A reminder that tonight you can find out more about the replacement for the Lesner Bridge. If you use Shore Drive, you certainly know tearing down and replacing the Lesner Bridge is going to be a large part of your life for a few years.

The Official Page at VBGov.com has links to various info & presentations including one to SDCC.
Official CIP Page from The City.
Final Draft of Environmental Assessment. [220 Pg PDF]

If you have trouble opening any links please email or the .

The Meeting is today, Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 5-7pm at Cox High School.

[Editor’s Note: I bet if you ask politely, especially since replacing the Lesner Bridge is a once in a lifetime project and will affect so many lives in so many ways, The City will have more Public Meetings at different times closer to the Bayfront Community.]

Release Date: Friday, October 30, 2009

The Planning Commission is currently reviewing a proposed amendment to the City Zoning Ordinance that will regulate Electronic Display Signs, also known as LED signs. The Planning Commission is seeking input regarding the ordinance and the issue of Electronic Display Signs.

The workshop is scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2009, at 5:30 p.m., and will be held in the City Council Chamber, second floor of Building 1, at the Municipal Center.
Please be aware that this proposed ordinance only addresses on-site signs. It does not pertain to billboards. There are currently no ordinance changes to the City of Virginia Beach’s regulation of billboards under consideration by the Planning Commission. Billboards remain prohibited within the city.
The proposed ordinance for on-site Electronic Display Signs can be viewed by downloading the document from the following Web address or by requesting a copy from the Planning Department – (757) 385-4621 or planadmn@vbgov.com

Click to access 20_ElecDisplaySigns_AMD.pdf

For more information, contact the Planning Department at (757) 385-4621 or planadmn@vbgov.com

Download and read the 18 page pdf.

From Pilotonline.com:

Arnold Lee Jones, 21, of the 3700 block of Dupont Circle, Virginia Beach, died Friday from severe head injuries, police said in a release today.

Editors note: That is the 5th death since 1996 at the Don Julios – Salty Dogs – Croakers block. There is also retail shops, offices, high rises, no crosswalks and the average speed there is ~54mph. Based on experience attempting to cross there successfully, it appears many drivers accelerate trying to “catch” the green at the Lesner Bridge.

Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC) General Meeting Agenda

Monday, October 26, 2009

Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall (parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)
Call to Order

General Announcements – Grace Moran

Request to waive officer’s reports.  Distribute minutes to be voted on at November meeting.  Announce slate of candidates for 2010.

Program/Presentation – Part One – Pleasure House Point: The Possibilities

          Tim Solanic

Power Point iPhoto Presentation

Discussion and Question and Answer session about innovative use of Pleasure House Point property.Program – Part Two – Comprehensive Plan Update

Discussion of suggested revisions to Section Three (Suburban Area) and Section Six (Transportation), which can be previewed at http://www.vbgov.com/planning or http://www.vbgov.com/bayfront, by clicking on Comprehensive Plan Update.  Brief statement by Dave Williams addressing Section Six.

Vote to Adopt Language Revisions as determined by discussion.

Distribute Draft Agenda for November meeting.

Adjourn.

Next Meeting:  November 30, 2009:  Elections and Housekeeping

Please check http://www.sdcc.info for details as they become available.

Budgeting for next year will be tough. Revenues will be down. For now, we expect a $49 million shortfall in fiscal 2010-11. How can we close that gap? Cutting services? Raising revenues?

The City wants to hear from YOU.  Four town hall meetings to discuss the upcoming budget. These meetings will be held through the fall to give you ample opportunity to listen, learn and talk with us. All meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m. City Council members and city staffers will attend.

Meetings will be held:

  *Wednesday, Oct. 28, Larkspur Middle School, 4696 Princess Anne Road
  *Thursday, Nov. 5, Princess Anne High School, 4400 Virginia Beach Blvd.
  *Wednesday, Nov. 18, Green Run High School, 1700 Dahlia Drive
  *Thursday, Dec. 3, Kellam High School, 2323 Holland Road

Space is limited. If you plan to attend, please send an e-mail to budget@vbgov.com.

Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads and Virginia need a more sustainable, intelligent energy future. The Mayor’s Alternative Energy Task Force has been exploring options since June. Now it’s your turn.

To view briefings and documents from previous meetings, visit http://www.VBgov.com.

For more information, or to make your opinion known, contact Bob Matthias at 385-8267 or rmatthia@vbgov.com on or before October 26, 2009.

From Cape Henry Shores Neighborhood Watch:

The following home invasion occurred in the Reserve neighborhood off Great Neck Rd. I am sending this as a reminder to please keep your doors locked and do not open them unless you know who is outside.  This was very close to our neighborhood and it is very scary that it happened while still daylight.  The article was taken from the Virginian Pilot website.

“A child called 911 on Friday as his family’s residence was invaded by three armed men. Police who went to the home arrested one suspect and are looking for the other two men. The home invasion happened at 5:39 p.m. at a residence in the 1500 block of Mirassou Lane. A man who lives there had gone out to run errands, said Officer Margie Hobbs, a Police Department spokeswoman. His wife and three children were home. The woman came to the door when the doorbell rang, and three men forced their way in and brandished a gun, Hobbs said. A child upstairs called 911. The three men then made the family get in a closet while they ransacked the house and ran when they heard police sirens. Police arrested one man nearby on Burton Drive. The other two are described as black, ages 17 to 25, both with a thin build and wearing black clothing, Hobbs said. Police used a reverse 911 system to notify neighbors about the home invasion, she said. Police did not release the age of the child who made the phone call”.

Anyone with information may call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (562-5887).

You’ve heard rumors about Indigo Dunes, preserving PHP as a public park, that the City should pay $25M to buy it, etc.

Attend SDCC’s Meeting October 26th to find out:
the latest on Indigo Dunes & Pleasure House Point.
ask your questions and get answers about how to make PHP public open space.
view an idea to create an environmental learning center on PHP and how it could affect our beloved neighborhood.

Rumors of the Mayor, City Manager and the President attending are, as of the date of this post, unfounded rumors.

Watch this website and our eNewsletter for official info.

Clay Bernick and the City arborist will be on hand to discuss possible locations for planting live oaks. Topics of discussion will be the Shore Drive Corridor Plan and Appendix, the ULI Report and Design Guidelines as they relate to the draft Comprehensive Plan to be reviewed by the public on:
Thursday, October 22
Bayside Recreation Center
4500 First Court Road

Monday, October 26
Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th Street

Thursday, October 29
Creeds Elementary School
920 Princess Anne Road
All meetings scheduled from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m

The Comp Plan may be viewed at VBGov.com.

BAC will focus primarily on chapter 3 ” Suburban Focus Area” relating to the Shore Dr. Corridor (SFA1). 
 

From emails:

> Dear Mr. Tamayo:
>
> As residents of Mariner’s Mark Way we are very excited about the sand
> replenishment.  Our concern is for our sleep.  With the project expected to
> be running 24/7 and the heavy equipment needed for the project, we are very
> concerned about the noise.  We have friends at 3556 Shore Drive that went
> thru this process a few years back and have told us the noise was brutal.
> Can we revisit the scheduling?
>
> Thank you for looking into this.

A resident of Mariners Mark

Response:

In answering your question on “Can we revisit the scheduling?”
>
> No, this is a federal navigation project and the standard of the industry is
> 24/7 – deviations from the standard at our request would be very costly.
> The dredge work will continue on a 24 hour basis, while we anticipate the
> grading of the material placement will occur during daytime hours.  We
> understand your concerns and we ask that you remain patient.  The contractor
> is working around the clock in order to be in and out of the area as quickly
> and efficiently as possible.  Placement of material along the beach will
> move from the west to the east limits.
>
> If you have any other questions, please let me know.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Rommel B. Tamayo, P.E.
> City of Virginia Beach
> Public Works Engineering/Water Resources
> Phone: 757-385-4511
> Fax:  757-385-5668
> Email: rtamayo@vbgov.com

Fall Festival Flyer [1pg pdf]

Contact Kim to volunteer or to learn more:
Kim Y. Miller
Events Coordinator
First Landing State Park
757-412-2307
kim.miller@dcr.virginia.gov

At the Pilotonline.com.
Previously here.

From Pilotonline.com article:
Last month, one rape and one incident of vandalism also occurred at the complex between Northampton Boulevard and Shell Road, according to online police reports.

Police don’t have any suspects in the burglaries and are increasing patrols in the area while property-crime detectives investigate, Officer Adam Bernstein, a Police Department spokesman, said in an e-mail.

View Larger Map

An email from the City’s Engineer:

I wanted to let you know that we have confirmed the next public meeting for the Lesner Bridge Replacement project on Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 5-7pm at Cox High School.  We should have a copy of the Environmental Assessment document (final draft) available online hopefully by Monday for public review.  There should be an ad in the Beacon this Sunday (Oct 4) as well as Oct 25 regarding this meeting.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

David S. Jarman, P.E.
Senior Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach
757-385-4144 (direct)
757-385-4131 (main)

Head over to ShareShoreDriveDay.net for the link to the entire packet & view suggestions that will improve safety for cyclists.

More at Pilotonline.com:

Police are looking for an SUV driver who struck an 11-year-old child and fled the scene Monday.
The child, a Great Neck Middle School student, told police that he was sitting on a curb at Greenwell Road and Delmar Drive waiting for the school bus around 8:15 a.m. when a large red or maroon SUV went through the stop sign and struck him, according to an e-mail from Officer Adam Bernstein, a police spokesman.

According to a dispatcher at 385.5000, the case is closed. They apprehended the driver.
Update 10.01.09 @ 3:16pm: According to WVEC article, driver is not apprehended. We’re waiting for a call back from the Police to confirm either way.

WVEC Channel 13 has also reported on this incident.  Read the story and watch the video by heading to Bayville Park Hit and Run Story.

Lesner Bridge Replacement

The City expects to have the Lesner Bridge Replacement design at the 60% completion stage ready for public comment in early November.  Please visit this link to see the proposal as it stood on August 25, 2009. [97 pg PDF] If you are going to be living here to witness the several years of construction it could take, you really want to spend the time to read the PDF link. It’s worth your time.

Some early comments include:
Residents of 3556 have observed that the proposal has assigned that the railings and light poles be blue.  They would prefer that the color be muted to blend better with the surrounding topography.  SDCC will post the date, time and location of the unveiling of the design when it is available, but in the interim, please take a moment to review what is currently in the works. 

Editor’s Note:
The Editor views the design & construction of the replacement for the Lesner Bridge as an incredible opportunity to make this a model for public works projects by building in cutting edge green technologies. Working with FIGG, renowned as an international premier bridge builder, leveraging our unique local talent, like the Military, topography & geography, like the Ches Bay & Lynnhaven Watershed, Virginia Beach could leverage the opportunity of replacing this bridge into something great. One idea – the power for the bridge itself could be designed to be “off the grid” using, as an example, wave technologies. Local universities could use the bridge, under the appropriate supervision, as a “lab” to test various wind & wave energy production techniques.

Shore Drive Community Coalition
September 28, 2009Agenda
The September meeting of SDCC is expected to include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following elements.

For a single page printable version of the agenda, Click Here

Program Presentation:  Mary Richmond, VB Administrative Assistant, and SPSA
                            representative Tom Kreidel will speak on the topics of recycling
                            and hazmat disposal.

The general agenda for the evening will be:
Officer’s Reports – Brief Reports
Secretary – Todd
Treasurer’s Report – Leslie

Agenda Items:  Pound net demur hearing, October 13 @ 10:00am, Circuit Court, Bldg. 10B
Bike Trails and Paths, per Barbara Duke’s presentation to BAC
Shore Drive Signage, per BAC Design Subcommittee review
Shore Drive Safety Initiative, progress report
Cape Henry Beach Replenishment – Sept 30 – Nov. 15
Bayfront Advisory Committee – Monetary support of BAC mailing
SDCC Breakfast Event for PHP – Community event to promote PHP awareness and community connection.  (Sat Oct 31st proposed)
Comprehensive Plan and Sustainable Community Plan – Updates and opportunity for input.

Next Meeting: Pleasure House Point (PHP): a panel discussion of alternative usage, as
developed under the direction of SDCC Subcommittee.  Includes a
report from Delegate Joe Bouchard on his meeting with Governor
Kaine and others.  October 26, 2009, participation by Karen Forget
Of Lynnhaven River NOW and various City officials.

From the Official Website:

Federal agencies have released seven draft reports on protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay.

They include:
develop focused and coordinated habitat and research activities that protect and restore living resources and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed (U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Interior).