Congrats to Chris & most recently Nancy for their award, and in particular for helping us with our FOIA requests!

From the Virginia Coalition for Open Government:
Most recent award winners include: The City of Virginia Beach’s Freedom of Information Office Virginia Beach, the state’s first local-government FOI office in August 2003. The office has handled nearly 3,000 FOI requests, produced more than 46,000 requested documents and aided inspection of thousands more, and provided space for easy record review just a few steps from City Council’s meeting chambers[.]

How to nominate for this year:
Call for 2007-2008 VCOG FOI Award Nominations
Nominations are now being accepted for VCOG’s 2006 Freedom of Information Awards.
Entries should be submitted by April 22nd to
VCOG, Box 1293, Warrenton, VA 20188 or .

Awards are given for outstanding efforts by citizens, media and government to keep government meetings or records open to the public.

Before reading another editorial pitching the idea to use the beloved & award winning LBR&BF as a permanent public & private dredge spoils transfer station, may I suggest reading the FOIAed docs related to the project?

Start here to read the official docs made public so far, Hot Topic: Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Beach Facility.

Assuming the city monitors the project to make sure it’s meeting all safety requirements, the recommendation, while far from ideal, makes more sense than the few other possibilities on the river.

There are far more safer, cost effective, creative long term solutions available for the handling of dredge spoils from the Lynnhaven.

Share even your craziest ideas here: The Lynnhaven needs your help in developing a long term solution for moving dredge spoils

Read & comment on editorial at Pilotonline.com.

Front page of the Beacon today:

“This is a recipe for disaster, mixing the barges with recreational boaters right here at the Lesner Bridge,” contended Joe Ferrara, a boat captain who attended the rally.

Read article at Pilotonline.com.

SDCC is gathering ideas that will provide a long term solution to moving dredge spoils dredged from the Lynnhaven Watershed.

Have an idea? Use “Discuss” link in this post.

Why? Check out this Topic.

As you know, there is a plan to build a permanent dredge spoils transfer station at the LBR&BF that would be used, for free, to accept spoils from public & private projects throughout the entire Lynnhaven Watershed.

“I just don’t think it needs to be at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp.”
Ferrara said he also worried about the boaters, some of them inexperienced, who will have to maneuver around these barges in the river.
Other speakers raised fears about a barge getting loose and hitting the Lesner Bridge.

Read & comment on article at Pilotonline.com.

Tragically & unbelievably sidewalks have not been installed on Shore Drive.

Hopefully the sidewalk that was required on a previous Conditional Use Permit will be installed next to the plantings.

The old Colley Marine property:

Email response from Chief of Finance & Technology, David Hansen:

…That assessment is an engineering estimate stating that at worst case a barge could hit a Pier, damaging it such that it may have to be replaced during which we would shut down one of the bridges (recall the Lesner is two) for 4 to 6 weeks.  Nowhere do we believe the size and velocity create the mass to collapse one of the bridges. This assessment was generated though engineering discussions to include bridge consultants. Should you have a certified professional engineer opinion that differs we would be very receptive to entertaining a professional discussion on the matter.

For those of you who’ve been asking, we have a couple open FOIA requests for docs relating to Safety & the Lesner Bridge.

In particular, Cape Story:

Classification:  UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Empsy,

  I just wanted to say ‘thank you’ for the support shown by the
Cape Story by the Sea Civic League last night as the 241st went down
Shore Drive. I followed the buses out and I saw people standing by the
road with ‘thank you’ signs, and it really meant a lot. I know it meant
a great deal to those Soldiers on the buses to see the support from the
local community. Again, thank you for all your support and all that the
CSBTS Civic League does.

Best,
Monica

Monica K. Miller
Fort Eustis Command Information Officer/Fort Story Public Affairs
757-878-4920 Fort Eustis Office
757-878-4928 Fort Eustis Fax
757-422-7101 Ext. 225 Fort Story Office
757-422-7706 Fort Story Fax
monica.k.miller@us.army.mil

Some fascinating reading in these final documents submitted to DEQ.

I believe this completes their application, so DEQ will more than likely be moving forward with issuance of a draft permit.

ID-DEQ-Mar08-Nov-07JPA-FinalDocs [47pg PDF]

Remember the solar powered flashing yellow safety lights that were going to be installed about 3 years ago on Shore Drive?

He said the money will come from a federal Highway Safety Improvement Program grant. The $40,000 grant is for eight signs – two in each direction of Shore Drive west of the park; and four on Atlantic Avenue.
Read & comment on Pilot Warrier article.

You know how the North End at Atlantic Avenue has a number of safety measures added to slow down speeders & Shore Drive has none?

Norfolk pulled $500 in city money to post solar-powered flashing lights atop speed limit signs at the intersection. Residents told The Warrior the lights helped slow drivers.

Contact Councilman Jim Wood at VBGov.com & ask him to make this part of Shore Drive safer.

Video at WAVY.com’s home page.
At WAVY.com.
At WTKR.com.
Video at WVEC.com.

Be sure to come out today for music, dump trucks & boats at the LBR&BF.

Several dump trucks will be on the site today in an effort to show the public how much space the vehicles will take up during transfer operations.
At a public hearing late last year, the city said the trucks would not disturb traffic at the facility.
Shuler has said that city records show 20,295 boats and vehicles towing them used the ramp facility and parking lot from 2006 to 2007.

Read & comment on Lee’s article at Pilotonline.com.

The Pilot is beginning a 5-day series honoring the fallen today.

More than 50 service members from Hampton Roads have died in the conflict, which began March 20, 2003.

The Iraq War, five years into the conflict.
In Remembrance – view photo & story of each service member, leave tribute & more.

Come on out to send them off! More info.

CityMarinaRevenueFOIA-3-08.pdf [3pg PDF]
EstimatesonCityMarinaRepairs-FOIA-3-08.pdf [10pg PDF]

Email was sent earlier to Dan Adams, Project Manager for the transfer station.
Contact Mr. Adams:
Official Project Page: VBGov.com

Hello Dan,

I just realized some items are missing from our FOIA request dated ~late February.

This particular FOIA request, and what was supplied, are located at this link:

As a previous member of the Shore Drive Safety Task Force, which as you know was created by City Ordinance, I am always concerned with issues affecting Shore Drive, the City’s deadliest road.

Also, as you are probably aware, there have been 4 deaths in the last 10 years a block from the western edge of the Lesner Bridge.

Finally, as you know, the average speed according to various traffic studies on Shore Drive is ~54MPH.

My questions are:

1. can we have the Traffic Engineering Report(s) that were done that supports the safe use of the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & tShore Drive.
2. can we have the Risk Management Assessment(s) that were done that supports the safe use of the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Shore Drive.

Undoubtedly these reports will show what measures the City will take to ensure the safe use of Shore Drive when loaded dump trucks are attempting to gain speed to travel safely with the flow of traffic, ~54MPH.

My guess is these studies were done back in late 2006 when the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp was selected as the best site.

Regards,

Tim Solanic
Secretary SDCC

### Please note: This email, and responses to it, will be posted at SDCC.info in our efforts to transparently share information with our community. ###

The 241st and 119th and HHD will be returning on the 22nd of April.

ATTENTION Shore Drive Residents!
AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR TROOPS LEAVING TO KEEP US SAFE

Following a send off ceremony at Fort Story
scheduled to start at 5:30pm on
MONDAY MARCH 17th
  Fort Story Troops
will be Leaving by SHORE DRIVE at approximately 7PM
FLAGS – SIGNS-CHEERS- CSBTS
NEEDED TO LINE SHORE DRIVE
COME OUT AND CHEER THE TROOPS

Information provided by
Tracie Culbreth
Mobilization & Deployment Specialist
Army Community Service
Fort Story, VA 23459

phone 757 422-7311
fax     757 422-7095

Check out a new program from CBF.
Sign up form below….space is limited!

The new program we are starting in the Hampton
Roads area is called VoiCeS (Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards).  We have run it for a couple years in some of our Maryland offices, but this will be the first time outside of Maryland.  You heard correctly in that it is very similar to the local Master Gardener programs with more of a Chesapeake Bay focus.  The program is divided into two parts: An
eight-week course of study, with one 3-hour class each week, and a service requirement of at least 40 hours over the next six months to a Bay-related community service project.  The community service project can something the participant does on their own or with another non-profit, state park, etc.

The classroom component consists of 8 classes of about 3 hours which will be held at the Pretlow Library in Norfolk.  Participants are expected to attend at least 6 of the 8 classes.

VoiCeSPartIntakeForm.pdf

You may remember, Indigo Dunes submitted another JPA to DEQ back in November that has complicated things for them.

Here’s the documents they recently submitted showing some minor changes:
InDuTransmittal-Cover-Subfor-DEQ-1107-JPA.pdf [1pg PDF]
InDu-SubFor-Deq-11-07-JPA1.pdf [8pg PDF]
InDu-SubFor-DEQ-11-07-JPA2.pdf [7pg PDF]
InDu-SubFor-DEQ-11-07-JPA3.pdf [3pg PDF]
InDu-SubFor-DEQ-11-07-JPA4.pdf [2pg PDF]
InDu-SubFor-DEQ-11-07-JPA5.pdf [1pg PDF]
InDu-SubFor-DEQ-11-07-JPA6.pdf [1pg PDF]
InDu-SubFor-DEQ-11-07-JPA7.pdf [1pg PDF]

Email us to view the rest of the files.
Docs previously submitted for this JPA.