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.
Synced lights & crosswalks.
The City of Virginia Beach’s Department of Public Works is seeking public input on repetitive residential and roadway flooding within the area adjacent to Joint Expedition Base (JEB) Little Creek, Chesapeake Beach, Northampton Boulevard, and Shore Drive.
Survey will CLOSE DEC 12
Download Official Presentation
An Open House Meeting was held by the Virginia Beach Public Works Department, November 14, 2019, at the Bayside Recreation Center.
City District(s): Bayside
This project will be for the design, acquisition, and construction of stormwater and related roadway improvements necessary to alleviate widespread flooding due to moderate rain events, and during periods of significant high tides from the Chesapeake Bay. Lake Bradford and Lake Chubb are tidally influenced by the Chesapeake Bay via their outfall drainage ditch system that runs through Joint Expeditionary Base – Little Creek. The eastern portion of Stormwater Watershed 31 including areas west of Northampton Blvd and portions of Church Point and Thoroughgood drain into Lake Bradford before they drain through Little Creek and into the Chesapeake Bay. The drainage improvements include, but are not limited to, storm drain pipe and structure improvements, additional stormwater culverts under multi-lane arterial roadways, tide control devices such as mechanized sluice gates, stormwater management pond improvements and, potentially, some channel/ditch clearing.
View video & story by Reporter Ali Weatherton at 13NewsNow.com.
“nothing really safe there for pedestrians”
And:
“Shore Drive is the 3rd most traveled road in Virginia Beach”
Did you know it’ll be ~20 years between completing only 2 Phases of bringing Shore Drive up to the standards of the rest of the city.
Let’s step up and take care of this area now.
It should take you less then 3 minutes to complete it.
Note: we will be making the Survey results public.
Thank you!
Start here to take the Official CoVB Comp Plan survey.
Questions include:
For the local economy to grow, what job sectors would you like to see develop or expand? (select all that apply)
Which of the following were reasons you chose to live where you do now? (select all that apply)
What 3 things would you change about Virginia Beach?
Please Note: when comparing the totals year over year(YOY) that Fiscal Year(FY) 2020 ends in June 2020.
Pro tip: Route 35 is a fun & easy way to travel around Shore Drive.
Thanks to everyone who continues to work on making Route 35 better!
Learn more at VBGov.com about YOUR role in shaping the Comprehensive Plan.
Download Comp Plan slide show. (PowerPoint is 7.9MB)
Contact info for Mr Mark Shea Comprehensive Planning Coordinator (757) 385-2908 or meshea@vbgov.com.
The meeting will be held on Thursday, November 14th from 6:00-7:30pm at the Bayside Recreation Center at 4500 First Court Road.
Official Lake Bradford & Lake Chubb Stormwater page at VBGov.com.
Lake Bradford & Lake Chubb Stormwater
Project Manager contact info:
Matthew Richardson, P.E.
Project Manager
Department of Public Works
Stormwater Engineering Center
City of Virginia Beach
mrichardson@vbgov.com
Phone: (757) 385-8005
Thanks to Mr Richardson for the email of Open House & CIP details!
Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.
Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.
Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.
Where Dorian was at 5pm Saturday.
Photo taken high tide Monday 655pm.
Learn more at KingTide.WHRO.org:
Volunteer Opportunities
Ready to help? Sign up to be a (Volunteer) King Tide Mapper, King Tide Captain, or Tide Watcher.
And:
Hundreds more of you mapped again in 2018 along with lots of other first-time volunteers and many students from science classrooms throughout Hampton Roads.
Now, in year 3, we’re gearing up for even-bigger things. We’d like to beat our 2017 record and build momentum toward 1,000 volunteers in 2020. We also welcome you to join one of our newly forming year-round mapping teams.
View September 2019 Baylines Newsletter:
Next Meeting
Thursday, September 19, 2019 3:30 p.m.
Bayside Community Recreation Center
4500 First Court
***NOTE NEW LOCATION***
Lots & lots of news including:
Dredging ran out of Cape Henry sand, officials studying options
The sand replenishment project on Cape Henry Beach wrapped up short of reaching Oak Street because the contractor ran out of sand from dredging out the Lynnhaven Inlet, BAC commission member Phillip A. Davenport reported to the commission. “Nourishment is complete.”
Army Corps of Engineers’ contractors are still dredging in Long Creek and the spoils are being taken to the storage site off Maple Street. Dredging and replenishment projects involve specific sources for sand and destinations. The contract for the Cape Henry project ended Aug. 30., although city officials are looking at whether the stored sand on Maple Street can be used on eroded areas of Ocean Park or to add to the Cape Henry beach.
Decisions on that will depend on how Bay beaches fared during Hurricane Dorian.
Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.
Periodically we share updates from some really hard workers.
From an email by Skip Stiles of Wetlands Watch:
Looking like the storm surge and Friday afternoon’s high tide (4 pm here in Norfolk) will coincide – unfortunately. Wind from the NE starts cranking at noon Friday around 30 MPH. 1.5″ of rain on Thurs will be followed by another ~4.5 inches on Friday. Unfortunate coincidence of events.
Newest word from Jeff Orrock at NWS Wakefield is that the tidal waters are likely to hit 6.5 – 7 feet. That’s somewhere between Matthew (6 feet above Mean Lowe Low water) and Irene at 7.6 feet. Plan on 7 feet and hope for less? But the rain will be an issue on all those poorly draining streets and those places where stormwater lines bring water back up into the neighborhood.
Closings are already happening – ODU just announced a Friday closure.
ON THURSDAY – put your cars up somewhere higher if your street floods. Looks like we’ll get a pass on the wind – 30 MPH.
ON FRIDAY – stay home
…except you, Jeff. Thanks for the long hoursSo – Friday afternoon flooding will be bad = tidal flooding up to 7′ (getting close to Irene), rain flooding will be bad everywhere. Wind will not be that strong but downed trees limbs will be a reality. Kids will probably get the day off Friday, so stay home if you can.
Skip
(yes, I know it says 6.2 feet on this chart but if you’re smart you’ll plan for higher because it will probably go closer to 7′)
The following is an email update from the US Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager regarding the Broad Bay Channel Dredging.
It is my understanding that the material being dredged from Broad Bay Channel with placement in Maple St. is beach quality sand. Historical maintenance dredging from Broad Bay Channel has been beach quality sand and based on recent site visits I have no reason to believe otherwise. I was out at the site last week and the material looked great for use as emergency sand on the Bayfront. A couple of pictures are attached for reference of the sand that is being stockpiled there currently.
The water in the site may look cloudy which may cause confusion and create the appearance of a lack of beach quality sand. This is just attributed to the slurry mixture of material that is created during the dredging operations. The sandy material settles out of the slurry leaving the quality sand in the site while the effluent water exits the site. We have been testing the effluent water while the Contractor has been working in Maple St. Tests have shown that the Contractor is within the effluent State water quality threshold requirements. The Contractor is currently letting the site dewater and will begin pumping into Maple St. again later this week as they continue dredging in Broad Bay Channel on the west side of the Bay Island/Great Neck Bridges.
Please let me know if you have further questions.
Regards,
Chris
Christopher B. Tolson
Design Section, Operations Branch
Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Office: (757) 201-7012
From a request:
If you have any photos of “good” and “bad” scooter riding or staging examples, please feel free to pass them along. I may use them in upcoming presentations. I have plenty from the Resort Area.
Thank you.
-BrianBrian S. Solis, AICP
Assistant to the City Manager – Special Projects
2101 Parks Avenue, Suite 500, Virginia Beach, VA, USA 23451
bsolis@vbgov.com | 757-385-2907
Please cc: tim@sdcc.info or todd@sdcc.info also so we can share them as well.
Photos only. No videos please.
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!
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,
ChrisChristopher 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.
Some examples of the continuing coverage of how destructive Floatopia was to Ocean Park beach & neighborhood.
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.”
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].
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.
“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.
#WeLoveShoreDrive 