Category Archives: Environment

E-Cycling and Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Saturday Sept. 28th from 9am to Noon at Virginia Aquarium

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Click here to read the entire notice

Fall E-Cycling Event Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to Noon
Fall cleaning is a great time toget rid of those old electroinics. The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, in partnership with Goodwill Industries, Virginia Beach Public Works and TFC Recycling, will offer its semi-annual E-cycling event Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. – noon at the Virginia Aquarium East Parking Lot. There is no fee to drop off items, but donations are always appreciated

Acceptable personal electronic recyclable items include:

Personal computers and laptops
Telephones, cell phones and PDA’s
Printers
Circuit boards and components
Monitors and flat screens
Fax machines​
Stereo equipment and game systems
Regular recycling materials such as newspapers, bottles and cans will also be accepted.
***Note that cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions and alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D) cannot be accepted***​

Acceptable household hazardous waste items include:

Up to five gallons of liquids or up to 75 pounds of dry materials
Aerosol spray cans
Automotive fluids
Batteries: Boat, Car, Camera, Cell phone, Hearing aid, Lead acid, Lithium, Rechargeable, Trucks
Herbicides
Household cleaners
Gasoline (up to 5 gallons)
Fertilizer
Pool chemicals
Light bulbs – small quantities of CFLs or fluorescent tubes
Oil and water based paint
Pesticides
Propane tanks (small – up to 20 lb. capacity)

 

 

American Geophysical Union (AGU) Releases “Surging Waters” Study With Focus on Virginia Beach

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According to a recent article in the Virginian-Pilot,

“Yet again Hampton Roads is being singled out by a national group as an example of the perils of rising seas. This time, it’s in a report from the American Geophysical Union that urges investment in science to find solutions to flooding caused by climate change.”

The entire article can be found here https://www.pilotonline.com/news/environment/vp-nw-agu-flooding-report-20190924-xp2wqsahtzgwrej5drc2d5pls4-story.html

 

You can also read the AGU’s report by clicking this link.  The section that discusses Virginia Beach starts on page 36.  Click here to go straight to the report https://scienceisessential.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2019/09/Surging_Waters_credits_pages_web.pdf

Photos of Dorian after leaving Ocean Park you may find interesting

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Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.

Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.

Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.

Where Dorian was at 5pm Saturday.

Photo taken high tide Monday 655pm.

KING TIDE October 27, 2019 Get Out and Track It

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Learn more at KingTide.WHRO.org:

Volunteer Opportunities
Ready to help? Sign up to be a (Volunteer) King Tide Mapper, King Tide Captain, or Tide Watcher.

And:

Hundreds more of you mapped again in 2018 along with lots of other first-time volunteers and many students from science classrooms throughout Hampton Roads.

Now, in year 3, we’re gearing up for even-bigger things. We’d like to beat our 2017 record and build momentum toward 1,000 volunteers in 2020. We also welcome you to join one of our newly forming year-round mapping teams.

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September Baylines from Bayfront Advisory Committee

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View September 2019 Baylines Newsletter:

Next Meeting
Thursday, September 19, 2019 3:30 p.m.
Bayside Community Recreation Center
4500 First Court
***NOTE NEW LOCATION***

Lots & lots of news including:

Dredging ran out of Cape Henry sand, officials studying options

The sand replenishment project on Cape Henry Beach wrapped up short of reaching Oak Street because the contractor ran out of sand from dredging out the Lynnhaven Inlet, BAC commission member Phillip A. Davenport reported to the commission. “Nourishment is complete.”

Army Corps of Engineers’ contractors are still dredging in Long Creek and the spoils are being taken to the storage site off Maple Street. Dredging and replenishment projects involve specific sources for sand and destinations. The contract for the Cape Henry project ended Aug. 30., although city officials are looking at whether the stored sand on Maple Street can be used on eroded areas of Ocean Park or to add to the Cape Henry beach.

Decisions on that will depend on how Bay beaches fared during Hurricane Dorian.

Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.

SDCC General Meeting – Monday Aug. 26th at 7:30pm

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Click here to print the agenda – 8.26.19 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday August 26, 2019 from 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall – 3769 East Stratford Rd
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)

Special Presentation – No presentation planned

Officer’s Reports
Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Empsy Munden
President – Todd Solomon

Old Business-
Dredging of Lynnhaven Inlet and Broad Bay Channel and Cape Henry Beach Replenishment – Update on project to be discussed. Lynnhaven Inlet and Beach Replenishment complete. Channel work continues.
Route 35 Bayfront to Oceanfront Shuttle – Starting Sept 6th, service switches to weekend only. Ridership numbers for July will be shared.
Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) – An urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives (usually 75%) and technical and educational assistance to property owners. The program has hired a consultant to help improve service and handle increased demand. The new point of contact will be shared at the meeting.
Dewberry Report Sea Level Rise and Stormwater – Community forums have concluded but an online survey can still be filled out. See SDCC website for more information. Additional community input will be sought toward the end of this year and beginning of 2020.

New Business –
City seeks input for Active Transportation Plan – The city is asking citizens to take a survey and provide input regarding the new 2020 Bikeways and Trails Plan new 2020. This is a great chance for Bayfront residents to add our concerns to the plan.
City to Begin Comprehensive Plan Update – The City has to update its Comprehensive Plan every 5 years and will be seeking public input. We have asked Mr. Mark Shea, City of VB Comprehensive Planning Coordinator, to attend our September meeting to discuss.

Community Concerns– Please share any issues or concerns your groups/organizations may have at this time.

 

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday September 30, 2019***

Citizen Input Still Sought Regarding Sea Level Rise Plan – Take a Survey to Help

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In addition the recent public input meetings held by the City of Virginia Beach, the City is asking citizens to take an online survey to help capture your ideas and comments on the Draft Sea Level Rise and Recurrent Flooding Plan.  The survey can be found at the following link.  Please feel free to share this survey with anyone else that may live or work in Virginia Beach.

Click here or on the image above to access the survey https://sites.wp.odu.edu/asert/vb2019/

 

Public Information Meeting for Dredging Lynnhaven Drive Canal – Tuesday Aug. 20th from 5pm – 7pm at First Landing Fire Station

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The following letter was sent to residents near Cape Henry and Lynnhaven Drive.  If you live in this area or frequently travel these roads you may want to attend this meeting to see how the project may result in road closures.

The official letter can be found by clicking here Lynnhaven Drive Canal Drainage Imp._W_Attach (CIP-7-055.001)_2019-07-24.docx2

Subject: Lynnhaven Drive Canal Drainage Improvements (CIP-7-055.001)

Dear Property Owner:

This letter is to inform you the City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works Operations will be performing dredging operations of Lynnhaven Drive Canal within the Lynnhaven Colony neighborhood area between October 30, 2019, and December 31, 2019, as part of the referenced project. The approximate limits between West Great Neck Road and Cape Arbor Drive bounded from the north Cape Henry Drive and 1,100 feet south to Lynnhaven Drive. The primary goal of the project is to proceed with the interim flood control drainage improvements for the Lynnhaven Drive Canal before the permanent flood control drainage improvements for the Lynnhaven Colony Neighborhood.
The City of Virginia Beach Public Works Operations, Public Works Engineering with Waterway, Surveys, and Engineering, Inc. will hold a public meeting to discuss the project including but not limited to project limits, daily hours of operations during the dredging operations, traffic control concerns, erosion and sediment control concerns, and other associated concerns with the proposed project.

The project team includes employees of the City of Virginia Beach Public Works Operations, Public Works Engineering, Waterway, Surveys, and Engineering, Inc., and Carolina Marine Structures. Members of the project team will be in your neighborhood performing the referenced work.

The dredging work will mainly be located within the City Drainage Easement, and City Right-of-Way but will include traffic control on Lynnhaven Drive for trucks entering the roadway during the construction hours of 9:00 am until 4:00 pm Monday through Saturday.

The place and time for the public meeting are August 20, 2019, at the City of Virginia Beach First Landing Fire and Rescue Station Number One located at 2837 Shore Drive Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451 from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm.

We are committed to conducting the dredging activities in the least disruptive way as possible. If you have any questions or concerns about the actions of the field personnel or other project issues, please contact Mr. Frank Janes directly at fjanes@vbgov.cokm or 385-4834 or Mr. Mark Jones at MAARJone@vbgov.com or 385-1470.
Sincerely,

Francis X. Janes, Jr.
Public Works Operations

 

Dredging of Inlet and Replenishment of Cape Henry Beach Complete. Dredging of Broad Bay Channel Started

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The following is taken from an email update provided by the project coordinator….

It does not look like the Contractor will make it to Oak Street given the remaining volume they have in the turning basin in the re-dredge areas. Will have a better idea of things when I receive their daily report from today’s operations. They are quickly finishing up these areas and following the Government’s acceptance of the dredging work (may take about a week plus a couple of days max), will remove pipeline from Cape Henry Beach and be complete with this placement area.

Long Creek dredging will not be a part of this contract. We have a few dredging areas within Broad Bay Channel. The material from these dredging areas will be going to our upland placement site at Maple St. The site has been prepped to receive material and dredge pipeline is in place to being dredging in Broad Bay Channel. These operations will begin soon following the Contractor’s completion of dredging in the Basin. This will be 24/7 operations with specifications that the contractor, to the maximum extent practicable, limit or try to reduce noise from 7PM – 7AM.

There will be a dredge pipeline in Long Creek to transport dredged material from the Broad Bay Channel dredging areas, but this will be the only thing operational in Long Creek.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,
Chris

Christopher B. Tolson
Design Section, Operations Branch
Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Office: (757) 201-7012

New Sea Level Rise (SLR) Meetings Scheduled – Please Attend One To Make Your Voice Heard

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City of Virginia Beach — Comprehensive Flooding Response Plan Meetings
Four Meetings, Each in a Different Area of the City
The City Wants Your Input
When it comes to Sea Level Rise…
What actions can we take as a community?

City Staff Members are teaming up with ODU to get your input at a series of community meetings!
What will you learn?
What is your flood risk?
What are the options for city wide response?
What can you do on your property that could help?
Hear about what the city is considering.

Give the City Your Opinion!
There will be interactive information plus children’s activities
and a drawing for a $50 and a $25 Amazon Gift Card

Meetings in red below are closest for Bayfront residents

Monday, July 29, 6-8 PM — Creeds Elementary School, 920 Princess Anne Rd
Tuesday, July 30, 6-8 PM — Thalia Elementary School, 421 Thalia Drive
Wednesday, July 31, 6-8 PM — Kellam High School, 2665 West Neck Road
Saturday, August 3, 10 AM – 12 PM — Cox High School, 2425 Shorehaven Drive

Can’t come in person? Participate online at http://shorturl.at/chKO8
Find out more about the flooding response plan at www.vbgov.com/pwslr
Email questions and comments to SLR-comments@vbgov.com

Cape Henry Beach Replenishment Q&A from USACE

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Here is a brief update regarding questions that were asked by our residents at the last SDCC meeting and since then.  The questions are followed by the answers received from the US Army Corps of Engineers project manager Chris Tolson.

 

Q1) Is the dredge slurry (water/sand) mixture discharge being monitored or sampled for hazardous materials? if so how is it sampled, in the pipe or in the bay? or if not sampled are you relying on the bay water testing to determine if the dredge material is causing any harm? I believe the concern stems from the discolored foam floating in the bay an on the beach near the discharge site.

A1) The maintenance dredged material and sediment for this project has been tested in the past and there is no concern for hazardous materials. This maintenance material is mainly sand with medium-large grain size. Hazardous metals and harmful organic compounds typically have a higher affinity for smaller grain size sediment (silt and fines). There is minimal fine material with this dredging project. The testing for this comes from the in-situ sediment prior to dredging, not the water or the slurry at the discharge. 

We maintain the effluent water quality standards associated with this dredging as permitted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Marine Resources Commission where we ensure that effluent water returning is below the turbidity threshold. However, this water quality standard is not for beach placement, and only required and tested for the upland placement we have at Maple St. Upland Site into the connecting waters. The testing of the maintenance material that we’ve done should not cause any concern to contribute to a decrease in water quality.

Regarding the discolored foam near the discharge site, the dredge slurry is aerated as it passes through the pipeline and flocculates into the foam at the discharge point which should dissipate in the swash zone.

 

Q2) Will orange sand fence be used as the perimeter of the 500 ft safety area? initial safety area just used sand fence poles and one line of caution tape. some neighbors were concerned that unleashed dogs may be able to run under the tape and be run over. Also thought a fence would deter people from ducking under to cut across work area.

A2) Orange fence will be established around the entire perimeter of the 500 foot working zone on the beach. This is a requirement in our specifications and if the contractor does not have this in place we will ensure they do, in addition to the beach watches. With that, we recommend that beach users take caution while in the vicinity of Cape Henry Beach. Children should be kept close and dogs should be kept under control and away from the working zone.

 

Q3) In areas were residential beach access use stairs at the dune line, will sand just be piled up over the bottom steps burying them in lieu of the steps being removed? residents were concerned that steps would be removed. And will sand be placed over pipe at private as well as public beach accesses?

A3) If necessary (within our placement prism), sand will be piled on top of existing stair structures rather than removal. 

We have a requirement that the contractor construct sand ramps over the dredge pipe at a maximum distance of 500 feet between ramps. The contractor is not required to place a sand ramp over the pipeline at every private access point. Should the Osprey Villa beach access lie exactly in the middle of two sand ramps that are at the maximum distance from the other, there should only be 250 feet of distance between their beach access and a ramp. But we will measure and make sure the contractor is following this specification with the next inspection. If the contractor is found to be non-compliant we will work to get Osprey Villa a sand ramp of closer distance than what is currently established. I imagine there is one at Jade Street public access for the contractor which is about ~150 feet from Osprey Villa.

Cape Henry Beach Replenishment update

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Two emails, one from Mr Adams Public Works COVB & one from Mr Tolson Army Corp.

Subject: FW: Update on Cape Henry Beach Sand Replenishment

Todd,

We will not be able to attend the SDCC meeting tonight. The attached map delineates the dredging and corresponding sand placement areas. The contractor began dredging and sand placement along Cape Henry Beach yesterday, Sunday June 23. The Cape Henry placement is scheduled to take 30-45 days to complete. The dredging from Broad Bay Channel will be placed in the Maple Street Dredge Material Management Area (DMMA) and the small amount of dredging in the Narrows will be placed on the park beach.

Please contact me should you have any questions or require additional information. For now, please direct any project concerns to my attention.

Respectfully,

Dan

Daniel F. Adams, P.E.

Coastal Program Manager

City of Virginia Beach
Public Works Engineering / Water Resources
Municipal Center, Building #2
2405 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456
Ph. (757) 385-4783
dadams@vbgov.com

And from Army Corp Project Manager:

Subject: RE: [Non-DoD Source] RE: Cape Henry Beach Replenishment – Project Update #1Subject: RE: [Non-DoD Source] RE: Cape Henry Beach Replenishment – Project Update #1

Mr. Solomon,

I apologize for I am out of town this week and unable to attend the meeting. Feel free to distribute my email for residents to reach out to me. To hopefully dispel any major concerns regarding what you mentioned below, we have language in our specifications that says the Contractor shall, to the maximum extent practicable, limit the construction noise on the beach from 7PM – 7AM.

In addition, Cottrell is a good contractor who has completed a lot of beach placement projects in the past, including this project (last time Cape Henry got material in 2009). This should make them efficient in the beach placement work and minimizing their noise disruptions. They brought a large dredge plant for this project, ~19″ discharge, so we expect them to complete work relatively quicker than what we originally projected. I haven’t received a project schedule in a couple of weeks but I estimate them to complete Cape Henry Beach work by end of July, maybe into the first week of August (the variance on this is high). The 500 foot fenced off construction sections of beach will probably be moving west to east at an average pace of 48 hours. Some sections will have more fill than others to achieve the desired consistent berm prism along the entire length of the beach placement area (a target elevation of +7 feet Mean Lower Low Water) and thus take longer.

Please tell the community to use caution when navigating vessels in the proximity of the dredge and dredge pipeline. Also, please inform residents to use caution around the beach placement construction areas. The Contractor will have watches for those who get to close to the construction zone. Please be aware and cautious of dredge pipe that lay on the beach and cross at areas that sand ramps have been constructed over the pipe.

Something that residents may not be aware of that could be communicated at the meeting and limit confusion is that the sandy dredged material placed on the beach may not look like the present material. It is likely to be significantly darker and smell (the smell is contributed to any organic material that has accumulated on the bottom of the Federal Project). The material will be bleached over time by sunlight and the smell will go away relatively soon as the organics are exposed to air and biodegrade.

Please let me know if you or the community have any questions.

Regards,
Chris

Christopher B. Tolson
Design Section, Operations Branch
Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Office: (757) 201-7012

Editors note: corrected formatting errors this morning.

Monday June 24th @ 7:30pm- SDCC General Meeting – Presentation on Cape Henry Beach Replenishment

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Click here for a printable version of the agenda – 6.24.19 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday June 24, 2019 from 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall – 3769 East Stratford Rd
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)

Special Presentation – Cape Henry Beach Replenishment Project

Mr. Rommel Tamayo, City Coastal Project Manager, and Mr. Chris Tolson, U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers’ project manager, will provide an update on the project that will dredge the Lynnhaven Inlet and pump the beach quality sand on the beach between the Lesner Bridge and the State Park. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session.

Officer’s Reports
Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Vacant
President – Todd Solomon

Old Business-
4th of July Fireworks for Cape Henry Beach – No response from Councilman Wood, Deputy City Manager Cover or Mayor Dyer since the March meeting to request the City take over the event. It appears the City has no interest in making this happen for 2019 and time has run out. Cape Story by the Sea Civic Association officers will continue to pursue this request for next year and provide updates.
Shore Drive Improvements in Ocean Park – Work has begun at the intersection of East Stratford and Shore Drive. Updates will be provided.
Cape Henry Ditch Volunteer Clean Out Corps Proposal – A meeting with the City’s Public Works Director, CBF organizer and SDCC/Cape Story rep has been requested. Events of 5/31 has put this temporarily on hold.
Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) – An urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives (usually 75%) and technical and educational assistance to property owners. SDCC is obtaining answers to the questions asked at last month’s meeting and will provide any response received.
Dewberry Report Sea Level Rise and Stormwater – Community forums planned for public input into Dewberry’s Draft document were postponed due to events of 5/31. SDCC has asked for the new dates/locations and will provide updates when received.
Route 35 Bayfront to Oceanfront Shuttle – Service has begun and will run through Labor Day weekend. The additional stop at the Fort Story gate has been removed. Tickets to ride HRT Route 35 can be purchased at both Food Lions on Shore Drive. Adult fares can also be bought using the new GoHRT mobile ticket app.

New Business –
Floatopia Event on Ocean Park Beach – Ocean Park representatives will provide an update on their meetings with the City and plans to prevent/prohibit this event from taking place again at Ocean Park or any Bayfront beach in the future.
BAC public input meeting – The Bayfront Advisory Commission held a public input meeting on June 20th to ask community leaders to identify their group’s greatest concerns. A meeting update will be provided.

Community Concerns– Please share any issues or concerns your groups/organizations may have at this time.

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday July 29, 2019***

Dewberry Public Hearings scheduled this week are postponed.

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Today at Cox High School

June 3, 2019 – Kellam High School (Southern)

June 5, 2019 – Princess Anne High School (Lynnhaven)

June 6, 2019 – Creeds Elementary School (Southern)

Note: sent with our Take Action Now Category so notice goes out asap.

“In reality, local residents said the scene that day was much worse. More than 200 people attended an emergency civic league meeting on Thursday evening to discuss how Floatopia at Ocean Park beach quickly got out of hand, making them feel unsafe in their neighborhood.”

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Some examples of the continuing coverage of how destructive Floatopia was to Ocean Park beach & neighborhood.

Coverage at Pilotonline.com:

Others reported seeing people who could barely walk get behind the wheel and drive home. Some were so inebriated they couldn’t find their cars.

Many of the residents said that they felt laws weren’t enforced and that the city has ignored residents’ complaints about the event for years.

“Ocean Park is the dumping ground of Virginia Beach,” said Todd Parker, a neighborhood resident. “They love to collect our taxes, but we are the stepchild to the Oceanfront.”

From 13NewsNow.com:

Virginia Beach police said Shelby Ross Oliver left her baby and 7-year-old child alone for hours at the “Floatopia” event in [Ocean Park].

From WAVY:

Many who spoke were angry and said the city should’ve been ready for the event. Although the amount of litter left behind on the beach is what dominated headlines, people who live out here said the issue is way bigger than the trash.

WTKR coverage:

“I don’t know why I didn’t call the city.” Said self proclaimed Floatopia organizer.

Possible charges for the self proclaimed Floatopia organizer are pending.

Over 200 people attended including the Mayor, 2 Councilmen, City Manager, Public Works Director, 3rd Precinct Captain, Deputy Fire Chief, Deputy City Manager & other leadership from CoVB.

PUBLIC FEEDBACK REQUESTED for Public Works DRAFT DESIGN STANDARDS MANUAL which will take sea level rise into consideration “for the development of both public and private projects within the City”

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Visit VBGov.com Public Works Specifications and Standards page to learn more.

Public Works Specifications and Standards are the technical requirements, policies and procedures for design professionals to prepare plans and reports necessary for the development of both public and private projects within the City.

If you want to affect future development in Virginia Beach, we highly recommend getting familiar with the official city documents, attend the public hearing and provide feedback online.

The public review and comment period will remain open through June 30, 2019. Additionally, a public meeting will be held to discuss the draft document on Thursday, June 13th at the TCC ATC, 1700 College Cresent in the Theater from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.​

Forward written comments to PWDesignStandards@vbgov.com.

Executive Summary

Download Executive Summary PDF here and view below.

City of Virginia Beach

Changes from the current Public Works Specifications & Standards Manual to the
Public Works Design Standards Manual, 2019

Executive Summary

April 23, 2019

The City of Virginia Beach is replacing the current Department of Public Works Specifications and Standards Manual (PWS&S) with a newly created document entitled Public Works Design Standards Manual, 2019. The PWS&S, which was first adopted by City Council in 1994 and includes several amendments, with the most recent being Amendment 9, May 7, 2015, includes standards, policies, procedures, specifications and details for private development as well as specifications and standards for public infrastructure design. The new Public Works Design Standard Manual, 2019, provides design standards for private and public infrastructure to be located in the City’s Right-of-Way and public easements. Many of the standards, policies and procedures applicable only to private development have been removed and will be administered by the Planning Department, Development Services Center (DSC).

The new Public Works Design Standards Manual, 2019, updates the PWS&S to current best engineering practices as referenced in local, state, and federal guidelines. Additionally, some chapters were simplified and outdated information was removed.

A detailed “Summary of Revisions” document has been created to show the specific changes to each chapter of the PWS&S. This document is available at https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/standards- specs/Pages/default.aspx.

The following are highlights of some of the significant changes included in the new Public Works Design Standards Manual, 2019:

 Public Works Role in Private Development Review has been changed to assisting the Planning Department’s DSC technical staff with compliance and technical reviews.

 Stormwater Management. The PWS&S Chapter 8 has been re-written to meet the new DEQ stormwater management standards and criteria and also includes more stringent requirements relative to flood control. Some of the major changes/additions are the following:

• Updated precipitation data as shown in the document must be used in all designs. This equates to an approximate 20% additional precipitation (24-hour rainfall depths and rational method rainfall intensities) for the requisite design storm, over the current National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Atlas 14 data.

• The EPA’s Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) software modelling tool is required to be used for all designs of drainage areas equal to or greater than 20 acres.

• The City has (or will have in near future) completed SWMM models of all (31) drainage basins. Designers must use these models or obtain direction regarding the use of model data from the Public Works Stormwater Engineering Center.

• More specific requirements were added regarding Hydraulic Grade Line and Tailwater Criteria.

• All designs must address Sea Level Rise if the development or project drains to tidally influenced waters.

• A requirement has been added such that every design is required to address the influence of “Seasonal High Groundwater” on the project.

 Chapter 11 of the PWS&S (Site Plans and Subdivision Requirements) has been deleted. The requirements related to Site Plans and Subdivisions will be covered by other documents administered by the DSC.

 Most of Chapter 12 of the PWS&S (Coastal, Waterfront and Flood Plain) has been removed and will be covered in other documents and/or ordinances.

 Requirement was added such that the developer, contractor and/or permittee (at their own expense) will be required to perform a closed circuit television (CCTV) inspection of all constructed storm sewer pipes and culverts upon completion of construction, and repair all deficiencies found.

The draft Public Works Design Standard Manual, 2019, is made available to the public on the City’s website at: https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/standards- specs/Pages/default.aspx, for a 60-day public review and comment period. Comments can be submitted to PWDesignStandards@vbgov.com. Additionally, a public meeting will be held to discuss the draft document. After the comment period has ended the comments will be addressed and the Public Works Design Standard Manual, 2019 will be presented to the City Council for approval.

Phillip D. Pullen, P.E. City Engineer

Virginia Beach wants to require developers to factor in sea level rise for new projects

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From Pilotonline.com:

“Our goal, as engineers, is to prevent flooding,” said Phil Pullen, the city engineer who is leading the effort. “We’re treading new waters here — no pun intended.”

More, and better, information on a proposed development’s stormwater management plan could help prevent costly mistakes that were made in the past, he said. The often-cited example is Ashville Park, the Princess Anne subdivision that badly flooded during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and will cost the city millions to fix.

And:

Pullen said he doesn’t know if all of the new stormwater requirements will ultimately pass, calling the process a negotiation with other city leaders and developers.

Photo Credit” Virginian-Pilot

“A newly-released study between Norfolk, Virginia Beach and the Navy recommends sweeping changes that would reshape areas from Ocean View to Sandbridge to prevent floodwaters from cutting off military bases.”

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From Pilotonline.com:

The study’s findings carry far-reaching implications that could help shape costly infrastructure improvements in the future.

Proposed solutions would cost between a few hundred thousand dollars to more than $50 million for comprehensive improvements. The study, which is still a draft, looks at possible conditions — and the feasibility of potential fixes — under both 1.5 and 3 feet of sea level rise, focusing on chronic or nuisance flooding and not factoring in possible storm surge events.

National & local coverage of Floatopia trashing Ocean Park over the weekend

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Please note: Floatopia did not take place in “Chicks Beach”. It was in Ocean Park.

Large amounts of trash left on beach after ‘Floatopia’ upsets Virginia Beach residents Wtkr.com

“Lots of floats, lots of wood, lots of things to party with. Beer cans and different types of food. Sock were everywhere,” Marino said.

Appalled and disgusted by the trash, long time Virginia Beach resident Melissa Noel posted a video to Facebook to help spread the word of keeping the beaches clean.

10 tons of trash collected after Floatopia event at Chic’s Beach WAVY.com

“All kinds of garbage, trash, bottles, towels, pieces of clothing, mats, cans,” said Drew Lankford, with the City of Virginia Beach Public Works Department.

Video of the trash quickly went viral on social media causing a lot of anger among the community.

“You know, it’s not a whole lot of effort to clean up after yourself,” Lankford said.

‘Floatopia’ beach-goers leave 10 tons of trash at Ocean Park beach 13NewsNow.com

“It was really bad, it was a disaster,” he said. “I think the city management needs to really take a look at Floatopia and what it does to the community, around here.”

10 tons of trash collected from Virginia Beach after Memorial Day event MSN.com

City council member Michael Berlucchi criticized the mess left behind.

“We can do better than this! Let’s work together to keep our City beautiful,” he wrote.

10 tons of trash collected from Virginia Beach after Memorial Day event TheHill.com

459 SHARES & 259 Comments so far

Just one of the many videos on social media.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx97LYnByZ-/?igshid=1w514xgfatsi2

It appears “Saturday, June 1 from 1 to 3 p.m. Cox High School 2425 Shorehaven Drive” has been added to the list.

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The City Is Hosting a Series of Sea Level Rise Public Meetings at VBGov.com.

Virginia Beach Public Works has announced a series of public meetings with Old Dominion University in May and June concerning the City’s efforts in developing a comprehensive flooding response plan for sea level rise. Working with Dewberry, Public Works Engineering has been conducting studies and developing long-term plans to combat the growing risks and projected effects of sea level rise throughout the city.

Previously at SDCC.info.