:30 pm at the Va Beach Resort Hotel at Shore Drive & Great Neck is YOUR opportunity to express your comments. 

Open Mike Night is Tues. April 12 in City Council Chambers Bldg 1 on 2nd floor 6 pm at the Courthouse.

Empsy

Article in the Pilotonline.com:

Beach officials are still trying to figure out where to locate the spoils transfer stations throughout the northern part of Virginia Beach. The city plans to build a station near Virginia Beach Boulevard. In one neighborhood, a resident has offered his property as a transfer station and in exchange some neighbors will pay his dredging costs, said Phillip Roehrs, the Virginia Beach coastal engineer.

Click here for the printable version of the agenda – SDCC_Agenda_March_2011.pdf

SDCC General Meeting – Monday, March 28, 7:30 – 9:00 pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Station (Intersection of Shore Drive and East Stratford Rd.

Call to order

Presentation: Vision and Goals for Shore Drive and Virginia Beach
                Presented by City Councilman Jim Wood

Officers’ Reports
President’s Report – David Williams
Vice President’s report- Thomas Cantwell
Secretary’s Report – Todd Solomon – Minutes of the February Meeting
Treasurer’s Report – Carol Collins

Update on issues:
City Dredge Spoils Transfer site at Long Creek
Pleasure House Point project and preservation efforts
Point Chesapeake Condo complex proposal

Old Business

New Business

Dates to remember:
Thursday 21 April Bayfront Advisory Council meeting- at Bayside Rec Center 3:30 pm 4500 First Court Rd.

Adjourn

Next SDCC Meeting 7:30 pm April 25, 2011
Ocean Park Volunteer Recue Squad Center
Speaker- To be announced

We sent out the new eNewsletter at 0955 est.  It “came from” David Williams our Prez. I, Tim, sent it and goofed up the format. I apologize.

Mayor, City Council members and Management Leadership Team will be reviewing the present Leader’s Guide 2009 for any revisions in goals and priorities for the coming years (2009-2024). This document,  available through the city’s website http://www.vbgov.com “Leader’s Guide” Summary Report is important because it forms the basis for the city’s directions during the next decade.  Each member of the city’s government, Mayor, Council member, and Leadership Team individually lists their important goals and priorities for the next decade.  As we have all seen, this city has changed considerable in the past ten year and will continue to change in the next decade. How will change be guided and accomplished?  We do have a say in the directions where we want our city to take. If we do not communicate with our city officials and our elected representatives, how will they come to know and share our ideas for our future?  Come on out to our SDCC monthly meeting, 28 March and hear Councilman Wood.

Saturday night (19 March) at approximately 2:13 AM, this writer was awakened by the sounds of a near-distant siren.  I thought that someone was being stopped for speeding along Shore Drive.  Shortly after the siren stopped, I heard 2 shots quickly followed by 4 to 5 shots.  Although not a firearms expert, but experienced enough, I estimated that it was neither near (I live in Cape Henry Shores area about one-half mile from Shore Drive), nor night maneuvers at FT Story. My wife also heard these shots waking her up. My point? When people hear disturbances such as this, please call the police 9-1-1 number.  The police quickly responded and arrived at our house within 5 minutes.  If you hear shots or see criminal activity, report it.

Mr. David Hansen, Deputy City Manager and Mr. Phil Rohrs City Public Works Engineer provided the BAC attendees with a brief overview of the city’s dredge spoils transfer project proposed for the area just east along Long Creek adjacent to the Marina Shores Marina.  The city is looking to eventually develop several sites in the Lynnhaven basin to transfer these non-beach suitable dredge spoils for disposal at the Oceana borrow pit.  Mr. Rohrs stated that the spoils will be mechanically transferred from barge to dump truck about 80% of the time.  City Council will specify and approve the hours of operations and the hauling schedule. Suitable precautions will be implemented to ensure site and area safety. Many civic associations including SDCC, Cape Story By the Sea, Cape Henry Shores and Bay Island have objected strongly to the proposed dredge transfer operation located next to the marina.  Much discussion followed Mr Hansen’s and Mr. Rohrs’ presentation.  Mrs Lynn Hume presented some particularly succinct points for both city officials to consider including zoning and safety issues.

As we were informed at the regularly scheduled Bayfront Advisory Council (BAC) meeting held this Thursday, 17 March, much is in the works for our area along Long Creek.  Marina Shores Marina is planning on an expansion to the east along Long Creek with the addition of several major floating docks to accommodate larger boats.  We have been told that the original design that had been proposed has been reworked to meet the requirements for the channel  and the estuary directly east of the marina. We are awaiting final design and dates for the required hearings for this project.  This project has the potential to significantly change our current waterway and add a commercial density that may not be in keeping with our neighborhoods’ present level of enjoyment.  As we have not yet seen the final design proposals, we can only guess as to what the new design will entail. The voiced and written objections expressed by many civic organizations including SDCC, Cape Story By the Sea, Bay Island and Cape Henry Shores have been acknowledged by both the city and the Marina Shores Marina owner, Ms. Gail Levine Biggs.  More to come shortly.

Councilman Wood has graciously agreed to come to our next scheduled SDCC meeting to discuss his vision for Shore Drive and Virginia Beach.  Our regular monthly meeting will be held 28 March at 7:30 pm at the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad station (Shore Drive and E. Stratford Rd.).  This will be a good opportunity for us to exchange ideas and to discuss what our visions are for Shore Drive, our neighborhoods, and Virginia Beach.

Capital  Improvement Project 3 (CIP3) is also now funded with the newly reconciled transportation dollars.  CIP3, which is for projects east of the Lesner bridge includes sidewalks and lighting improvements.  The other project, CIP4 for the west side of the Lesner Bridge is not funded, but any funds left from CIP 3 will be applied to CIP4.

From SavePHP.org:

Reminder: Kids need your help to save Pleasure House Point.

URGENT***URGENT***URGENT

March 7 – April 4: “CLICK HERE to Cast Your Vote.”

Students at Kemp’s Landing Magnet School have taken up the crusade to save PHP. Now, one of them, Charlie Harrelson, has been selected as a finalist for a Cox Conservation Heroes award, and will receive $1,250 -$5,000 for Pleasure House Point, based on online voting which begins March 7th.

The public can view videos of the finalists (Our Heroes) and cast their vote.

Story at WTKR.com:

“If you’re going to do it, you need to do it in the spring, the summer, the fall. You need to get an overlap period. But summer’s going to be the key when it’s warm and people are parking and going out more frequently,” DeSteph says.

Related: Read the entire study.

Read the entire article, and add to the comments – 136 at the time of this post – at Pilotonline.com.

Vice Mayor Louis Jones and Councilman Jim Wood, who pushed for the reduction, which the entire council supported, said they want to keep the speed limit at 35.

“We haven’t had a death since we implemented the 35 mile per hour speed limit,” Jones said. “I like that, and I want to keep it that way.”

Wood said the speed limit should remain 35 mph on Shore Drive east of the Lesner Bridge, which falls in his district. He said the study might not tell the full story. “At first glance, it just seems like the study didn’t occur for very long,” he said. “My interpretation was that they were going to do more analysis than what was done.”

Read the entire study. [22 page PDF]