This post will expand on the civic engagement request mentioned in the recent Bayfront Advisory Commission April Baylines Bulletin regarding the City’s request to comment on their Draft Comprehensive Plan. The information below just highlights some of the sections that pertain to the Bayfront/Shore Drive area. You are encouraged to read the entire document and provide comments to the Bayfront Advisory Commission at BayfrontVB@gmail.com and the City’s Planning Department at CompPlan@vbgov.com
Image #1 above shows the Coastal Planning Area which covers most of Shore Drive. The plans for this area can be found starting on page 112 of the Draft Plan.
Image #2 shows the Local Core Center development details identified for the area around the intersection of North Great Neck Road and Shore Drive (page 170)
Image #3 shows the design guidelines for the Core and Edge zones for the Local Center. Core building heights of 3 to 6 stories and Edge building heights of 3 to 10 stories are recommended.
Thursday, March 20, 2025 3:30 P.M. Ocean Park Fire and Rescue Squad Building 3769 E. Stratford Road
The mission of the Bayfront Advisory Commission is to review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding public and private projects and issues associated with the Bayfront area.
Our mission is to create a mural that promotes the identity of the Ocean Park area and attracts tourists as they travel down Shore Drive. First, you will see the LOVE sign followed by our postcard-inspired mural, then crossing the Lesner Bridge you spot a kayak structure, followed by the Cape Henry Lighthouses located at the edge of our neighborhood. This piece of public art will commemorate the dedicated work of the Rescue Squad as well as capture iconic and historical components of Virginia Beach.
The following update was received from the VMRC regarding the rescheduling of the Westminster Canterbury (WC) application to remove their existing timber pier and build a new concrete shared use pier in its place. The application was originally scheduled for tomorrow, but was not included as part of the final approved agenda recently posted on the VMRC website.
We are aiming to replace the item on the March agenda. If that occurs, those who have submitted a comment to us through our public comment portal will receive a notification of the meeting date and time. The agenda will also be posted on our website (https://www.mrc.virginia.gov/calendar.shtm) once finalized. No additional news advertisement is necessary to satisfy VMRC’s meeting requirements. Respectfully, Tiffany
Maintenance dredging of the Crab Creek Channel, which started February 17th, will help recreational boaters progress from the boat ramp to the Bay. It will also provide improved access to the wharf for vessels used in City waterway and Neighborhood Dredging projects. All spoils material will be deposited on the adjacent stockpile for future emergency beach replenishment of Bay beaches.
More information can be found at the following two City links –
The Virginia Marine Resource Commission (VMRC) will vote next week on the proposed pier replacement by Westminster Canterbury (WC). The following item is on the VMRC Tuesday Feb 25th agenda for their upcoming hearing.
This is not a grandfathered project and will require WC to provide “royalties from the VMRC for the proposed encroachments over state-owned submerged lands”.
VMRC Tuesday Feb 25th Hearing Agenda Items
8.WESTMINSTER-CANTERBURY ON CHESAPEAKE BAY, #24-2475 requests authorization to remove a failed timber pier and construct a new shared-use concrete pier as part of the proposed Westminster-Canterbury Chesapeake Bay campus expansion situated at property off Ocean Shore Avenue along the Chesapeake Bay in the City of Virginia Beach. This project is protested by nearby property owners.
Comments to the proposed project can be emailed to the VMRC representative agent Tiffany Birge at tiffany.birge@vmrc.virginia.gov
The Virginia Beach Wetlands Board heard this application on December 16th, 2024. The staff review and supporting documents can be found below.
The VMRC project support page can be accessed by clicking on the following link and inputting the application number 2024-2475 into the appropriate field. Click on the “I am not a robot” box and then input the application number to pull up all the associated documents. Here is the VMRC link https://webapps.mrc.virginia.gov/public/habitat/index.php
The VMRC application document can be found below.
A copy of the notice letter that was recently sent to adjacent homeowners can also be found below.
SUBJECT: City of Virginia Beach Public Works VMRC #2024-2851 The application for permit, referenced above, will be heard by the Marine Resources Commission at their public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, February 25, 2025, beginning at 9:30 a.m., at 380 Fenwick Road, Building 96, Fort Monroe, Virginia.
CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH, #24-2851 requests authorization to mechanically dredge a 20-foot wide by 63-foot long subtidal area to a maximum depth of minus two (-2) feet mean low water within Pleasure House Creek to create a shallow water channel necessary to provide the hydrological connection to the proposed municipal Pleasure House Point Mitigation Bank in Virginia Beach. This project is protested by nearby property owners.
We apologize for the delay sharing these. We were offered them weeks ago and finally received them, from a FOIA request we chose to make, this afternoon.
They are also available on paper in Brock Environmental Center 3663 Marlin Bay Drive.
“As you can see, increased frequency allowed ridership to jump 177% from last year, and the only change was switching headways from 1 hour, back to 30 minutes. This past year, ridership exceeded pre-covid numbers which is rare for fixed route transit, so that’s exciting! Especially given the heavy emphasis on ridership in the State’s transit funding formula.” ~ Hank
Previous year with 1 hour headway had wrecked ridership & temporarily derailed growing R35. Hopefully with consistent marketing this year ridership will really explode. 
We believe the “purpose & need” of this fast moving project could be violating the spirit of “avoid, minimize, mitigate” in general. Therefore, we humbly request a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment and a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment are completed before approving the Nationwide 27 Permit.
“Please provide the list of projects that have required the city to buy wetland mitigation credits since the bond referendum passed November 2, 2021 and how many wetland mitigation credits are required now for future projects.” From 11/21/2021 to To 12/23/2024. Your request was forwarded to Public Works. I have been advised that they do not have a list in response to your request. Source: FOIA Request response January 13 2025
Three(3) samples of material was presented at City Council public hearing which was acknowledged by the Public Works Director – a piece of pavement, concrete with gravel & an unknown petrochemical material all presumably dumped on the spoils site – Pleasure House Point in the area Wetlands Mitigation Bank is proposed – in the 1970s. Was material being tested before dumped? After it was dumped? Video of City Council public hearing January 7th 2025 is provided here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D_T1v0rI3A
As you know, the Brock Environmental Center and Macon & Joan Brock Classroom campus is literally feet away from this project. Pre-schoolers thru senior citizens routinely spend time there. Meetings with visitors from national & international governments & NGOs also are held routinely. However, this project rolls out. It’ll certainly garner national news. Over 140,000 people have visited the campus since it opened.
In property acquisitions, it is customary for due diligence investigation(s) to be completed before a fee simple property transfer is finalized. It seems reasonable that such an investigation would have reported the obvious; materials of generally unknown origin were dumped on the PHP property as far back as the 1970’s.
These findings would have been followed up with Phase II soil and/or groundwater sampling and testing to screen for regulated substances (hazardous and petroleum constituents). If the investigations were completed, they should be made available to evaluate the potential effects on the proposed PHPWMB project.
Of principal concern is the transport of these dredge materials to the City’s Oceana disposal site, especially if they remain untested. Once removed from PHP, the material becomes a waste, and is subject to VDEQ regulations for transport and disposal. Secondly, possible exposures to regulated substances may result when construction workers are exposed to any contaminated soil, dust, and groundwater. Especially with workers involved in the planting process where hand work is proposed, and the incidence of physical contact with regulated materials may result.
Additionally, considerations for the sampling, testing and handling of regulated materials should be included in the project plans and specifications for the PHPWMB project. This information should be made available for public review and comment.
Therefore, we humbly request a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment and a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment are completed before approving the Nationwide 27 Permit.
What will be the “reasonably foreseeable effect” if the environmental site assessments haven’t successfully been completed for a spoils site used in the 1970s?
Thursday, January 16, 2025 3:30 P.M. Ocean Park Fire and Rescue Squad Building 3769 E. Stratford Road. Enter door opposite Shore Drive.
The mission of the Bayfront Advisory Commission is to review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding public and private projects and issues associated with the Bayfront area.
ITEM: CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH AGENDA ITEM An Ordinance to Transfer Funds Within the Capital Improvement Program for the Pleasure House Point Mitigation Bank, to Provide Limitations upon the Use of Mitigation Credits Created by the Pleasure House Point Mitigation Project, and to Provide for Efforts to Reduce Tree Loss MEETING DATE: January 7, 2025 Background: Capital Project 100304, ” Pleasure House Point Mitigation Bank”
Please note: at the time of this post, currently proposed wetland mitigation bank details of the “90% design”, water budget and other info are still not available on official website.
Things learned last night: tidal wetland bank credits are available to purchase, 60,000 cubic yards (about 6,000 dump trucks) of fill will be removed, over 5,200 trees including live oaks over dozens & dozens of years old will be destroyed (number of dump trucks to move destroyed trees unknown).
Email your questions or concerns to: phpwetlands@vbgov.com
Note: this project does not include the controversial kayak launch which will potentially be located on western border of this project when built. It’s visible in graphics above.
Previously, several related links on this website here, here and here.
#WeLoveShoreDrive 