This friendly reminder is from one of our neighbors.

PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT:

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, and the
check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys
beside your bed at night. If you hear noise outside your home or someone
trying to get in your houseor vehicle, just press the panic button for your car. The
alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you
turn it off or the car battery dies.
Please remember to call 911 if you see a crime in action and call 385-5000, option #1,  to report crimes after they have occurred or to report any suspicious activity. 

15 volunteers, ~15 bags, ~350lbs, 2 hours.
Join us next time.

Check this out:

Lynnhaven Luau
Saturday May 31, 2008
7:00-11:00pm
Featuring
The Original Rhondels
Get your beach shoes on and come out and play!
Heavy Appetizers
Cash Bar
Free Shag Lessons
50/50 Raffle
Tickets $30.00
$35.00 at the door
Sponsored by
Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church
2217 W. Great Neck Road
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
757.286.3220

If your idea of retirement is a permanent vacation, it makes sense to choose a locale with plenty of wide-open spaces. Parks not only provide refuge from the noise and bustle of the city, but they also strengthen neighborhoods, reduce pollution, and inspire lazy strolls and impromptu picnics.

Parks are especially vital for densely populated urban areas, says Peter Harnik, director of the Center for City Park Excellence at the Trust for Public Land. “The more crowded a city is, the more important parks are,” he says. “Fewer and fewer people have their own private green space, so they depend on public space.”

Hmmm… the Bayfront is the densest populated area in the City, an Open Space study showed we drastically lack open space & picked Pleasure House Point as the number one property to purchase to create more open space, it’s well known “empty-nesters” are a large portion of the residents & homeowners in the area & therefore contribute more to the “bottom line” of the City’s tax revenues. Did you also know First Landing State Park is the most visited park in the entire state? Wouldn’t that also mean we, at the Bayfront, need more open space?!
Read 10 Greenest Places to Retire at US News & World Report.

The next meeting of the Bayfront Advisory Committee will be held at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, May 15, at the First Landing Fire Station.  The station is located at 2837 Shore Drive on the south west corner of Shore Drive and Sunstates Court.
More at VBGov.com.

More info at VBGov.com.
Item 16 in Agenda.

May 3, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

The Lesner Cove Condominium Association located at 2140 Vista Circle, Virginia Beach, VA., is opposed to the rezoning of the City Marina from P-1, Preservation to B-2, and Commercial for the following reasons:

  * The Marina as it exists and is managed at this time is a public service to the taxpayers of Virginia Beach and one of the last facilities controlled by the city that is located in this water based recreation area. In a time when the preservation of all natural space is important and discussed by the city in various meetings, we feel that maintaining the Preservation Area zoning is in keeping with the city plan to preserve as much natural space as possible. We feel that the Marina is a feather in the City’s cap and do not understand why the City would want to give up control. Was this an opportunity to be explored because it would be a solution to the parking problems that exist with the commercial establishments in the area?

  * The Marina is a profitable property for the city returning $54,000 annually to its coffers. What is the need to allow a private entity to use it commercially and what are the exposure risks to the city if the management is outsourced? Why would the city want to hold property for a commercial purpose?

  * We are concerned about a private manager asking to put fuel tanks back on the property. The tanks that were there before split and fuel seeped into the ground and river. Oversight of fuel tanks would be the responsibility of the city creating more responsibility for the city. Again what is the risk to the city, property, river and surrounding neighborhoods and restaurants?

  * Vista Circle, the street address of the Marina is already overcrowded with traffic that at times, blocks the street both ways making it impossible for emergency vehicles and residents to gain access to their homes and businesses there. The area around the Marina includes a large number of residential homes and condominiums. Presently the marine generates little traffic other than a few boat owners and the Virginia Beach Marine Police which operates several police boats from there. The increase in traffic from a commercial establishment would have an all round detrimental effect on the community. The remaining empty piece of property abutting Chick’s Restaurant on the West side and owned by Mr. Francis, has already been zoned for a restaurant should he decide to build it, which will create more traffic on Vista Circle. We don’t feel that turning the Marina into a commercial entity and creating even more traffic challenges and more need for parking in the area is a responsible decision on the part of the City.

  * We have heard for several years about the creation of Waterman’s Walk in this area. Creation of Waterman’s Walk was a nice plan but would require business owners along the river to surrender property on the riverfront for a walkway. On the original plan for this nice thought, there was to be a parking lot at the intersection of Shore Drive and Vista Circle. We know of no plans that the city has at this time to purchase property for such a parking lot nor are we aware of any plan that the city has in place to gain access to the property on the riverfront necessary to accomplish “Waterman’s Walk.” Therefore rationalizing that this is a part of the city’s plan for Waterman’s Walk is not valid. There is no specific plan.

  * We do not want the open space at the back of the Marina destroyed. Once again preservation of the few open spaces that remain is important to citizens.

We will be attending the zoning hearing on May 14 and requesting that the city not rezone the City Marina. Any help or input you can give would be appreciated.

Respectfully,

Emily McBride, President
Lesner Cove Condominium Association

There are a number of rumors and unanswered questions flying around about the Permanent Public/Private Dredge Spoils Transfer Station being located at our beloved LBR&BF.

Previously we reported the results of our FOIA requests.

Some reports are not yet posted on the Official Project Page. Some analytical reports were just started & some completed only recently even though it was recommended back in 2006 the LBR&BF was the top choice for being available, for free, to handle all the dredge spoils from public and private dredging operations in the entire Lynnhaven Watershed. Note: The transfer station will be a permanent facility that can be used for the municipal project along the Western Branch, as well as along Crab Creek, the Eastern branch, and for various private dredging projects. [Quote from Official Project Page.]

Some of the rumors we believe need to be substantiated one way or the other, and also should be clarified publicly:

the winning bidder – the dredge company, will be responsible for
all safety related issues including operations at the LBR&BF & the
barges running near the Lesner Bridge, and for contacting the
appropriate emergency responders in the event of any type of
accidents.
[Currently there are no minimum requirements we know of.]

there will not be any contractual requirements specifically
placed on the operations of the barges such as no weather
restrictions, no restrictions on the number of tenders pushing/pulling
the barges, age of the tenders, number of personnel required to be on
the tenders, etc.
[Again, no contractual requirements.]

drug testing will not be required for any employees or
sub-contractors of companies operating at the facility.
[Remember…heavy equipment will be in use nearby families with children.]

background checks will not be required for any employees or
sub-contractors operating at the facility.
[Again, no requirements made public about sharing this recreational
facility.]

there will be no limit placed in the contract on the number of dump
trucks used per day, and therefore no limit placed on the number of
barges used per day.
[Unlimited dump trucks & barges is current plan.]

One rough draft slide from a presentation being put together addressing real & serious safety concerns re: barge strike on the Lesner Bridge if appropriate safety measures are not contractually required of dredging companies.

We’ve been assured that we will receive the data Clark-Nexsen is working from on their risk assessment. We’ve also been in contact with various agencies including the US Coast Guard, Homeland Security & others who are charged with protecting federal/state/local infrastructure from catastrophic failures.

Note: This risk assessment was only started in April 2008. Safety measures contractually required from assessment that would obviously also add to the cost of the operation are not part of any economic estimates for the use of the transfer station at the LBR&BF including estimates made at various meetings including March 19th 2008, nor are they included at the Official Project Page yet.

New info posted at the Official Page entitled “Contractor’s Responses to Citizen’s Concerns for Lesner Bridge Impacts”.
Risk assessment & safety plans not posted yet.

Dear Madam Mayor and City Council Members,

The Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC) is adamantly opposed to a dredge material transfer station being placed at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp (LBR) Crab Creek site.  At our April 28th general meeting, SDCC member organizations voted unanimously to oppose a transfer station based on many reasons, some of which are listed below.

·      Safety Concerns – Council’s effort to make Shore Drive safer have been paying off.  It has been 2 years since the creation of the Shore Drive Safety Task Force and the last fatality on Shore Drive.  The approval of the proposed project takes a giant step backwards.  The addition of even one truck onto Shore Drive will pose a safety threat no matter how well the impact is mitigated.  Boater safety is also a concern from the 50+ barge trips per day planned.  Pedestrian safety at the LBR will be an issue with the 140 truck trips a day planned.  All aspects of this project will have adverse impacts on the safety of the Shore Drive area.

·      Lack of Vision – Council has spent almost 10 years and ½ million dollars creating a vision for the Shore Drive Corridor.  A dredge material transfer station was never part of this vision.  Public works has never participated in the planning of this vision and should not be the group making this vision destroying decision.  Long term goals for the Shore Drive Corridor need to be taken into account and weighed heavily for all projects and plans in the Shore Drive area.

·      Risk outweighs Reward – Barges crashing into the Lesner Bridge, barges crashing into other boats, pedestrian and vehicular accidents on Shore Drive, accidents in a heavily used boat ramp facility, and the increased degradation of the structural integrity of the Lesner Bridge from 140 truck trips per day.  These risks far outweigh any reward this site may hold over others along the Lynnhaven River.

Unfortunately, the SDCC doesn’t have the answer to the Lynnhaven dredging dilemma, but we do know the solution is not at the proposed LBR site.  SDCC members have expressed an interest in helping Public Works and Coastal engineers locate alternate temporary transfer sites that have less risk and safety concerns.  The SDCC also suggests creating a Lynnhaven River Dredging Task Force to help study the issues and identify sites acceptable to all communities.  It appears a new decision making process should be implemented since the 2 sites that have been identified over the past 2 years have both been opposed by the local residents.

If you have any questions, I can be reached at 869-5447Cell or 688-8365Work or todd@sdcc.info

Sincerely,

Todd R. Solomon

Todd R. Solomon
Shore Drive Community Coalition, President

Distribution:

Mayor Oberndorf
Mr. Dan Adams
Vice Mayor Jones
Mr. Justin Worrell, VMRC
City Council Members
Mr. Kal Kassir, BAC Chairman
Mr. Jim Spore
Ms. Deirdre Fernandes, Virginian-Pilot
Mr. Dave Hansen
Ms. Irene Bowers, Virginian-Pilot Beacon

TranStaOpLtrCouncil.pdf [1pg PDF]

Dear Madam Mayor and City Council Members,

The Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC) overwhelmingly supports City Council’s decision to officially vote on any dredge material transfer site prior to its implementation.

At the March 19th public hearing, Mr. Hansen stated that no final sites would be chosen without being approved by a City Council vote.  Since the hearing, this initiative has also been verified by a few Council members during general discussions with SDCC members.

The location of a temporary or permanent transfer stations is a highly charged and controversial topic.  City Council’s plan to endorse all sites by vote after receiving adequate technical justification and listening to public comment is the correct decision.  We agree as you do, that decisions on this matter are too important to be made by City staff alone.

Thank you for giving the residents a voice in any final decision that is made.

If you have any questions, I can be reached at 869-5447Cell or 688-8365Work or todd@sdcc.info

Sincerely,

Todd R. Solomon

Todd R. Solomon
Shore Drive Community Coalition, President

Distribution:

Mayor Oberndorf
Mr. Dave Hansen
Vice Mayor Jones
Mr. Dan Adams
City Council Members
Mr. Kal Kassir, BAC Chairman
Mr. Jim Spore

Councildecisionvotetransfersite.pdf [1pg PDF of Letter]

Police have pulled a body out of the Lynnhaven River. Dispatchers got a call from someone about 12:20 p.m. reporting that a body could be seen floating in the water from the 2900 block of Seashore Point, said Adam Bernstein, a police spokesman.
More at Pilotonline.com.

Meet at Starbucks about 9am to meet some very cool people, pick up litter in our Adopt A Highway Spot and get a free beverage. Our last turn out was a record!
Safety vests, bags & those cool sticks are provided.

You might want to bring your own gloves. Lasts until about noon.

Problem is, few people seem to know about the landfilling switch. And now, environmentalists are pushing SPSA to restart its composting program.
Grass & leaves are thrown in the ground!
At least …brush, tree trimmings and wood chips and converts them to mulch. The product is sold as fertilizer called Nature’s Blend.
Read & comment at Pilotonline.com.
Tell SPSA you want them to recycle yardwaste. Start here!

Excess nutrient run-off is a serious water quality problem in the Lynnhaven River.  It leads to excess algae which clouds the water and eventually leads to decreased levels of oxygen and possible toxins from algal blooms.  We experienced these algal blooms in all of our local rivers, including the Lynnhaven, this summer.

A variety of methods can be used to slow and reduce run off from properties. A rain barrel is one way to reduce the amount of water entering the river through the storm water system.  Lynnhaven River NOW and Mike’s Rain Barrels are offering a Rain Barrel Workshop on June 14th from 10:30-12:00 at the Cape Henry Collegiate School’s Dolphin Cafe, 1320 Mill Dam Road, Virginia Beach. The cost of this workshop is $50 (includes materials for one rain barrel) and the class is limited to 15 people.

Homeowners can easily reduce the amount of run off from their property by using a rain barrel. Rain barrels also provide homeowners with free, non-chlorinated water to provide healthy irrigation to house plants and gardens. In this workshop, attendees will leave with a completed rain barrel and simple installation instructions. 

This course is $50 per person and open to the public. Advanced registration is required. For more information or to register for the course, contact Helen Kuhns at Lynnhaven River NOW, hkuhns@lynnhaven2007.com or 757-962-5398.

Check out the link below for more info from the Salvation Army.

Suffolk Tornado Help [1pg PDF]

Thanks for the info Cherie!

Summer is right around the corner. What better way to enjoy a Virginia summer day than by spending it paddling down the Shenandoah, swimming in the James, sailing along the Bay, or merely enjoying the natural beauty of Virginia’s waters.

Unfortunately our rivers might not be as safe as you’d expect if recently proposed water quality changes are approved. Last week I asked you to send the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) a message asking them to maintain current health standards for our waters. Hundreds of you responded. Thanks!

DEQ’s public hearings regarding weakening the bacteria standards start tomorrow. Below you will find the correct dates and times for the three hearings. If you are interested in attending a public hearing to voice your concerns and would like additional information contact Mike Gerel, CBF’s Virginia Staff Scientist at mgerel@cbf.org.

May 8, 7:00pm
DEQ Tidewater Office
5636 Southern Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23462

We have a few short weeks to convince our state government that allowing more bacteria in Virginia’s waters is a bad idea. DEQ sets standards for how much pollution can exist in our waters. Rivers and streams that achieve the standard are considered clean and those that do not are required to be cleaned up.

If you haven’t done so already, please send DEQ a message asking them to maintain the current protections for Virginia’s freshwater rivers and streams. Please forward to friends and family so they may comment as well.

Let’s keep our waters safe!

Emily Francis
Advocacy & Outreach Manager
Visit CBF.org.

Farm Fresh Supermarkets in Hampton Roads and Elizabeth City are accepting donations for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and money received will be designated for Southeastern Virginia Tornado Disaster Relief, a news release says. All the Farm Fresh stores are accepting donations by way of cash and credit cards. Checks should be made payable to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. 

List of more organizations at Pilotonline.com.

The Virginia Beach General Assembly Delegation will hold a town hall meeting on transportation Wednesday, May 7, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers, located on the 2nd floor of Building 1 at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, 2401 Courthouse Drive.

The Delegation is interested in obtaining public input on transportation funding.  Discussions will include regional and state-wide issues, the road construction and transit projects needed to reduce congestion in our region and any other transportation issues citizens may wish to provide input on. 
Details at VBGov.com.

The second law, which applies statewide, requires local government officers and certain local government employees to list all real property in which they have an ownership interest — regardless of its location — and to name any co-owners of that property. Currently, state law requires the officials to disclose only property they own in the jurisdiction where they serve and in any contiguous county, city or town.
Article at Washington Post’s Loudon Extra.

I think there’s another way,” Councilman Louis Jones said.

Council members Tuesday heard from about a dozen boat owners and Virginia Beach’s Commissioner of Revenue Phil Kellam. All blasted the boat tax increase.

Read & comment at Pilotonline.com.