Learn more at Virginia Aquarium page.
Since July of 2013, more than 650 bottlenose dolphins have died in the mid-Atlantic region from New York through North Carolina. The Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team has been at the epicenter of this historic mortality event.
Eleanor & Henry Watts Conservation Speaker Series
Sunday, November 17, 2013
2 – 4:30 pm
Location: IMAX Theater
Cost: Free and open to the public
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Station (Intersection of Shore Drive and East Stratford Rd.)
Call to order:
Officers’ Reports: President’s Report David Williams
Vice President’s report Rick Mercadante
Secretary’s Report Todd Solomon –SEPT Minutes
Treasurer’s Report Ann Williams (acting treas.)
Old Business
New Business
Adjourn
Next SDCC- Monday NOV 25, 2013 Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Center
Topic: City Topics (Light Rail, Dredging, Lesner Bridge Construction)
Please check www.sdcc.info for more information on area news and events
Read the entire 75 page PDF which includes the Mayor’s letter, slides, etc.
As council is well aware, the recurrent flooding issue is of great concern to our citizens.
So the Mayor is asking City Council to add an additional item for VB’s legislative agenda.
…but to ask to support the authorization of the study.
Legislative Request # 1: The City of Norfolk requests the General Assembly to establish and fund a Joint Study Committee to further investigate and make recommendations on recurrent coastal flooding in Virginia.
A slide from the 75 page PDF
The VIMS Report concludes Virginia localities are not adequately equipped to address and
implement meaningful flood mitigation strategies required for responding to predicated
relative sea level rise on their own. Within the VIMS Report, there are a series of simulations
that show impacted areas as influenced by: a) storm surge, b) sea level rise, and c) the
recurrences of storms making land fall within the region. All of these factors both individually
and collectively, are anticipated to increase the frequency and the severity of coastal flooding
events. This will increase damages to public and private property, amplify impacts to public
safety, and increase disruption to individuals and the economy. Left unaddressed, the
Commonwealth can reasonably anticipate that it will see significant and profound coastal
flooding now and into the immediate planning horizon.
According to an email City staff sent to Mrs. Dorinda Ennis of 3356 on the Bay, the Lynnhaven Inlet dredging, which was scheduled to take place last year but was delayed because of funding problems, will start within the next 30 days. Please see the City staff email below
According to David Jarman….
Here is the feedback from our Coastal Group that handles the dredging work:
- The Corps inlet contract has been awarded. Notice to proceed will be issued 9/10/2013 and work will begin within 30 days. The dredged sand will be placed on the Ocean Park Beach. Project completion is anticipated by the end of February. If necessary, truck hauling from the boat ramp stockpile to the Ocean Park Beach will be available once the Corps dredging project is complete. This work would begin in March and last for a few weeks, again as needed.
- Crab Creek bids were opened two weeks ago, work will begin in November, with completion by the end of March.
Fall Festival Cancelled
All Events at the Oceanfront Cancelled for Saturday
The City of Virginia Beach has made the decision to cancel all events at the Oceanfront on Saturday, October 12th because of inclement weather.
We are really sorry to have to cancel our Fall Festival and appreciate your efforts to plan for your participation. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused you.
Thank you,
Karen, Kris, Trista, Meredith, Jody, Pam, Laurie, and Michael of Lynnhaven River Now
Watch video coverage at WAVY.com.
You can also read about it in the Virginian-Pilot article, click here
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation this morning plans to mark the start of construction at Pleasure House Point on a roughly $5 million environmental education center and office designed to be the greenest in the state.
The Friends of Live Oaks group has been doing a wonderful job of preserving the City’s official tree. Many of the trees they hand out were collected by local residents of Shore Drive back in 2005/2006.
The Friends of Live Oaks, together with the Virginia Beach Environment and Sustainability Office, will be giving away about 150 young live oak trees on Saturday October 12th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Linkhorn Annex, 1413 Laskin Road. As in the past, there will be no charge for the trees, but recipients are encouraged to become official Friends of Live Oaks members by purchasing a $10 membership.
In addition to giving away 150 trees, the group will also plant 50 live oaks along Marlin Bay, Shore Drive and Pleasure House Point to celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary
Click here to read the entire Beacon article – PRESERVATION GROUP DOLING OUT 150 FREE SAPLINGS on Page TXBE1 of Sunday, October 06, 2013 issue of The Virginian-Pilot
In case you missed it, Mary Reid Barrow had a terrific article in the 9/29/13 Virginian-Pilot that showcased Pleasure House Point.
TALL GRASS HERE, scraggly grass there, tiny flower here, weird berry there.
That’s about all you see growing in the marsh unless you visit with someone who opens your eyes wide to the beautiful plants that live in the sand along the river’s edge.
A walk with Lynnhaven River Now and naturalist Vickie Shufer at Pleasure House Point in Virginia Beach did just that recently. Lynnhaven River NOW is a group that works to keep the Virginia Beach river clean, and Shufer is a native-plant expert.
Click here to read the entire article A WALK ON THE WILD (MARSH) SIDE on Page F3 of Sunday, September 29, 2013 issue of The Virginian-Pilot
In conjunction with the American Solar Energy Society’s National Home Tour, Tidewater locals are opening their doors to shine a light solar energy systems. This free event organized by the Solar Group of the Hampton Roads Green Building Council consists of 2 dozen tour sites across the region and features a host of resource efficient and sustainable technologies in addition to solar. New locations on this year’s tour include a state of the art dwelling developed by students from ODU and HU, a LEED Platinum home on the Eastern Shore, and a solar concentrating steam generator in Norfolk.
For Shore Drive residents, 2 homes are conveniently located at the North End and were showcased in the Virginian-Pilot’s coverage of the tour.
For more information about the tour and green building in the region, go to www.tidewatercurrent.com
To learn about the sites on the tour and to register, visit www.HRSoloarTour.com
Click here for a copy of the flyer
There will be an opportunity for questions.
For more information contact Karen at tomandkarenmurphy@gmail.com
From the project manager in response to an email:
Thank you for your attached letter regarding the Lesner Bridge. We are very excited about this project and eager to begin the work next spring.
As you noted in your letter, there are going to be some impacts to the live oaks associated with this project. We do have to remove approximately 12 live oaks to accommodate the new bridge. We have already removed some of these trees with the gas line that was bored under the Lynnhaven Inlet (on the north side of the existing bridges). This work was completed several weeks ago. The remaining trees will be removed when construction begins next spring.
We do recognize that the live oaks are an important natural resource in this area. This point was made clear during the public meetings that were held for this project. In order to mitigate the loss of these trees, we are currently planning to install 25 new live oaks with the project—this equates to a 2:1 replacement ratio. These trees have been incorporated with the overall landscaping plan to ensure that they have the best opportunity for survival in this harsh environment.
With regards to relocating or transplanting the existing trees, I did speak with our Operations staff at Parks & Recreation. They take care of the landscaping maintenance throughout the City. Their experience with transplanting live oaks has not be very positive in this area. Specifically, they noted the following issues:
1. The soil is too sandy for live oaks
2. The live oak root systems are not compact, which makes transplanting difficult
3. The salt environment is harsh on trees in this area
Since our Parks & Recreation staff maintain the landscaping in this area, they do have a lot of firsthand knowledge regarding the survival rate for certain species. We try to incorporate this real world information into our landscaping designs so we can provide the best planting plan for each project. Based on this information, we are not planning to relocate any existing live oaks at this time.
If you have any further questions or need more information, please let me know. Thank you for your time and interest in this project.
Sincerely,
David S. Jarman, P.E.
Transportation Project Management Supervisor
Department of Public Works
City of Virgina Beach
757-385-4144 (direct)
757-385-4131 (main)
The meeting agenda will include the following:
· The Floodplain Ordinance is being changed to meet the most recent FEMA requirements. An overview of the changes will be presented by city staff.
· Stormwater Management Program changes, including a revised ordinance and technical design criteria, are required by state law.
From Ocean Park Civic League:
As a Civic League, we have undertaken the task of providing cleanup services at this wonderful resource right in our back yard. We hope to do this 3-4 times a year. Our next opportunity is this Saturday. Remember, many hands make for light work. Please come help.Details are below.
Join us for another Clean Up at Pleasure House Point(PHP)
Saturday, September 21
9-12 AM
Check-in will be at the first Marlin Bay entrance coming from Shore Drive
Bags and plastic gloves will be providedPlease contact Susie Walston, susieandmac@gmail.com, if you have questions.
Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation is pleased to have received three awards on Monday, September 9, 2013 at the 2013 Virginia Recreation and Park Society (VRPS) Conference in James City County, Virginia.
The Best New Environmental Sustainability Award was presented in recognition of the preservation of Pleasure House Point Natural Area.
This natural area was acquired and preserved in July 2012 by the City of Virginia Beach through a forward-thinking partnership with the Trust for Public Land (TPSL, in collaboration with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). This 118-acre legacy acquisition contains a mile of shoreline on the Lynnhaven River and Pleasure House Creek.
With the assistance of TPF, CBF and the grassroots efforts of the community, the City of Virginia Beach succeeded in preserving one of the last undeveloped parcels of land on the Lynnhaven River.
Friends of Live Oaks (FOLO) will be giving away about 150 live oak trees on Saturday October 12 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Linkhorn Annex (the former Linkhorn Elementary School) at 1413 Linkhorn Road. Live Oaks are the official tree of the City of Virginia Beach, and FOLO members want to assure their survival for future generations to enjoy.
Since its founding three years ago, FOLO has given away about 500 live oaks (approximately 7 feet tall). If you would like to have a live oak for your yard, request forms are available at Virginia Beach public libraries and recreation centers and online at vbgov.com/liveoaks.
Although there is no charge for the trees to be given away on October 12, recipients of the trees ( and those who admire live oaks and want to ensure their presence here for future generations) are encouraged to purchase a yearly membership in Friends of Live Oaks, for only $10.
The tree is one of the most distinctive and recognizable plants in the city and immediately brings to mind our coastal areas and maritime ecosystem. They resist salt spray and storm surges, having survived Hurricane Katrina in areas where everything else was reduced to rubble.
Save a tree and request your live oak tree at this link at VBGov.com.
#WeLoveShoreDrive 