Category Archives: Safety

City Council Briefed on Proposed eScooter Regulations

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City Council was briefed by Brian Solis at their Tuesday Oct 15th informal session on proposed regulations regarding operation of eScooters throughout the City.  The SDCC and the BAC both sent position statements to the City Council recommending eScooters be prohibited from use in the Shore Drive Overlay District.

Below is a link to an article in the Virginian-Pilot and a link to the video of the briefing at the Council’s informal session.

  • “Brian Solis, assistant to the city manager, will present a proposal to council members on Tuesday that would cap the number of scooters at 1,000. Technology that automatically slows them down in prohibited areas is being considered for new spots, including along Shore Drive.” – click here to read the entire article by Stacy Parker

 

 

Neighborhood Watch Program Presentation at Cape Story General Meeting Monday Oct 14th at 7:30pm

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A 2nd Precinct Officer will be present to talk about the new rules and regulations for the Neighborhood Watch Program.  This is an open meeting and any neighborhood with an existing Watch or thinking about starting one should definitely attend.

Cape Story by the Sea Civic Association Meeting is on Monday, October 14, starting at 7:30 pm at the Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church at 2217 W. Great Neck Road.

This month, a representative of the Virginia Beach Police department will explain the concept and process behind the Neighborhood Watch Program. This provides a mechanism to get important crime-related information out to the residents quickly, and in an organized manner.

SDCC eScooter Position Memo to City Supporting BAC Position to Prohibit Use

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Click here to read the Bayfront Advisory Commission Position Statement Memo 04.BayfrontAdvCommScooterPosition

Date: Thursday October 10, 2019
To: Mayor Dyer, City Council Members and City Manager Leahy
From: Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC)
Topic: Position Statement Regarding Prohibited Use of eScooters in Shore Drive Area

 

Dear Mayor Dyer, City Council Members and City Manager Leahy,

The Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC), at their September General Meeting, voted unanimously “To support the Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) recommendation to prohibit eScooters in the Shore Drive Overlay District at this time.”

The SDCC representative communities reviewed the BAC position statement submitted to the City Manager on September 24, 2019 and agreed with the reasons presented in the correspondence for prohibiting the use of eScooters in our area.
In addition to those items presented in the BAC memo, the SDCC has also heard the following reasons why the scooters should be prohibited in this specific section of the City.

• The connectivity of sidewalks, multi-use pathways and bike lanes is too disjointed and haphazard and until all of the Shore Drive safety improvements are completed between Pleasure House Road and First Landing State Park, this area is just too unsafe for scooters.
• This is the most densely populated area in the City. As the safety improvements are completed, more pedestrian traffic will become the norm. Adding eScooters, which travel at a higher rates of speed than some bikes, into the mix is a recipe for disaster.
• Escooters have already been seen riding in the car lanes on Shore Drive both day and night. The safety improvements to date have reduced an area that used to average 3 fatalities per year down to 1 fatality every 3 years. Residents are fearful that allowing eScooters will do nothing but increase the potential for injury and worst case death, similar to what has been seen in Atlanta.

Thank you for listening to the residents of the Shore Drive area and for your oversight on this matter. If you have any questions regarding the SDCC position, please email me or call me at 757-667-8533.

Todd Solomon
Shore Drive Community Coalition – President

Comp Plan presentation slideshow from our recent September meeting

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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.

Open House Public Meeting to be held by the Virginia Beach Public Works Department for the Lake Bradford/Chubb Lake CIP (CIP 7-053).

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The meeting will be held on Thursday, November 14th from 6:00-7:30pm at the Bayside Recreation Center at 4500 First Court Road.

Link to Official City of Virginia Beach, VA Public Works Capital Project Detail Sheet 7.053.000: Lake Bradford/Lake Chubb CIP page.

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!

SDCC General Meeting – Mon Sept 30th at 7:30pm – Special Presentation on City’s Comprehensive Plan

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Click here for a printable version of the agenda  – 9.30.19 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday September 30, 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 –

City to Begin Comprehensive Plan Update 

The City has to update its Comprehensive Plan every 5 years and will be seeking public input. Mr. Mark Shea, City of VB Comprehensive Planning Coordinator, will provide background on the Comp Plan, the update process and how the residents can have input into its modifications. He will have a Q&A after the presentation. SDCC meetings are open to the all, so bring a friend, we have cookies.

Officer’s Reports:
Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Empsy Munden
President – Todd Solomon

Old Business-
Route 35 Bayfront to Oceanfront Shuttle – Service for this year stops Sunday Sept 29th at Midnight. We will try to share ridership numbers for the months of May through August to compare with past years.

Hurricane Dorian Impacts – What type of impact did your residents see? How did the Cape Henry Beach sand replenishment hold up? Did Ocean Park Beach lose all of its protection? Was tidal flooding a concern?

Cape Henry Shore Entrance Safety Issue – The entrance/exit to CHS at intersection of Kendall and Shore Drive is being discussed in social media. There has been an increase in accidents and near misses and the residents are asking the City Traffic Engineers to once again look at fixes for this area.

New Business –
Ocean Park Beach Sand Replenishment – The City plans to replenish OP beach in 2020 and has submitted a proposed permit modification to the Army Corps of Engineers to allow the sand to be taken from the Chesapeake Beach Shoals Burrow Area. https://www.nao.usace.army.mil/Media/Public-Notices/Article/1954541/nao-2017-01269/

Tidal Sluice Gates Automatic Operation Broken – The tidal sluice gates installed east of the Lesner Bridge have had their automatic operation temporarily disabled. The components haven’t been working correctly so they have been removed/disabled until a fix is found. Unfortunately this means the gates will have to be operated manually by Public Works during storm events. Call 385-1470 during a storm event.

New Online Weather App – A new online weather app has been found very helpful during storm events. The app can be found at www.Windy.com and has also been linked on the www.SDCC.info/safety page. It provides rainfall predictions, wind speeds and directions, tidal information and other interesting details.

Electric Scooters – At their Sept meeting, the Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) took an official position to prohibit the operation of eScooters in the Bayfront area at this time. SDCC should discuss this and take a similar position in support of the BAC decision. Be prepared to discuss and vote.

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

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday October 28, 2019***

E-Cycling and Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Saturday Sept. 28th from 9am to Noon at Virginia Aquarium

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Click here to read the entire notice

Fall E-Cycling Event Saturday, Sept. 28 from 9 a.m. to Noon
Fall cleaning is a great time toget rid of those old electroinics. The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, in partnership with Goodwill Industries, Virginia Beach Public Works and TFC Recycling, will offer its semi-annual E-cycling event Saturday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. – noon at the Virginia Aquarium East Parking Lot. There is no fee to drop off items, but donations are always appreciated

Acceptable personal electronic recyclable items include:

Personal computers and laptops
Telephones, cell phones and PDA’s
Printers
Circuit boards and components
Monitors and flat screens
Fax machines​
Stereo equipment and game systems
Regular recycling materials such as newspapers, bottles and cans will also be accepted.
***Note that cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions and alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D) cannot be accepted***​

Acceptable household hazardous waste items include:

Up to five gallons of liquids or up to 75 pounds of dry materials
Aerosol spray cans
Automotive fluids
Batteries: Boat, Car, Camera, Cell phone, Hearing aid, Lead acid, Lithium, Rechargeable, Trucks
Herbicides
Household cleaners
Gasoline (up to 5 gallons)
Fertilizer
Pool chemicals
Light bulbs – small quantities of CFLs or fluorescent tubes
Oil and water based paint
Pesticides
Propane tanks (small – up to 20 lb. capacity)

 

 

Virginia Beach’s Old Emergency Alert Notification Program Will Stop on Sept 30th. Sign Up for New System Now

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Click here to read the article below on the City’s website 

Virginia Beach is Transitioning to a New and Improved Emergency Notification Platform
Current VBAlert Subscribers Will Continue to Receive Alerts Through Sept. 30

​From severe weather to public safety situations, emergencies can happen at any time. VBAlert, the City’s FREE subscription-based emergency notification service, sends critical emergency messages via text, email, and phone, depending on a subscriber’s preferences.

“This is such an important community service, we hope everyone will register,” said Stephen Williams, director of Emergency Communications and Citizens Services. “We have approximately 15,000 subscribers on the current system and we want them to move to the new system, which they can do the same way new subscribers can sign up. Simply text VBAlert to 67283 or go online at www.vbgov.com/vbalert to register.”

The new platform, powered by Rave Mobile Safety, allows for better functionality that includes Smart911, which will be deployed in the near future. Citizens are encouraged to sign up for Smart911 when they register with VBAlert. Smart911 allows subscribers to provide additional unique information to their profile that could help 911 call takers save their life or that of a family member.

The new provider is necessary because the current contract was expiring. Personal information and passwords are not transferable between the two services, which is why current subscribers to VBAlert must reenroll. The change to the new system will take place Oct. 1, 2019.

To ensure citizens receive emergency notifications during the transition, they will receive messages from both systems through Sept. 30, unless they unsubscribe from the old platform at: https://member.everbridge.net/index/892807736725673#/login.

 

American Geophysical Union (AGU) Releases “Surging Waters” Study With Focus on Virginia Beach

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According to a recent article in the Virginian-Pilot,

“Yet again Hampton Roads is being singled out by a national group as an example of the perils of rising seas. This time, it’s in a report from the American Geophysical Union that urges investment in science to find solutions to flooding caused by climate change.”

The entire article can be found here https://www.pilotonline.com/news/environment/vp-nw-agu-flooding-report-20190924-xp2wqsahtzgwrej5drc2d5pls4-story.html

 

You can also read the AGU’s report by clicking this link.  The section that discusses Virginia Beach starts on page 36.  Click here to go straight to the report https://scienceisessential.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2019/09/Surging_Waters_credits_pages_web.pdf

Driftwood Arch at Brock Center Burns Down Friday Sept 20th

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The popular and often photographed driftwood arch burnt down on Friday Sept. 20th.  You can read about the incident in the Virginian-Pilot article at this link https://www.pilotonline.com/news/vp-nw-drifwood-arch-20190920-ejge63ggfjg6nn4gnzdls3gpn4-story.html

You can also see the story covered by Wavy TV 10 here https://www.wavy.com/news/driftwood-arch-at-brock-environmental-center-goes-up-in-flames/

 

KING TIDE October 27, 2019 Get Out and Track It

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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.

IMG_1242

September Baylines from Bayfront Advisory Committee

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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.

“Looking like the storm surge and Friday afternoon’s high tide (4 pm here in Norfolk) will coincide – unfortunately.”

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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 hours

So – 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′)

SDCC General Meeting – Monday Aug. 26th at 7:30pm

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Click here to print the agenda – 8.26.19 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday August 26, 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 – No presentation planned

Officer’s Reports
Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Empsy Munden
President – Todd Solomon

Old Business-
Dredging of Lynnhaven Inlet and Broad Bay Channel and Cape Henry Beach Replenishment – Update on project to be discussed. Lynnhaven Inlet and Beach Replenishment complete. Channel work continues.
Route 35 Bayfront to Oceanfront Shuttle – Starting Sept 6th, service switches to weekend only. Ridership numbers for July will be shared.
Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) – An urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives (usually 75%) and technical and educational assistance to property owners. The program has hired a consultant to help improve service and handle increased demand. The new point of contact will be shared at the meeting.
Dewberry Report Sea Level Rise and Stormwater – Community forums have concluded but an online survey can still be filled out. See SDCC website for more information. Additional community input will be sought toward the end of this year and beginning of 2020.

New Business –
City seeks input for Active Transportation Plan – The city is asking citizens to take a survey and provide input regarding the new 2020 Bikeways and Trails Plan new 2020. This is a great chance for Bayfront residents to add our concerns to the plan.
City to Begin Comprehensive Plan Update – The City has to update its Comprehensive Plan every 5 years and will be seeking public input. We have asked Mr. Mark Shea, City of VB Comprehensive Planning Coordinator, to attend our September meeting to discuss.

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

 

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday September 30, 2019***

City of Virginia Beach Asks for Citizen Input on eScooters – Take City Survey

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E-scooters are a new shared mobility service in Virginia Beach that offer an additional transportation option for residents and guests. Data from your survey participation will add to the community’s voice in establishing policy that properly aligns the business of e-scooters with Virginia Beach’s expectations.
This survey will be open through Tuesday, 9/3/19.

Click here to take the City’s survey on eScooters – https://publicinput.com/E-Scooters

 

City Council Votes to Ban eScooters at Oceanfront

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City Council voted this Tuesday to ban the use of eScooters (Lime, Bird, etc.) east of Artic Ave.  For more details you can read about it in this Virginian-Pilot article

https://www.pilotonline.com/government/local/vp-nw-scooter-ban-approved-0822-20190821-fp4flonsjvh7hfwb2urz5y6ede-story.html

Citizen Input Still Sought Regarding Sea Level Rise Plan – Take a Survey to Help

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In addition the recent public input meetings held by the City of Virginia Beach, the City is asking citizens to take an online survey to help capture your ideas and comments on the Draft Sea Level Rise and Recurrent Flooding Plan.  The survey can be found at the following link.  Please feel free to share this survey with anyone else that may live or work in Virginia Beach.

Click here or on the image above to access the survey https://sites.wp.odu.edu/asert/vb2019/

 

City Seeks Citizen Input on Active Transporation Plan

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The City is asking citizens to participate in an online survey by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department on its 2020 “Active Transportation Plan.” The plan will focus on promoting safety and accessibility of walking and bicycling in Virginia Beach. The survey invites residents to provide feedback on their bicycling and walking habits, and it also includes an interactive map that will help determine where the greatest needs exists for a pedestrian and bicycle network throughout the city. To access the survey, click here https://tooledesign.github.io/5538.02_VAB_participation_map/

Public Information Meeting for Dredging Lynnhaven Drive Canal – Tuesday Aug. 20th from 5pm – 7pm at First Landing Fire Station

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The following letter was sent to residents near Cape Henry and Lynnhaven Drive.  If you live in this area or frequently travel these roads you may want to attend this meeting to see how the project may result in road closures.

The official letter can be found by clicking here Lynnhaven Drive Canal Drainage Imp._W_Attach (CIP-7-055.001)_2019-07-24.docx2

Subject: Lynnhaven Drive Canal Drainage Improvements (CIP-7-055.001)

Dear Property Owner:

This letter is to inform you the City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works Operations will be performing dredging operations of Lynnhaven Drive Canal within the Lynnhaven Colony neighborhood area between October 30, 2019, and December 31, 2019, as part of the referenced project. The approximate limits between West Great Neck Road and Cape Arbor Drive bounded from the north Cape Henry Drive and 1,100 feet south to Lynnhaven Drive. The primary goal of the project is to proceed with the interim flood control drainage improvements for the Lynnhaven Drive Canal before the permanent flood control drainage improvements for the Lynnhaven Colony Neighborhood.
The City of Virginia Beach Public Works Operations, Public Works Engineering with Waterway, Surveys, and Engineering, Inc. will hold a public meeting to discuss the project including but not limited to project limits, daily hours of operations during the dredging operations, traffic control concerns, erosion and sediment control concerns, and other associated concerns with the proposed project.

The project team includes employees of the City of Virginia Beach Public Works Operations, Public Works Engineering, Waterway, Surveys, and Engineering, Inc., and Carolina Marine Structures. Members of the project team will be in your neighborhood performing the referenced work.

The dredging work will mainly be located within the City Drainage Easement, and City Right-of-Way but will include traffic control on Lynnhaven Drive for trucks entering the roadway during the construction hours of 9:00 am until 4:00 pm Monday through Saturday.

The place and time for the public meeting are August 20, 2019, at the City of Virginia Beach First Landing Fire and Rescue Station Number One located at 2837 Shore Drive Virginia Beach, Virginia 23451 from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm.

We are committed to conducting the dredging activities in the least disruptive way as possible. If you have any questions or concerns about the actions of the field personnel or other project issues, please contact Mr. Frank Janes directly at fjanes@vbgov.cokm or 385-4834 or Mr. Mark Jones at MAARJone@vbgov.com or 385-1470.
Sincerely,

Francis X. Janes, Jr.
Public Works Operations

 

Dredging of Inlet and Replenishment of Cape Henry Beach Complete. Dredging of Broad Bay Channel Started

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The following is taken from an email update provided by the project coordinator….

It does not look like the Contractor will make it to Oak Street given the remaining volume they have in the turning basin in the re-dredge areas. Will have a better idea of things when I receive their daily report from today’s operations. They are quickly finishing up these areas and following the Government’s acceptance of the dredging work (may take about a week plus a couple of days max), will remove pipeline from Cape Henry Beach and be complete with this placement area.

Long Creek dredging will not be a part of this contract. We have a few dredging areas within Broad Bay Channel. The material from these dredging areas will be going to our upland placement site at Maple St. The site has been prepped to receive material and dredge pipeline is in place to being dredging in Broad Bay Channel. These operations will begin soon following the Contractor’s completion of dredging in the Basin. This will be 24/7 operations with specifications that the contractor, to the maximum extent practicable, limit or try to reduce noise from 7PM – 7AM.

There will be a dredge pipeline in Long Creek to transport dredged material from the Broad Bay Channel dredging areas, but this will be the only thing operational in Long Creek.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,
Chris

Christopher B. Tolson
Design Section, Operations Branch
Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Office: (757) 201-7012