WCCB – Westminster Canterbury by Chesapeake Bay- has been “working with the City for about a year” on redeveloping 16.88 acres in the bayfront.
Planning Commission is scheduled to have a public hearing and vote as soon as MARCH 11 ’20.
CLICK HERE to start 8 question SURVEY.
SURVEY ENDS March 10. PLEASE TAKE IT NOW and share it.
We will be making the Survey results public.
Thank you!
Rendering of proposed redevelopment that needs regulatory approvals.
View Powerpoint presented to City Council Informal Session FEB 4 ’20.
Just 3 of the questions to consider:
Was Parks & Recreation consulted re: the recreational boaters use of LBR&BF boat parking expansion being delayed again?
Was Public Safety & Traffic Engineering consulted re: recreational boaters backing up into the surrounding residential streets and onto Shore Drive in both west & east directions?
Was anyone tasked with studying the loss of revenue from the delay, again, of expanding recreational boat parking especially considering the recent loss of Boatel use?
Note: Questions are simply related to the location at LBR&BF of this proposed plan.
There’s potential expanding LBR&BF recreational boat parking could be delayed even longer as well:
Six (6) months – up to three (3) additional six (6) month terms for a
total of two (2) years
Learn more about Orsted at their website.
Ørsted ranked the most sustainable company in the world
View article at Pilotonline.com:
The City Council will hear more about the lease of the 5-acre site on Tuesday. A public hearing will be scheduled soon, said Vice Mayor Jim Wood.
View article at Pilotonline.com:
It also faces the costliest damage from today’s conditions, according to the city’s new sea level rise study. That’s true under short-term and long-term sea level rise projections, too.
Lynnhaven Colony Civic League Meeting will have a presentation by Westminster Canterbury of their proposed expansion. They propose building a 22 story building at the former Lynnhaven fishing pier with additional construction.
All welcome, need not be a member to attend.Sat, Feb 8, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Dockside Seafood & Fishing Center
Click here for a printable version of the agenda 1.27.20 SDCC Agenda
SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday January 27, 2020 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 – Storm Water Projects East of the Lesner Bridge
Public Works Engineers, Mike Mundy and Brad Vanderwarker, will provide an update and answer questions regarding improvement projects planned for the communities between the Lesner Bridge and First Landing State Park. Lynnhaven Colony, Cape Story by the Sea, Areas along Cape Henry Trail and Condos north of Shore Drive will be specifically discussed. Come learn if you area will be included in improvements and if not, what you can do to help influence Councilmembers to allocate a portion of the possible $430mil bond monies to support.
Officer’s Reports
Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Empsy Munden
President – Todd Solomon
Old Business-
Bonaventure/Windsong Development – Project update and when it go before the Planning Commission.
Electric Scooters – E-scooter will be coming back to the Bayfront area starting April 1st. Rules for operation will be restricted from last year. Learn more about the new requirements.
New Business –
Westminster-Canterbury High Rise and Memory Center Expansion – At the Nov. BAC meeting, WC presented an expansion project that included a 22 story high rise to be built at the Casa del Playa/Old Pier site and a memory center to be located on a current parking lot. All facilities are planned to be connected with pedestrian bridges crossing public streets at Ocean Shore Ave and Starfish Rd.
Shore Drive Community Coalition Future Structure – SDCC officers met and have put together a revision to our Bylaws. Some of the key changes include: tri-annual (3 times) meetings instead of monthly meetings; eliminating $25 membership dues; making officer positions flexible from minimum 2 to 4. These revisions will need to be voted on at the next upcoming meeting TBD.
Community Concerns– Please share any issues or concerns your groups/organizations may have at this time.
Civic Engagement Opportunities
Cape Henry Trail Kendall St. Retention Pond Meeting- Monday Feb. 10th the City will discuss this retention pond at the Cape Story by the Sea General Civic meeting. The meeting is held at the Lynnhaven Congregational Community Church on West Great Neck Rd at 7:30pm, all are welcome.
Sea Level Wise Public Input – The Department of Public Works will be holding six public meetings regarding the Sea Level Wise Adaptation Strategy. The closest meeting to the Bayfront will be:
February 15, 2020 – Cox High School – 2425 Shorehaven Drive – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
City Budget Citizen Discussion – Councilman John Moss will be holding public information sessions in the Bayfront area at the following dates and locations. Both meetings are held from 6:30pm to 8:00pm
• Wed March 4th at the Bayside Rec Center
• Wed March 18th at Great Neck Rec Center
View renderings supplied to City. ( 26 page PDF)
View Westminster Canterbury Modification of Conditions Application. ( 15 page PDF )
If Virginia Beach doesn’t take action to guard the city from more extreme flooding, its bond rating could be affected, officials have said.
After the flood models are completed at the city’s Public Works Stormwater Engineering Center, work begins on designing things like tidal backflow prevention devices. As seen Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (Stephen M. Katz)
Article has a terrific amount of info.
Our Comments(Discuss) are always open. You may remember Pilotonline.com Commenting has been turned off.
Finally, if you’re familiar with our work preserving Pleasure House Point, you may find a connection in this article.
Download the entire 306 page 106.6MB PDF report here.
A few highlights.
Executive Summary
In the last five years, the City of Virginia Beach has completed a comprehensive effort to develop strategies to respond to sea level rise and related increases in flooding. The study, known as Sea Level Wise, has produced a wealth of information to understand what challenges the City will face and develop diverse strategies to pro-actively reduce the impacts. This document presents the findings of the Sea Level Wise effort. . . .
Report includes:
A Call To Action
Maintaining Good Credit
The City’s flood risks are also recognized by organizations that rate the financial strength and borrowing ability of municipalities.In 2014, the credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service Inc. sent a questionnaire to the City. It asked about the City’s sea level rise vulnerabilities, expenses, and plans to address future impacts. Thanks to the newly created Sea Level Wise program, the City was able to speak to proactive flood mitigation efforts underway, stating:
“The City firmly believes that the cost of damage done by ignoring sea level rise will far exceed the cost of mitigation.”
Satisfactory responses to these questions has allowed Virginia Beach to maintain a AAA credit rating. This high credit rating is essential for the affordable financing of City improvement projects through municipal bonds.
Page 8 Introduction.
Page 18 Community Engagement.
Page 46 Aging Infrastructure.
Page 58 Where are the losses occurring. Note Shore Drive area.
Page 72 City-Wide Objectives.
Page 78 Preserve Environmental Assets.
Page 104 Regulate Building and Development.
Page 110 Support Risk Mitigating Interventions. Note: “Priority areas for supporting risk-mitigating interventions at the parcel-level.”
Page 166 Lynnhaven. Note: “Over the last 40 years, this historically
agrarian community has undergone extensive development in both commercial and residential areas. However, the loss of naturalized landscapes has only served to make flooding worse, as development has formed on manufactured land and has surrounded the numerous water ways, rivers, tributaries, and bays that make up this region.”
Page 188 West of Lesner Bridge Neighborhood Alignment.
Page 190 East of Lesner Bridge Neighborhood Alignment.
Page 200 Residential Community Education.
Page 284 Planning and Coordination.
Guess one of the top areas of VB at risk.
View article at Pilotonline.com:
Flooding in Virginia Beach is influenced by a host of factors. More intense rainfall, increased development on vulnerable lands and aging infrastructure have all contributed to more severe floods in recent years.
35-year-old Justin Cassidy was arrested on Monday and charged with five counts of robbery, four counts of use or display a firearm in commission of a felony and five counts of wearing a mask in public.
View Baylines Jan 2020 edition.
Massive expansion planned off Shore Drive.
Westminster-Canterbury, a retirement community on the Chesapeake Bay that has been gobbling up adjacent properties to expand its campus, is moving forward with an ambitious proposal to the dismay of some of its neighbors.
This Spring along with the flowers, eScooters will once again be sprouting up along Shore Drive communities as they did last year. Although this time there will be a couple of new rules they must follow that should help with some of the safety concerns that worried many last year. The most impactful changes for operation in our area will be:
You can read more about the new changes at the following Virginia-Pilot article by Stacy Parker. Click the quote below to read the entire article.
Scooters won’t be allowed on roads with speed limits greater than 25 mph.
There are hundreds of properties in the city that repeatedly flood. Local money could help fund a variety of strategies, including elevating homes, adding flood vents to properties, raising utilities and a quick-buy program after storms.
10th graders, start here to begin application process:
Application Process
Before entering grade 11, students will apply for admission to the program in the fall of their sophomore year. An essay formulated around the topics of Sustainable Economics and Business Innovation, Social Sustainability and Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Stewardship will be included in the application and will be used to identify candidates who show a passion for and interest in the fields of study. . . .
Editors note: Dream big and never quit. You never know what you’ll be able to accomplish in spite of it being “impossible”.
February 15, 2020 – Cox High School – 2425 Shorehaven Drive – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
View Comprehensive Sea Level Rise page at VBGov.com.
It is well documented that sea levels have been rising over the last century. This impacts coastal communities as virtually all human infrastructure will experience some risk. The story of Sea Level Rise and how it effects the City of Virginia Beach is detailed below:
The threat of sea level rise is a very real one, and it’s one that coastal regions like Hampton Roads must face and prepare for. . . .
Graphic from just one idea that was discussed.
“People really love coming to the bridge—more than just crossing over the top, it becomes an experience sitting underneath the bridge and seeing the lights from the beach,” Wojtowicz said. “It’s very majestic looking from the beach, seeing these aesthetic lights. It makes an impression on folks that see it.”
Screen shot of construction cam December 22 ’18.
From an email:
We are now anticipating a fall 2020 construction start for the PHP wetland restoration and mitigation bank project. Our Mitigation Banking Instrument (MBI) has been approved subject to a few minor clarifications. We expect final approval in late January and will begin the JPA process and prepare final bidding documents. We should be in a position to detail a firm construction schedule at that time.
The energy & excitement by students & VB Schools staff at the Ground Breaking Ceremony yesterday was incredible!
“Future legislators, scientists, engineers, and architects will walk these halls, explore these beautiful grounds, learn in this sustainably-built classroom, and ultimately change the world,” said VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence. “Where better can students experience our city’s and our division’s unique educational opportunities than here at the Brock Center, truly a monument to environmental design and sustainability.”
When will the classroom be built?
Construction will begin in early 2020, with completion during the summer of 2020. Students will begin attending the Environmental Studies Program after Labor Day, 2020.
It’s amazing how much has been accomplished since “RESIDENTS ANNOUNCE PLAN TO BUY PLEASURE HOUSE POINT Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) – Tuesday, February 25, 2003 Author: SCOTT HARPER THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT” was published:
The foundation will solicit public and private money and seeks to preserve the property for environmental education[.]
Yet, there is much more work to do as not all of what you think is PHP is permanently preserved yet.
#WeLoveShoreDrive 