Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.
Oysters are good at cleaning sediment and bacteria out of waterways, which makes them great a cleaning rivers. The goal of the Lynnhaven Aquaculture Center – rendering of the property at left – is to introduce new oysters to the Lynnhaven River to clean it and meet state and federal water-quality standards.
The Lynnhaven Aquaculture Center is on the agenda tonight for City Council meeting.
View entire article at PRWeb.com.
The Center is on track to be the first commercial-scale building in the continental U.S. to earn net-zero water status. A rainwater collection system will store rainwater in tanks under the building and then filter it for hand-washing and drinking through a state-of-the-art water filtration system licensed by the State of Virginia’s Office of Drinking Water. The Center features waterless, composting toilets, and all grey water (wastewater generated from sinks and showers) will be channeled through a wetland constructed of native plants where natural processes will clean and return it to the underground aquifer.
Photo: November 20th 2013
Thank you to all who worked so hard to make this spectacular facilty possible.
See you here Sunday!
[Note: Thank you for the many emails pointing out we had the incorrect date initially. You passed the test.]
The 2009 Comprehensive plan and details can be found on the City’s website by clicking here
The ‘plan’ is City Council’s official statement regarding how the physical development of the City should be directed for at least the next 20 years. It must be stressed, however, that the Comprehensive Plan (the ‘Plan’ hereinafter) does not claim and should not claim to have precise answers to all of the issues that may arise over time. The Plan’s role is the establishment of the policy framework within which operates a continuous planning process. That process is a vital means of implementing the recommendations of the Plan and revising the Plan as necessary in response to the unseen issues and opportunities that the future always provides. In that regard, this Plan is a ‘living plan,’ as it is not intended for the Plan to remain just as it is when adopted. The intent is for the Plan to interact with the various situations where it has a role and to be open to change as necessary to respond to recognized challenges and opportunities. The Plan should always be evolving in response to its environment.
When it opens next weekend, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center will instantly become the locus for people to learn why we should care about natural spaces…
…the result has something to teach everybody in Hampton Roads. Whether it’s the importance of clean water and the Chesapeake Bay, the virtues and flexibility of low-impact development, the power of well-orchestrated public-private cooperation, or the difference true civic leadership can make, there’s a lesson at the Brock Environmental Center. For all of us.
Thanks to the public’s response and to City Council for voting in favor of recommending to the Virginia Legislature to make releasing helium balloons illegal.
Photo grabbed from Lynnhaven River NOW Facebook post about this great news
LRNow sez:
We are so inspired by everyone’s response to this! Thank you all for understanding what an unfortunate menace balloons have been, since we know what a delicate and emotional issue this can be. We endorse “bubbles, not balloons!”
From Legislative Package:
23. BAN THE RELEASE OF MORE THAN TEN (10) BALLOONS
SPONSORED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, BARBARA M. HENLEY
Background Information:
The Virginia Code currently allows the release of up to fifty (50) balloons an hour. However, balloons are a substantial threat to waterfowl and the environment and allowing the release of 49 balloons seems excessive. Balloons are a significant part of the litter collected from most waterways.
Request:
The General Assembly is requested to amend the Code of Virginia as follows:
§ 29.1-556.1. Release of certain balloons prohibited; civil penalty
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly release or cause to be released into the atmosphere any balloon which is (i) made of a nonbiodegradable or nonphotodegradable material, including any material which requires more than five minutes’ contact with air or water to degrade and (ii) inflated with a substance which is lighter than air. Any person who violates this section shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed five dollars per balloon released, which shall be paid into the Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Endowment Fund established pursuant to § 29.1-101.1.
B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) balloons released by or on behalf of any agency of the Commonwealth, or the United States or pursuant to a contract with the Commonwealth, the United States, or any other state, territory or government for scientific or meteorological purposes or (ii) hot air balloons that are recovered after launch.
That means you!
One of the reasons you still have time to comment is the work that Shore Drive Community Coalition – your neighbors – does to ensure We The People have a stronger voice.
Updates, info & more at VBGov.com.
Virtual Town Hall to share your input now. 
Have a voice in your neighborhood now!
In case you didn’t know.
View entire article at VBGov.com.
About our area:
Neighborhoods such as Bay Island, Lynnhaven Colony, Ocean Park and a few others are directly adjacent to tidal waters. Streets and developed land in these neighborhoods are sometimes so low lying that during higher tides, there is no practical way to stop that tide from encroaching on those properties.
At the direction of City Council, Public Works has initiated a sea level rise study to identify all the vulnerable areas in the city and then determine what type of adaptation strategies could be employed to reduce those impacts.
How Virginia Beach was scored includes:
Virginia Beach scores very well based on those criteria. However, this ranking didn’t account for sea level rise. Coastal Virginia has land subsidence issues— just a fraction of an inch each year — but our relative sea level rise is greater than what it might be in other parts of the country because of it.
Sea level rise and coastal protection:
“Sea level rise has been happening since we started recording the sea surface elevation,” says Roehrs. “In fact, since Jamestown was settled, sea level has risen almost two feet, but it is a very slow process, and people generally adapt.”
WHAT CAN YOU DO ?
What can you can do to help reduce flood risk?
1.To help the stormwater drainage system work well, there are a few things individual citizens can do. First, keep leaf debris and grass clippings from entering the system — rake and bag yard waste and keep the gutter clean. Sweep sediments up and add them to your garden; don’t let them wash down the drain and create clogs.2.During periods of heavy rainfall, large impermeable surfaces generate large amounts of runoff. This sudden influx of runoff can cause flash flooding. Consider reducing non-permeable surfaces such as asphalt and concrete on your property. Instead, use materials that allow water to enter the soil such as mulch, gravel or permeable pavers.
Reduce storm water heading into the Lynnhaven for the Lynnhaven oysters too.
When: Tuesday, October 7, 2014
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Where: Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club
1052 Cardinal Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Panelists:
Molly Ward, Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources
Dr. Mark W. Luckenbach, VIMS, Professor of Marine Science; Associate Dean for Research and Advisory Services
Will Baker, President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Chad Ballard, President of Cherrystone Aqua Farms
** Oysters will be provided by Pleasure House Oysters**
Be sure to get yours!
This October the Friends of Live Oaks, in partnership with the Virginia Beach Environment and Sustainability Office, will give away young live oak trees to Virginia Beach residents to plant in Virginia Beach. 2014 will be the fourth annual live oak distribution. As in the past, there will be no charge for the trees. Recipients are, however, encouraged to become official Friends of Live Oaks members by purchasing a $10 membership.
All application forms for a tree must be received by Oct. 4, 2014.
Application forms can be submitted online at , or by printing a request form for mailing to Friends of Live Oaks.
Trees must be picked up at the Linkhorn Annex (former Linkhorn Park Elementary School building) at 1413 Laskin Road on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thanks,
Karen
Virginia Beach scores very well based on those criteria. However, this ranking didn’t account for sea level rise.
Coastal Virginia has land subsidence issues— just a fraction of an inch each year — but our relative sea level rise is greater than what it might be in other parts of the country because of it.
View notice & more details at VBGov.com:
By watching to see where smoke escapes, crews can identify problem areas in the pipes for further sanitary sewer investigation techniques. Smoke may be seen coming from manhole covers, storm inlets, or holes in the ground. On occasion, smoke may be seen coming from building foundations or roof vent stacks. However, the smoke should not enter your home or business unless you have defective plumbing or dried-up drain traps. If you have any seldom used drains, pouring water into the drain to fill the trap will help prevent sewer gases or odors and smoke from entering your home or business.
Your neighborhood should receive flyers on your doors alerting you to the day it’ll be done.
Here’s how you can help:
But time is running out – CBF has space for only 50 more names to be included in their Raise the Roof effort. Each $100 donation will help purchase a permanent zinc tile as part of the center’s iconic curved roof. In appreciation, your name or the name of those you wish to honor will be memorialized forever on a plaque in the Center. To make a gift, visit cbf.org/brockRTR or call the Hampton Roads office at 757/622-1964.
As a model for sustainability and resiliency from the ground up, CBF’s Brock Environmental Center has been designed to create virtually no waste, be powered by the wind and the sun, and supply all of its own water. It will demonstrate how all of us can live, work and play beside ecologically sensitive locations without causing harm. And it will inspire all to become better stewards of our natural world. Together we will save the Bay and ensure a brighter future with healthy waterways for all.
To learn more about the history of this project, please visit: http://vimeo.com/75453049
For a video preview of the Brock Environmental Center under construction, please visit http://bit.ly/1maIKXs
Zinc roof tiles being installed at CBF’s Brock Environmental Center, thanks to Raise the Roof supporters!
Southern view of CBF’s Brock Environmental Center at Pleasure House Point, currently under construction.
This might not seem exciting to you now, however, without your input you do not have a say in your government.
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA—DRAFT GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION 2015 [41 pg PDF]
The public input process is through the public hearing which is being held next Tuesday, September 16, at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers and through direct contact with members of City Council.
EMAIL EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS HERE
Note: Time is short! We just received this DRAFT REPORT Friday. Please do not delay in commenting!
Page 27 of PDF
EMAIL EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS HERE
Page 36 of PDF
EMAIL EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS HERE
Page 37 of PDF
EMAIL EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS HERE
Editors note: My opinion is: BAN THE RELEASE OF MORE THAN ZERO (0) BALLOONS
EMAIL EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS HERE
Page 39 of PDF
EMAIL EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS HERE
Page 40 of PDF
EMAIL EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS HERE

Page 41 of PDF
View definition of § 62.1-44.15:28. Development of regulations.
EMAIL EVERY MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL WITH YOUR COMMENTS HERE
Your thoughtful comments do make a difference!
Dead ones!
One type of cicada
I’m a wildlife biologist who lives in Virginia Beach, and I’m working on a personal project to document the cicadas of the Cape Henry area. I’d like to invite local residents, especially those in the Cape Story community, to help me verify as many cicada species as we can. There should be twelve to fourteen species in our immediate area, but to my knowledge it’s never been thoroughly surveyed–and this is where your help would be invaluable.
Right now the cicadas are in full swing, and as autumn approaches the adults will begin singing their last. I’ve been collecting postmortem cicadas on my own property, but this is only a pinpoint sample. What would be very helpful is for Shore Drive residents to be on the lookout for fallen cicadas as well–on decks, patios, driveways, etc.–and to save them in the fridge or freezer until I can pick them up. I’m in touch with an experienced entomologist who’s willing to identify the specimens, and I’ll be glad to share the results with everyone who’s contributed.
Please note I am NOT asking anyone to harm or capture live cicadas–only to save any that you find around your home which have died of natural causes. For now I’m most interested in the general area of Shore Drive between Cape Story and Pleasure House Road, with an emphasis on Cape Story and neighborhoods near the bayside.
This is hands-on citizen science–helping to document species presence to establish a baseline fauna. The more people who are able to contribute, the better the sampling effort and the more species we’re likely to verify. Your help will make all the difference–and you’ll learn something new about the small wonders living all around us.
Thanks very much,
John A.
CapeHenryCicadas@gmail.com
Seriously – SAVE OYSTER SHELLS!
Every one counts.
Click image to learn more!
Someday they could grow up to be as gorgeous & delicious as this Pleasure House Oyster.
Learn more & check out which restaurants Save Our Shells at LRNow’s blog post.
Learn more about Lynnhaven River NOW.
Cleaning out your garage? Don’t throw out that old paint! Properly dispose of it! The city will be collecting household hazardous waste items during our October 11th Fall Festival at Rosemont Elementary School in Green Run. Review the list below and bring your hazardous waste items with you to the festival!
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: Alkaline (AA, AAA, C, D), 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)
Materials will not be bulked on site, so containers will not be returned. Specifically applies to materials such as used motor oil and old gasoline.
For your ease of transport and handling, recommend using a box for multiple containers of materials.
We are not taking tires at this event. We can receive residential vehicle tires in small quantities at the Resource Recovery Facility at the Landfill at 1989 Jake Sears Road. For more information, visit http://www.VBgov.com/landfill.
Household Hazardous Waste Helpful Tips:·Items should be in original containers, preferably with label visible.
#WeLoveShoreDrive 