Category Archives: News

Friday July 26th – Commonwealth Brewery to Release LOVESTRONG IPA in support of VB Tragedy Fund

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LoveStrong IPA Release
07-26-2019
On May 31st 2019, Virginia Beach suffered a tragedy that took lives, impacted loved ones and affected every citizen. Since that time, there has been an outpouring of love and support from the local community and around the world. LOVESTRONG IPA will be released this Friday, July 26th in our taproom and in partner retailers shortly after around Hampton Roads. 100% of Commonwealth proceeds from this beer will be donated to the @unitedway Virginia Beach Tragedy Fund. Come together with us in support of our community this Friday starting at 11am with music by Lena Klett and SwellLuck, eats by Slide thru fam and sweet treats by Joysicles!

 

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.

Welcome our new VP Empsy. Thank you for all your work Wally!

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Empsy Munden, volunteer extraordinaire from Cape Story by The Sea is our new Vice President.

Thank you Wally Damon, volunteer extraordinaire from Chesapeake Beach Civic League, for all your work as VP!

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.

Monday May 20th at 7:30pm – SDCC General Meeting *Note a week early due to Memorial Day*

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This meeting is being held a week earlier than normal due to Memorial Day

Click here for a printable version of the agenda 5.20.19 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
***Monday May 20, 2019 from 7:30 to 9:00pm***
Meeting is a week early due to Memorial Day
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall – 3769 East Stratford Rd
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)

Special Presentation – Attempting to confirm a presentation on Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) – This program is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives (usually 75%) and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible Best Management Practices (BMP’s) in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Officer’s Reports

Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Wally Damon
President – Todd Solomon

Old Business-
Bayfront Beach Replenishment Update – Contractor will begin equipment set up last week of May and begin placing sand on beach the middle of June. Additional details and concerns will be discussed.
4th of July Fireworks for Cape Henry Beach – Still waiting for an update from Councilman Wood and Deputy City Manager Cover on request to have City’s Entertainment Contractor take over the planning and execution of this event.
Shore Drive Improvements in Ocean Park – Contractor will begin work the week after Memorial Day
Cape Henry Ditch Volunteer Clean Out Corps Proposal – Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation presented a plan to Cape Story by the Sea Civic Association that would create a volunteer workforce to help clean out and maintain a section of the ditch behind Food Lion. It was suggested that CBF meet with City Staff to pursue a plan that would get City support and approval.

New Business –
Dewberry Report Sea Level Rise and Stormwater – Community forums planned for public input into Dewberry’s Draft document. Unfortunately there are no meetings planned north of Virginia Beach Blvd. SDCC has asked to have an additional meeting added to list for Bayfront residents, but nothing has been done to date. Meetings are from 6 to 8 pm at the following locations. The Princess Anne HS meeting is designated for our Lynnhaven watershed.
• May 29 at the Virginia Aquarium
• May 30 at Kempsville High School
• June 3 at Kellam High School
• June 5 at Princess Anne High School
• June 6 at Creeds Elementary School
Route 35 Bayfront to Oceanfront Shuttle – Service will start Monday May 20th and run through Labor Day weekend. An additional stop has been added to the Fort Story gate where riders can catch another shuttle service to visit the Lighthouses. 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.

Upcoming Chances for Civic Engagement
Tuesday June 11th – Primary Election – 6am to 7pm at your normal polling locations.

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

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday June 24, 2019***

“The Lynnhaven Inlet could see dramatic, and costly, changes in order to protect Virginia Beach from sea level rise in the coming decades.”

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View article including some of the proposed plans at Pilotonline.com:

“This is probably the biggest threat that faces our city. We really need to take this seriously,” City Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson said at a meeting Tuesday night. “These are huge, huge numbers. It’s very frightening.”

The city is still months away from deciding how to move forward.

No doubt you are aware the probability of your taxes going up to pay to mitigate for sea level rise is roughly 100%.

More about Dewberry study

Dewberry sea level rise study update to City Council Informal Session video from May 7 2019 at SDCC.info.

“Dewberry” Search results at SDCC.info.

Comprehensive Sea Level Rise and Recurrent Flooding Response Plan​ at VBGov.com.

Current Public Hearing Schedule

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

We are working with the City to have a Public Hearing located in the Bayfront area.

Dewberry sea level rise study update to City Council Informal Session video from May 7 2019

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This is a very detailed presentation

Current Public Hearing Schedule

The same information will be available at each of the 5 public meetings. The presentation at the beginning (approx. 10 minutes) will be focused on the watershed (Atlantic, Lynnhaven, Elizabeth and Southern) will be tailored to the location. The revised dates and locations for the meetings are as follows:

May 29, 2019 – Virginia Aquarium (Atlantic Ocean)
May 30, 2019 – Kempsville High School (Elizabeth River)
June 3, 2019 – Kellam High School (Southern)
June 5, 2019 – Princess Anne High School (Lynnhaven)
June 6, 2019 – Creeds Elementary School (Southern)

SDCC Meeting Minutes for 2019’s Q1 Posted

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For any of you that may have missed an SDCC meeting this year, have no fear, you can get caught up by visiting our SDCC Minutes page or by clicking on this years Q1 minutes below.  Thank you to our wonderful SDCC Secretary, Kathy Damon, for all her hard work and details.  These minutes are a great source of information on many relevant topics and presentations that pertain to our Shore Drive area.

3.25.19 SDCC Minutes
2.25.19 SDCC Minutes
1.28.19 SDCC Minutes

ROUTE 35 STARTS MAY 20th !

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From Baylines May 2019 Newsletter:

The Bayfront Shuttle, Hampton Roads Transit’s Route 35, resumes service May 20, running every 30 minutes between Shore Drive and Pleasure House Road and Rudee Inlet. This will be the third year for the bus route that connects the Bayfront with the Oceanfront. Passengers will be able to buy tickets on their mobile device this year by downloading the GOHRT application.

One new tweak to Route 35 will have the shuttles jog north to the Fort Story gate for those passengers who want to visit the Cape Henry Lighthouse and other public attractions on the base, eliminating the need to hike from Shore Drive to the 89th Street gate.

The base runs shuttles from that gate to the lighthouse, which reopened last weekend after a renovation and dune restoration project.

Our ROUTE 35 page at SDCC.info.

May Baylines from Bayfront Advisory Committee

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View May 2019 Baylines Newsletter

Route 35 shuttle resumes; Light reopens
Ballyhoos makes permit presentation
Bike trail at State Park studied
and more . . .

Monday April 30th – SDCC General Meeting at 730pm – Bonaventure Apartment Development Presentation

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Click here for a printable version of the agenda  4.29.19 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday April 29, 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 –

Bonaventure Realty Group – Expansion Plans for Windsong Apartments on Pleasure House

Representatives from the Bonaventure Realty Group will present their current plans to redevelop and expand the Windsong Apartment complex located on Pleasure House Road north of Shore Drive. Previously presented plans had the old apartments being increased a total of 160 units from 272 to 432. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. As always, all are welcome to attend SDCC meetings.

Officer’s Reports

Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Wally Damon
President – Todd Solomon

Old Business-
Bayfront Beach Replenishment Update – An update on the project will hopefully be available. The project has been delayed and appears to continue to be pushed to the right and will most likely take place through the summer season. When is the start date and what are the impacts to the beach during construction?
4th of July Fireworks for Cape Henry Beach – City Council and Staff are evaluating the request to take over the planning and execution of the show. A decision should be forthcoming after the “Something in the Water” event is over which will allow Staff to focus on the request.
Dog Leash Law for Beaches – A public hearing was held on Wed April 10th at 630pm at the City’s Law Enforcement Training Facility. City Council has request the topic be studied for a year before any changes are made to the code. A steering committee will be formed to help with this evaluation. It is SDCC plan to invite representatives of this committee to a future SDCC to present their plans and how our community can provide input.

New Business –
Parking Meters at Lynnhaven Boat Ramp – The City has installed a metered parking kiosk for public parking at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp. If you plan on using this lot, please be aware of the update to avoid tickets.
Shore Drive Improvements in Ocean Park to Start Soon – $600,000 of improvement to the Shore Drive/Stratford Road intersection, is fully funded and expected to begin later this spring. This would involve a “fully functional” traffic light with pedestrian crossing signals, an emergency signal to accommodate Ocean Park Fire and Rescue
Cape Henry Ditch Volunteer Clean Out Corps Proposal – Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be discussing a plan to have volunteers clean out and maintain a section of the ditch behind Food Lion. The Cape Story meeting will take place on Monday May 13th at 7:30pm at Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church.

Upcoming Chances for Civic Engagement
Tuesday April 30th City Council Budget Input – 6pm at City Council Chambers. Other ways to provide comments are posted at https://sdcc.info/2019/04/25/city-budget-public-hearings-scheduled-last-chance-for-input-on-tuesday-april-30th/
Tuesday May 14th Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Forum – 6:00pm – 8:00pm @ Brock Environmental Center (3663 Marlin Bay Drive, Virginia Beach 23455). Speakers will discuss the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint (Phase III Water Implementation Plan/WIP).
Tuesday June 11th – Primary Election – 6am to 7pm at your normal polling locations.

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

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday May 20, 2019***
Please note the meeting will be a week early due to Memorial Day

“However, staff is conducting an analysis of the daily storm water rate with the intention of developing options that would reduce the regressive nature of a single rate for all residences across the city so that residences that generate less runoff (due to less impervious surfaces) would pay a lower rate. “

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HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE !?

View the info at VBGov.com.

The FY 2019-20 budget increases the funds designated for these areas in the six-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) by 41%.