“It doesn’t surprise me because Virginia Beach is a huge destination, and that makes me proud,” said Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms.
Now the mayor and city council members are working on a plan to better regulate those rentals.
(Note: The term “illegal” is disputed by many who have been following the move toward intelligent regulation.)
View article at Pilotonline.com:
Short-term rentals, according to the proposal, would be similar to home-sharing except the owner wouldn’t be living there. For short-term rentals, additional rules include limiting the number of contracts to two per week, submitting a parking plan to the city to show one space for each bedroom and a cap on the number of guests allowed.
Those rentals must also register with the Commissioner of the Revenue and pay occupancy taxes.
Please Email City Council now. You will make a difference at OPCL.org
Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor & City Council Members,
I am petitioning you to fund Shore Drive Phase IV immediately.
Specifically:
1. Please find 50% funding for CIP 2.118.000 Shore Drive Corridor Improvements-Phase 4 in 2018.
2. Please fund 100% of Phase 4 by 2019.
Finishing Phase IV now is critical to the health of Virginia Beach. Why?
The City Council commissioned Urban Land Institute Study of Shore Drive in 1996 and City Council Adopted Comprehensive Plan in 1997 state that:
“(Virginia Beach should) Recognize and improve the Shore Drive corridor as a resort gateway community, not a resort destination.”
“Shore Drive also serves as a tourist gateway for those heading to the oceanfront, offering for many their first glimpse of the City of Virginia Beach. Therefore, it is important to make a good first impression.”
City Council previously recognized the importance of this corridor:
1. City Council created the Shore Drive (Bayfront) Advisory Committee . . .
Click to view OPCL.org page.
PLEASE SHARE ENTHUSIASTICALLY !
From an email update from Project Manager:
Folks:
In the last project update (11/22/2017) we mentioned that we had issues with one of the 10 drilled shaft foundations for Pier #5 of the new eastbound bridge. Between the holidays, cold weather, and a longer than expected duration for remediation of drilled shaft #1 at Pier #5 construction of the EB bridge superstructure had been temporarily suspended. That was the bad news.
Now the good news. Shaft #1 at Pier #5 has been fully remediated, all 10 drilled shafts in this footing have been cut down to the correct elevation, and all of the reinforcing steel for the footing has been placed. The footing is now ready to receive the 400 cubic yards of concrete which is planned for tomorrow, February 3rd, 2018. The concrete will be delivered to this footing via two concrete pumper trucks parked near the center span of the Lesner Bridge eastbound lanes.
This, unfortunately, means lane closures on Lesner Bridge for most of the day tomorrow, Saturday February 3, 2018. Here are the details:
Beginning tomorrow, 2/3/2018 at approximately 10:00 AM single lane closures will be setup on Shore Drive approaching eastbound Lesner Bridge between DuPont Circle and Vista Circle. Single lane closures will also be setup during this time for westbound Shore Drive traffic approaching Lesner Bridge between Page Avenue and East Stratford Street. BOTH EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND TRAFFIC CROSSING THE BRIDGE WILL BE REDUCED TO A SINGLE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION. BOTH eastbound lanes on Lesner Bridge will be CLOSED until the concrete placement operations are completed. All work and temporary lane closures on Shore Drive at Lesner Bridge are expected to be cleared by 10:00 PM Saturday night, February 3rd, 2018. Be advised that, in addition to the lane reductions on the bridge, there will also be flaggers present that will intermittently STOP all traffic in BOTH directions on the bridge to allow the arrival and departure of concrete delivery trucks.
There will be a lot of activity on the bridge tomorrow so please plan accordingly and drive slowly when crossing the bridge.
Once Pier #5 is complete, we will launch the gantry across the inlet, set the pier segments on Pier #5 and then launch to Pier #6 and set the pier segments on Pier column #6. Span #6 will then be assembled by picking segments off a barge moored in this location. After Span #6 is completed, the gantry will be back-launched toward the channel to complete the other half of the cantilever section of Span #5 that crosses the channel.
Footing Reinforcing Steel being placed at Pier #5 EB Bridge (Completed Pier Column #6 shown in background)
View looking East from East Stratford Street at the recently graded area for the 10-foot wide multi-use path that will cross the new EB Bridge.
Since the last update other work on the project continued while waiting for Pier #5 to be completed. The following work has been completed since the November 22, 2017 update:
· 4 additional segments of cantilever Span #5 have been constructed for the new EB bridge (8 total);
· The footing and column at Pier #7 have been completed;
· The cofferdam around the footing for Pier #8 has been installed and the and the area around the drilled shafts excavated;
· All four drilled shafts at Pier #9 have been installed (ALL DRILLED SHAFT INSTALLATION FOR THE PROJECT IS NOW COMPLETE);
· Abutment B for the EB bridge has been completed;
· Grading for the new 10-foot wide multi-use path between the new EB Bridge and East Stratford Street has been completed;
· The remaining two street lights (four total) on the western bridge approach have been installed;
Completed Abutment B EB Bridge. Forms being removed.
Completed Footing and Column at Pier #7 new EB Bridge (Forms shown being removed).
Over the next two weeks, the bridge contractor will:
· Complete the footing and column at Pier #5;
· Place reinforcement steel for the footing at Pier #8;
· Backfill Abutment B and complete MSE wall #5 located in front of the Virginia and Maryland Pilots Association;
· Install falsework for gantry launch at Pier #5;
· Complete concrete multi-use path along MSE wall #2 between East Stratford and the new EB Bridge; and
· Complete curb & gutter and median curb on the west side of the bridge between East Stratford Street and the new EB Bridge.
That’s it for now!
Drive Safely!
-Chris
Christopher J. Wojtowicz, PE
Engineering Construction Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Engineering Division
2405 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Office: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
Email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com
Recent Planning Commission Workshop notes:
Below is a summary of the Planning Commission Workshop held on January 24, 2018 on Short Term Rentals.
Planning Commission Attending: Robert Thornton, David Weiner, Dee Oliver, David Redmond, Karen Kwasny, Jack Wall, and Jan Rucinski
Staff Attending: Kay Wilson, Kevin Kemp, Carolyn Smith, Jimmy McNamara and Barry Frankenfield
Public Attending: +/- 20
Discussion and Briefings . . .
Click here for a printable version of the agenda – 1.29.18 SDCC Agenda
SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday January 29, 2018 from 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)
Special Discussion – This month’s presentation time will be used for a working group discussion to help identify community issues and priorities. What are your group’s biggest concerns? What Shore Drive issues are most important and need addressed immediately? Come help us prioritize our efforts for 2018.
Officer’s Reports: Secretary – Andrew Broyles;Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic; Vice President – Wally Damon; President – Todd Solomon
Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) News – Mr. Wally Damon will update us on the actions of the Bayfront Advisory Commission.
Old Business-
Addition of “Your Speed Is” Traffic Signs on Shore Drive – Temporary trailer signs were used for 2 weeks in December. The City has been contacted to brief us on the results. Stay tuned.
Short Term Rentals – Update on City of Virginia Beach’s public input session and next steps for Short Term Rental (Airbnb, etc.) property.
Storm Water/Sea Level Rise Public Input Meetings – The last of 6 public meetings is being held on Jan. 29th at Bayside HS. SDCC will contact the City for more information regarding the next steps in this effort.
4-Way Intersection at Indian Hill Rd. – Update on City’s planned expansion on this intersection into a non-traffic lighted 4-way intersection to support the new entrance of the recently approved retirement community expansion.
New Business –
Shore Drive Road Improvements in Ocean Park – Update on Phase 4 – CIP 2.118. An onsite meeting with City Manager has been requested. Plans to attend an Open Mic night to request budget funding are being made and need community support. The current construction date of 2026 is not acceptable.
Lesner Bridge Update – Would anyone be interested in attending a tour of the bridge? SDCC would be happy to try and set this up. We are also trying to have the Project Manager attend an SDCC to provide us an update on the project which should finish sometime this year.
Community Concerns– This will be addressed in the Special Discussion section.
***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday February 26, 2018***
You can watch the 3 hours and 55 minute video below.
When Minutes are posted, they will be available at VBGov.com here.
Official page for Online Home Sharing Economy here.*
(*Please note: Broken links remain on page as of the time of this posting.)
From an email:
Good afternoon Elisa,
I received word today that our contractor plans to do the crown cleaning and branch reduction tomorrow for the Live Oak at 2512 Bayview Avenue. We are requesting any onlookers to remain well back from city and private property lines in order to insure safety. This should be good timing for the work, as trees have now entered dormancy due to the colder temperatures. Landscape Management has every expectation that the work will go smoothly and be beneficial for the health of this notable tree.
Sincerely,
Susan French
City Arborist
Virginia Beach Parks & RecreationLandscape Management Division | 4141 Dam Neck Road | Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Phone 757.385.4076 | Fax 757.427.1895|sfrench@vbgov.com | VBgov.com/Parks
View Petition at Change.org that helped get this beloved live oak some extra care.
From today’s email:
Transitioning to a New Public Engagement Tool
Dec 17, 2017 04:09 pm | The City of Virginia Beach
Thank you for participating in past Virtual Town Hall surveys. Your input helps city leaders make decisions about issues, projects and services that affect the community.
We wanted to let you know that we will be transitioning to a new public engagement tool in January. This new platform will enhance our capabilities to gather public input; it offers a mobile-first technology and broader tools to help us design options for people to provide feedback. We’ll start using it early in 2018 for projects such as the entertainment district at the Oceanfront and strategies for revitalizing neighborhoods, just to name a couple. Unfortunately, we are not able to transfer your email address to the new platform. If you would like to be notified when the new system is online, please send an email to news@vbgov.com asking to be added to the new database. Your information will only be used for this platform and will not be shared. Alternatively, watch for the announcements in January and please be sure to join in and spread the word so we can get as many people involved as possible.
We appreciate your participation and look forward to hearing from you in the new year.
Sincerely,
Julie Hill, PhD
Communications Director
Click here for a printable version of the agenda 12.18.17 SDCC Agenda
Please note the early date of the meeting. It has been moved a week early to avoid conflict with Christmas.
SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday December 18, 2017 from 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)
Special Presentation – Holiday Gathering – Come get to know your neighbors. We will also be thanking our officers David Williams and Kathy Pawlak for their wonderful service to SDCC and will wish them well on their future endevours.
Officer’s Reports: Secretary – David Williams, Treasurer’s Report -Kathy Pawlak,Vice President – Wally Damon, President – Todd Solomon
Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) News – Mr. Wally Damon will update us on the actions of the Bayfront Advisory Commission.
Old Business-
Addition of “Your Speed Is” Traffic Signs on Shore Drive – They City has placed temporary “Your Speed Is” trailers east of Great Neck Road. These signs and speed counter strips are being use to help slow down vehicles and to capture data for additional usage of signs.
Short Term Rentals – Update on City of Virginia Beach’s public input session and next steps for Short Term Rental (Airbnb, etc.) property. Planning Commission is holding a public workshop and hearing on this issue.
Storm Water/Sea Level Rise Public Input Meetings – The City of Virginia Beach recognizes challenges and is exploring solutions to the issues caused by sea level rise and recurrent flooding. The public is encouraged to attend one of several upcoming meetings where city representatives will provide residents with the opportunity to share their views and concerns. The information collected from the meetings will be used to develop the City’s long-term plans for sea level rise and recurrent flooding. The City has held 4 meetings and will hold 2 more in January 2018. Shore Drive residents are encouraged to attend a meeting to have your concerns be captured.
New Business –
SDCC Officer Elections – We are in great need of volunteers to step up and serve as officers for SDCC. All positions are welcomed, but we are in immediate need of a Secretary and Treasurer for 2018. We will be accepting names from the floor and will vote once we have nominees.
Community Concerns– General discussion of neighborhood and community concerns that may need SDCC attention. This is an opportunity for all to share information.
***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday January 29, 2018***
Thanks to Chris Wojo for the great presentation last night!
He also uploaded all the files for Phase 3 also known as 2.117.000.
Here’s the Official Phase 3 2.1117.000 page.
As you heard last night, some highlights of Phase 3 includes:
Click here for a printable version of the agenda 11.27.17 SDCC Agenda
SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday November 27, 2017 from 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)
Officer’s Reports: Secretary – David Williams; Treasurer’s Report -Kathy Pawlak; Vice President – Wally Damon;
President – Todd Solomon
Old Business-
Bayfront Development Projects Update –
• Marina Shores Marina Apartments – Approved at Oct. 11th meeting of the Planning Commission. Will most likely be heard by City Council in December.
Addition of “Your Speed Is” Traffic Signs on Shore Drive – SDCC sent resolution to City Council to purchase signs to be used specifically on Shore Drive. Councilman Wood has acknowledged the request and stated that City’s Public works has portable sign trailers. SDCC will continue dialogue with Councilman for purchase of Shore Drive signs.
Short Term Rentals – Update on City of Virginia Beach’s public input session and next steps for Short Term Rental (Airbnb, etc.) property.
New Business –
Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) News – Mr. Wally Damon will update us on the actions of the Bayfront Advisory Commission.
Storm Water/Sea Level Rise Public Input Meetings – The City of Virginia Beach recognizes challenges and is exploring solutions to the issues caused by sea level rise and recurrent flooding. The public is encouraged to attend one of several upcoming meetings where city representatives will provide residents with the opportunity to share their views and concerns. The information collected from the meetings will be used to develop the City’s long-term plans for sea level rise and recurrent flooding. Click here for more information on these meetings
Community Concerns– General discussion of neighborhood and community concerns that may need SDCC attention. This is an opportunity for all to share information.
***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday December 18, 2017***
This meeting is a week early due to Holiday Season
SDCC Elections are coming up. Please let an officer know of your interest.
At the 30 OCT 2017 SDCC monthly meeting, the environmentally astute Tim Solanic said that saving the city’s Live Oaks should be “The Norm, not the exception”. Is that a voice in the city’s wilderness speaking out? Destroying a magnificent tree that has taken a century or more to grow to make way for a structure that probably will not last a hundred years seems to point out our short-sightedness at the expense of long term goals for our city. What do we want for our city and for our future generations? Think about what you want to show your great grand children and talk about. We should all want a remarkably durable city of quality with a deep sense of history.
David Williams
Special thanks to Frank Fentress & Susan French of COVB, Elisa Morrell, Michelle Zimmerman, Chesapeake Beach Civic League, Friends of Live Oaks and all those who support treating of our precious live oaks instead of destruction.
Here’s the update at the Change.org Petition set up for her.
Click here for a printable version of the agenda 10.30.17 SDCC Agenda
SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday October 30, 2017 from 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)
Special Presentation – 2040 Vision to Action Community Coalition Commission, Ms.Cindy Arocho of the Commission will provide background and answer questions. In 2011, the Mayor appointed a 13-member citizen “visioning” group. They studied and analyzed current trends to understand the forces affecting our community. “Where are we now…where will we be… where do we want to be?” They answered those questions and crafted Virginia Beach 2040. The 2040 Vision to Action Community Coalition shares the pathway and the vision.
Officer’s Reports:
Secretary – David Williams
Treasurer’s Report -Kathy Pawlak
Vice President – Wally Damon
President – Todd Solomon
Old Business-
Bayfront Development Projects Update –
• Marina Shores Marina Apartments – Approved at Oct. 11th meeting of the Planning Commission.
• New Millennial Assisted Living Facility Expansion – SDCC letter being sent to City Planning and Traffic Engineers asking for the omission of the two new left turns based on the increase in traffic conflicts, low volume of left turns and access at two additional entrances.
New Business –
Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) News – Mr. Wally Damon will update us on the actions of the Bayfront Advisory Commission.
Addition of “Your Speed Is” Traffic Signs on Shore Drive – SDCC would like to make a motion to request the BAC to pursue the purchase and installation of these signs at key sections on Shore Drive. Norfolk has several of these signs operating on Shore Drive in Ocean View already.
VB proposed changes to Route 35 and other bus services – City Planning and Traffic Engineering have submitted a request to continue the service next year and to add a 3rd bus to allow shorter wait times. The service would also extend to Pleasure House Road. According to a Virginian Pilot article, the City Manager doesn’t feel additional funding of any mass transit in the City is worthwhile.
City Planners Losing Focus on Shore Drive Safety? – The addition of left turns where they’re not justified as part of the New Millennial development and the suggestion to add a crosswalk at North Great Neck Rd. and Lynnhaven Dr. intersection, seem to identify an unsafe trend in City Planning. Your thoughts and suggestions for action are welcomed.
Community Concerns– General discussion of neighborhood and community concerns that may need SDCC attention. This is an opportunity for all to share information.
Next SDCC Meeting – Monday November 27, 2017
No Special Presentation Planned
SDCC Elections are coming up. Please let an officer know of your interest.
According to the Virginian-Pilot article, which can be read by clicking this link,
A 10-hour standoff with an armed man in a car ended Monday morning when the man took his own life, police said.
The incident began just before midnight when a neighbor called police about a “dispute” on the 2300 block of West Great Neck Road, said Virginia Beach police spokeswoman Tonya Pierce.
The man, who was in his car alone, threatened to harm himself, she said.
Part of West Great Neck Road was closed during the standoff and residents in the area were notified of the situation through a reverse 911 call.
Swimming Advisory Lifted for Two Areas: Along the Bay from Little Creek to Fort Story and along the Oceanfront from 8th to 22nd Streets
The Virginia Beach Health Department has lifted the swimming and wading advisories that were issued yesterday, Wednesday, Sept. 20, along the Bay from Little Creek to Fort Story and along the Oceanfront from 8th to 22nd streets.
After re-sampling showed that the bacteria level in the water was once again safe for swimming and wading, the advisories were lifted and signs at both locations that had previously alerted the public of the advisory have now been removed.
Recreational waters are monitored for bacteria using indicator organisms such as enterococci, the indicator of choice for estuarine and marine waters. Enterococci are a group of organisms used to determine the extent of fecal contamination of recreational waters.
While enterococci do not cause illness, scientific studies indicate that their presence is closely correlated to the presence of other disease-causing organisms. People swimming or wading in waters with bacteria levels higher than the standard have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal illness and skin, eye and respiratory infections.
Environmental health officials sample recreational beach water on a weekly basis during the swimming season from May through September.
For additional information, contact Brad Delashmutt, Virginia Beach Health Department, at (757) 518-2727.
#WeLoveShoreDrive 