Category Archives: Current Concerns

“The Assistant City Manager and City Staff were there to present plans for the Lesner Bridge replacement AND Building a Permanent Industrial Site at Crab Creek.”

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From an email posted unedited with permission:

Dear Neighbors,
Sid and I attended Thursday’s Bayfront Advisory Committee meeting. The Assistant
City Manager and City Staff were there to present plans for the Lesner Bridge
replacement AND Building a Permanent Industrial Site at Crab Creek.

There are several distinct issues that you should know about:

1. The Lesner Bridge replacement is vital – the City plans to use the Crab Creek
“spoils” site for construction staging for the bridge over the two or so years
it will take for the project. I feel that we as homeowners should accept that.
The Bridge’s condition is currently rated lower than the one in the Midwest that
fell a few years ago. During the construction there will be up to 100 truck
trips daily through the boat ramp and out to Shore Drive via Piedmont Circle and
E. Stratford Rd. There will be a “temporary” barge docking station built for
barging materials to the site.There will be noise and other usual construction
site impact. Beach access via the boat ramp facility will be curtailed during
the construction. Boat launching will remain open. While this is unpleasant, it
seems to be a necessary , but temporary, inconvenience.

2.Currently, CLEAN sand from dredging of the Crab Creek Channel occurs once
every year or two, or when weather causes sand movement that requires it to keep
the channel open for boaters. Again, I feel that since we, especially homeowners
with boats on the creek, benefit from this, it is a necessary nuisance. The
city stockpiles this sand on the site for future use for sand replenishment
along the bay or elsewhere in the city.We certainly also benefit when sand is
replenished on our nearby beach.

3. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON: The City has renewed its interest (that wefought in 2008) in putting a permanent dredge transfer site with Barge off-loading station at Crab Creek to receive and truck out the MUCK dredged fromneighborhoods such as Witchduck Point, Thoroughgood Manor, Church Point, and Saw Pen Point, who want their channels dug for their boating pleasure, but do notwant the inconvenience of the dredge transfer station in their own backyard.

If this is built, we will experience: barges offloading 40-50 truckloads of
dredge spoils a day, and those 40-50 trucks, averaging THIRTY-FIVE TONS
traveling across the cross-walk between the boat ramp bath house and the
boardwalk to the beach, and out to Shore Drive via Piedmont Circle and E.
Stratford Road. Barges may impede boat traffic in the boat channel. The dredged
muck in this process is thick and foul-smelling, not the clean sand that is
dredged from the Crab Creek channel. Beaches and Waterways Commission has
recommended limiting to 30 trucks per day for no more than two 90-day cycles per
year. It is unclear what the time-of-day restrictions may be for dredge transfer
work. The City said, regarding the Lesner Bridge construction, that time-of-day
work would depend on the contractor proposal…
If the engine noise and beeping you heard during the Crab Creek sand dredging
was troublesome to you, imagine adding the 30 or 50 large trucks per day I
personally found the noise alone to detract from my enjoyment of my porch. I
wonder if those along the creek will be able to use their back decks.

4. THIS ALSO DESERVES OUR ATTENTION:
The City Staff of VIrginia Beach now say they will use the future Permanent Dredge Transfer Station for other uses: possible staging for other construction, docking of working barges that currently moor in the Lynnhaven River for oyster reef work, dredges,etc.

The City, at Thursday’s meeting expressed assurances that they are sensitive to boaters and fishermen. They expressed no concern for homeowners.

I hope you all will join us in opposing a Permanent Dredge Transfer Station at
Crab Creek. Please email City Council and the Beaches and Waterways Commission and the Bayfront Advisory Committee members with your opposition to the proposed Dredge Transfer Station at Crab Creek.
Use my letter (posted below) if you like.

Here are all the email addresses to copy.
Cut and paste these email addresses for sending your letter:
tfraim@masacorp.com,
CMOffice@vbgov.com,
ctycncl@vbgov.com,
David@sdcc.info,
wsessoms@VBgov.com,
lrjones@VBgov.com,
gdavis@vbgov.com,
bdesteph@VBgov.com,
bdyer@VBgov.com,
bhenley@VBgov.com,
juhrin@VBgov.com,
rwilson31@cox.net,
jlwood@VBgov.com,
abarnes@vbgov.com,
kkassir@aol.com,
yiayia223@aol.com,
tanklines@aol.com,
jjma6@aol.com,
joeb@HBAonline.com,
normcarrick@cox.net,
dsparks@wcbeach.com

Thank you,
Wendy Vaughn

Previously at BoatRampClosing.com in 2008/09 when the plan to allow personal and public unknown dredge spoils and other material be barged to, and trucked from our beloved Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Beach Facility. That plan was officially killed in April 2009.

An example letter to send to City Council, Bayfront Advisory Committee and Beaches & Waterways Commission and click-able email link:

Click here to start email to City Council, Beaches & Waterways Commission and Bayfront Advisory Committee.

### BEGINNING OF SAMPLE LETTER ###

    Mr. Mayor and Honorable Council Members, Members of Beaches and Waterways Commission, Members of the Bayfront Advisory Committee:

    [CHANGE TO APPROPRIATE INFO]> As homeowners in Ocean Park Virginia Beach, adjacent to Crab Creek, we want to express our strong opposition to using Crab Creek for a Permanent Dredge Spoils Transfer Site for the following reasons:
    * Operating barges in close proximity to the recreational boating channel at Crab Creek poses dangers to boaters, kayakers, and paddle-boarders. The channel is narrow. The City Boat Ramp at Crab Creek encourages the use of the channel for these recreational activities. This is a conflict.
    * Use of dump trucks through the boat ramp parking lot, over the pedestrian crosswalk from the bath houses to the beach, and through the residential neighborhood poses dangers to adults and children, bicyclists, fishermen, and motorists.
    * Use of barges in the Lynnhaven Basin creates a danger to the Lesner bridge. Over a year ago a barge did hit the Lesner Bridge.
    * Quality of water at the beaches surrounding the Crab Creek sand berm is jeopardized by unloading of spoils. Quality of the sand the City currently reclaims from the channel for use elsewhere is also jeopardized.
    * Noise pollution from engines, trucks, and beeping disrupts the quiet in the neighborhood. We currently experience this up to three months a year from the Crab Creek channel dredging. And the noise pollution is late at night and early in the morning. It is not equitable for us to be subject to it for many more months because those who will benefit from the dredging in their neighborhoods do not want the spoils transfer to take place in their neighborhoods.
    * Quality of air is jeopardized by diesel equipment and odors from dredge spoils.
    * Potential loss of equity in our home is unfair in order to benefit other neighborhoods.

    Our position has not changed since we voiced our opposition in 2008 along with the Ocean Park Civic League and many other Ocean Park homeowners.

    We ask that you complete the Thalia transfer station before determining the need for additional stations, and that studies be done by an independent third party to evaluate the concerns listed above. We also ask that you review the Ocean Park Civic League objections and citizen response to the 2008 proposal for a spoils transfer station at the Crab Creek site.

    The Lynnhaven Boat Ramp at Crab Creek is a clean, safe, quality recreational facility – a Virginia Beach success. Please consider the risk of damaging the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp. And please consider the risk of damage to the quality of life in our neighborhood.

    Respectfully,

    YOUR NAME
    YOUR ADDRESS

    ### END OF SAMPLE LETTER ###

Click here to start email to City Council, Beaches & Waterways Commission and Bayfront Advisory Committee.

“NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA: 1. That the City Council hereby directs the City Manager to remove the Maple Street site from consideration as a potential dredge spoils transfer site for the Neighborhood Dredging Program.”

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Read the entire resolution in this PDF [1pg].

 

The resolution is being scheduled for vote at City Council on Tuesday February 28th.

Public Works Public Information Meeting in Ocean Park re:storm water improvements on southside

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From an email:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: There will be a meeting of the Ocean Park Civic League on February 23rd beginning promptly at 6:00 p.m. at the Ocean Park Rescue Squad Building to address drainage improvements to Ocean Park. Please spread the word to your neighbors who may not be on our email distribution list. Below is the information from the City representative who will be conducting the meeting:

> Dear Mr. Thomas,
>
> I am a Project Manager with the City of Virginia Beach Engineer’s Office. We have recently developed alternative drainage improvement plans for the Ocean Park – South neighborhood and would like to hold a Public Information Meeting at the Ocean Park Rescue Station on Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting will be to update the residents about our recent evaluations and receive input from the citizens and Civic League regarding a preferred drainage improvement alternative. Vice Mayor Jones has received a verbal notification of this meeting.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Michael S. Bumbaco, PE
> City of Virginia Beach
> Public Works Engineering/Water Resources

Emphasis ours.

“Less than three weeks ago, city officials spent part of their retreat compiling an extensive list of the city’s recent successes. They included the preservation of Pleasure House Point.”

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Read entire editorial at Pilotonline.com.

Also – it looks like City Council will be voting in March or April to permanently preserve Pleasure House Point forever.

VMRC Joint Permit Application for Long Creek Dredging

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On 30 January, the VMRC sent a letter to notify the residents along Long Creek of a Joint Permit Application #11-1830 concerning maintenance dredging. The commission requests protests to their application to be submitted within 15 days of the date of the memorandum (done by 14 February) if you wish to express your concerns with this project. The Permit letter and project drawings should be available on the VMRC website (www.mrc.virginia.gov) and will soon be made available on the http://www.SDCC.info site. I have attached my reply to this posting.

February 2, 2012

Mr. Justin D. Worrell, Environmental Engineer
Virginia Marine Resource Commission
2600 Washington Avenue
Newport News, VA 23607

Re: Joint Permit Application #11-1830, Long Creek Maintenance Dredging

Dear Mr. Worrell:

I thank you for giving our residents the opportunity to comment on the proposed maintenance dredging permit for Long Creek. One of our residents asked me the purpose of this notification as she has never received one before in the 37 years of living here. As she was not able to decipher the attached drawings, she asked how she could make an informed decision on this permit without sufficient information. I acknowledged her concerns. Is your letter of 30 January to serve as sufficient information or will public hearings be held?
On my review of the permit, I too have strong concerns. Many of the residents and boaters using Long Creek acknowledge that periodic maintenance dredging is needed every 4-5 years, but we question the scope of this project. As I have attended the majority of the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Committee meeting related to the Neighborhood Dredge (Spoils) Program for the Lynnhaven basin, I am very aware of the strong mistrust that many have of the city’s true motives concerning the proposed dredging of the Lynnhaven Basin, and Long Creek, and in particular, the use of Maple Street and Crab Creek areas as permanent mechanical transfer sites.
Concerning Long Creek and this permit, we are concerned with lack of thoroughness related to the city’s planning, the lack of sufficient studies related to traffic, safety, and the impact on the neighborhoods mainly involved. We have strong concerns about the quality of the dredged material, whether beach grade or unusable spoils, and the stated need for the permit’s mechanical dredging. We vehemently oppose any use of the Maple Street containment area for anything other than hydraulically transferred beach grade sand as non-beach grade sand would have detrimental environmental impact on both the adjacent preservation area and the water quality of Long Creek, one of our prime fishing areas.
We are requesting that the Joint Permit #11-1830 be sent back to the city of Virginia Beach to more adequately address our citizens’ concerns. Until such time as these concerns can be substantially met, we cannot support this permit.

Sincerely,

David M. Williams
President, Shore Drive Community Coalition
2104 West Admiral Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 234521

(757) 481-1668

Maintenance Dredging Permit Request Joint Permit Application #11-1830 from City of VB

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This is the City’s Joint Permit Application(JPA) that could impact Maple Street and/or Lynnhaven Inlet Placement site.

Here’s the 22 page PDF.

Mayor response to Prez of Cape Story by The Sea Civic League re: proposed dredge transfer station on Maple Street

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The Mayor’s email response:

Dear Empsy:

Thank you for your recent email, on behalf of the Cape Story Civic League, regarding the dredged transfer facility site.

City Council just received the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Commission’s report in response to the tasking we gave them on specific areas of the Neighborhood SSD Dredging Program. We are in the process of reviewing that report, along with staff.

The City’s application to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) for the construction of the mechanically dredged material transfer site has been returned to staff, and until we on City Council make a decision, the application is not active. Public Works Water Resources staff has submitted a renewal permit application to VMRC for maintenance dredging of Long Creek due to shoaling in the channel. This renewal permit application is in the public review stage. On January 20th, City staff provided additional information to VMRC for the application. VMRC requested this information prior to forwarding notification letters to the adjacent property owners about the renewal permit application. We hope residents are not opposed to our keeping the navigation channel open. I believe you may have also been in communication with Mr. Justin Worrell at VMRC and should have been advised this work could be performed by either hydraulic or mechanical dredging.

As to your request that we withdraw our appeal, we believe that the Board of Zoning Appeals’ decision has other ramifications which we need to consider as part of our appeal process. Our City Attorney has kept our options open by filing for an appeal. Our final actions have not yet been determined.

The adjacent parcel to the dredged material holding area is zoned R-7.5. I can ask staff to look at your request that the property to the east of the dredged material holding area be rezoned P-1 and am supportive of this request. A subdivision may be required so that we can continue to use the dredged material holding site for operations referenced above.

I hope this information is helpful. Your input is appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may provide any additional assistance.

William D. Sessoms, Jr.
Mayor
City of Virginia Beach
Office of the Mayor
2401 Courthouse Drive, Building 1, Room 234
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757-385-4581 (MAIN)
757-385-5699 (FAX)
wsessoms@vbgov.com

Empsy Munden is the President of the Cape Story by the Sea Civic League.
More at VBGov.com Neighborhood Channel Dredging.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission.

Thanks to Public Works for installing a pneumatic plug device in Crab Creek out fall line to help prevent catastrophic flooding.

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Public Works has installed a device similar to this in the Crab Creek out fall storm drain system. The device should help prevent catastrophic tidal flooding from storms like Nor ‘Ida in 2009, over ~$150,000 worth of damage, and Irene in 2011. The pneumatic plug device is a temporary solution. The permanent solution is the plan to move the Crab Creek out fall line to the pump station late in 2012.

Storm drain cleaning in Ocean Park today, and over the next couple weeks

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You’ve seen the contractor Tri-State cleaning storm drains in Ocean Park around the Ocean Park Baptist Church area.

I was just assured by the contract supervisor for the City of VB that the contract cleaning will be completed, then service requests by home owners will be completed in the next couple weeks. That includes lines on the pump station, and also the Crab Creek out fall line.

They are not only cleaning, but also using the fancy movie camera in the storm drain looking for damage or issues thing too.

Update on barge in Long Creek

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Email from VMRC rep:

Mr. Cunningham,

I recently talked with the contractor. He is currently waiting for the excavator to be delivered back to Marina Shores so it can be placed back on the barge. He has two pier projects (recently authorized by VMRC) nearby on Long Creek, and the barge will be moved over to those properties by the end of January.

Justin D. Worrell
Environmental Engineer
Habitat Management Division
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
(757) 247-8063 telephone
(757) 247-8062 fax

CIP projects info added to our HOT page

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Our HOT page is here.

Here’s what was added:

Shore Drive Corridor Improvements Projects

    2.116.000: Shore Drive Corridor Improvements – Phase II (Partial)
    This project will provide safety improvements, including pedestrian walkways and bikeways, along the Shore Drive corridor from South Oliver Drive/Waterspoint Place to Treasure Island Drive. It will also include improvements along Shore Drive at the Northampton Boulevard interchange and to the intersections at Pleasure House Road and at Greenwell Road.
    2.117.000: Shore Drive Corridor Improvements – Phase III (Partial)
    This project begins at Vista Circle, near the eastern end of the Lesner Bridge, and extends eastward through the Great Neck Road intersection and terminates at Croix Drive. This project will improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and safety in the roadway and intersections; improve storm drainage; include a multi-use trail, 5-ft sidewalk and on-street bike lanes; and enhance the corridor with aesthetic elements such as landscaping and lighting.
    2.118.000: Shore Drive Corridor Improvements – Phase IV
    This project begins at the Marlin Bay Drive/Sandy Oaks Drive intersection and ends at the west end of the Lesner Bridge. This project will improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and safety in the roadway and intersections; improve storm drainage; include a multi-use trail, 5-ft sidewalk and on-street bike lanes; and enhance the corridor with aesthetic elements such as landscaping and lighting. It will include improvements at the East Stratford Road intersection.

Note: projected end date of all infrastructure improvements of Shore Drive including replacing the Lesner Bridge is ~ September 2019.

The Army Corps of Engineers laid out its plans for restoring the Lynnhaven River on Tuesday

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Read the entire article and comments at the Pilotonline.com:

Council members, without committing to the city’s share of the funding, expressed support for the plan and to continuing the revival of the city’s largest waterway, on the mend after decades of pollution, over development and other abuses.

Excerpt from one comment:

Perhaps the restoration of Pleasure House Point is a part of this plan and all can be combined. Hopefully the citizens will be able to see this plan on the City’s website.

Multiple car break ins again in Ocean Park & Cape Story

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Around Clipper Bay area in Ocean Park, and from Cape Story‘s neighborhood watch email list:

Another car break in on Oak St (2200) block on Saturday night (Jan 7). Also heard from another resident that the police were going door-to-door Sunday night on Oak St. asking residents if anyone had had similar experiences and they also stayed parked on the street for at least a few hours.

Reminder, please report any and all incidents to the police. If they are not reported, the police will not know this is going on. Also, I repeat, LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS.

Please remember to call 911 if you see a crime in action and call 385-5000, option 1, to report crimes after they have occurred or to report any suspicious activity. Also, please call or email the NW Coordinator so crime reports and suspicious activities can be shared with all of our residents.

Pleasure House Point preservation gets another $1.54M grant !

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More at SavePHP.org:

$1 million grant will add 82 acres to Virginia Beach’s park and open space system
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, partnering with the City of Virginia Beach and the Trust for Public Land, will use this grant and non-federal match of $540,000 to acquire and preserve one of Hampton Roads’ largest undeveloped waterfront properties.

Incident in First Landing State Park

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FYI, from an email to Cape Story’s neighborhood watch coordinator:

We had an individual that was jumping on a gentleman on the King Fisher Trail. The person has psychological issues and was arrested on Friday shortly after the incident. I spoke with this person on Tuesday because we had a report of an individual touching/grabbing men when they went by her along Cape Henry Trail. No one wished to press charges so the individual was told to leave the park for the day. The park will seek a court order banning this individual from park property when her court day arrives. This was an isolated incident and dealt with swiftly.

Let me know if I may be of further assistance.

Bruce

Who is Bruce?

Bruce is Bruce Widener the Park Ranger at First Landing State Park. He receives all of my NW emails and is really sensitive about what is said about any trouble in the park.

“A divided School Board agreed Tuesday to sell an acre of land at Thalia Elementary School to the city, clearing the way for dredging a channel of the Lynnhaven River.”

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Read and comment at Pilotonline.com:

As part of the deal, the city agreed to several conditions to mitigate those concerns, including promises to cease operations during student dismissal and to restrict dump trucks from crossing in front of the school.

The alternative site is on city-owned land along West Great Neck Road between the Lynnhaven Marine Boatel and Marina Shore Shoppes

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From Pilotonline.com:

Plans to build a dredge spoils transfer station in a residential neighborhood off Long Creek appear to be on hold.

The Beaches and Waterways Commission, an advisory group to the City Council, voted Thursday to recommended an alternative site.

Neighborhood Dredging Study Draft Final Report is Available for Public Comment

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The Beaches and Waterway Advisory Commission (B&WAC) has completed the Draft Final Report for the Neighborhood Dredging Study and is accepting public comments on the report.  The deadline for comments has been set for NOON on Tuesday December 6th.  See the email from B&WAC Chairman Tom Fraim below for additional details.

Tom Fraim email excerpt – “Final comments from the public will be set for noon on December 6th and we will incorporate constructive comments for the real FINAL REPORT TO COUNCIL at 5:00PM on December 8th in the City Manager’s conference room. I expect the meeting to take less than 10 minutes. We will  not take additional public comment and with the exception of approving the minutes of the last meeting, we will not have an agenda. The approved Report to Council on the Neighborhood Dredging SSD Program will be posted on the City Website on December 9th while it is being properly constructed with maps, engineering reports, cover sheet, index, binding … etc.

 As you will read in the report, we interpret the instructions from Council to direct us to find additional site options that would have less impact on the neighborhoods and does not give us the option of eliminating sites selected prior to their approval of the program. We cannot eliminate Maple Street from future consideration, but we are asking Council to do exactly that … “

Read the draft final report here  11_28_DRAFT_FINAL

 

Items in the report that may be of particular intrest:

  • An unsupported requirement that five dredging zones are needed.
  • The reasons for public opposition to Maple Street and Crab Creek sites are legimate concerns.
  • The opposition to Maple Street and Crab Creek site is a standard NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) situation and will go away when the local residents need dredging projects.
  • The Lynnhaven Drive site is a preferred alternative to the Maple Street site, but only City Council can remove the Maple Street site from the overall plan.

 

All residents in the Bayfront area are encouraged to comment on this report.  Please send all comments to the following email addresses:

Tom Fraim, B&WAC Chairman – tfraim@masacorp.com  

Jim Spore, City Manager – CMOffice@vbgov.com

City Council – ctycncl@vbgov.com

David Williams, Shore Drive Community Coalition President – David@sdcc.info

 

What Will It TakeTo Be Heard?

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Call me naive maybe, but I was taught in public school and spent my college and military years believing in our Democracy.  Even after egregious and impeachable acts of Richard Nixon, LCol Oliver North, and J. Edgar Hoover, and unnamed others who have hacked into our rights, our freedoms have prevailed somewhat intact.
The politicians of that “ill-clique”  up in Washington seemed removed from who we are and how we live our daily lives in a city like Virginia Beach.
I am reminded that all politics are local. The violations of our trust and confidence do not always occur  just from Washington.  Some of our citizens have experienced a trampling of their rights from our city staff and city appointed  “Advisory” committees. Any violations of our Constitutional rights should be directly challenged and corrected.

Should citizens be prevented from speaking at scheduled open forums or from asking the city questions concerning the safety of public projects that involve our neighborhoods? Should the city’s Public Works Department be the safety monitor and enforcer for those projects? Should a neighborhood’s rights be mauled to enable a “good ol’gal”  private business expansion? Should a neighborhood be pulped from dump truck traffic just to support  one private party who would commercially benefit? Mr. Fraim  has so stated. Ask Thomas Fraim, Chairman of the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Committee about open and transparent city staff meetings or free and open public committee meetings.

This Veteran’s Day, consider all those who have fought for our freedoms and our very Constitution. Consider this, if Hitler’s Third Reich had defeated us in WWII, or if Stalin’s communists had won the Cold War,  would our rights and our freedoms continue today? So, why should we accept any trampling on our rights,  back door politics, special deals, lack of transparency, and egregious acts from some city staff members?

Will the Mayor and City Council arrive at an honorable course of action that recognizes the mounting and significant citizen opposition to the Neighborhood Dredge (Spoils) Program?   Will city staff acknowledge the numerous serious flaws and lack of sufficient studies that exist in the Neighborhood Dredge (Spoils) Program?  We citizens will watch closely while some in City Council deliberate their fate and our  given rights.