Mark your calendar for our September Public Meeting, 8:00 AM at Dockside Inn on Thursday, September 6th.  Bill Johnston, City of Virginia Beach Public Works, will give us an update on recent and upcoming city stormwater improvements and our Volunteer of the Year for 2007 will be awarded.

The planned BAC Design Subcommittee Meeting scheduled for September has been canceled.

The next subcommittee meeting will be held on October 16 at 8:00 AM at a place to be determined.

On Friday September 7, 2007 The National Association of State Park Directors will be meeting from September 4-7 in Williamsburg for their annual conference.

On September 7th, the conference participants will be our guest at First Landing State Park from 9:30-3:00 p.m.
We will need volunteers to assist with various jobs. Such as….

Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC)- General Meeting

Monday August 27, 2007

7:30pm to 9:00pm

Ocean Park Fire & Rescue Hall

Elizabeth, an aide to a Councilman in Alexandria Va, forwarded the following info about tightening up the law so it’s clearer for both pedestrians & drivers alike. [Note: This will not affect Shore Drive.]

The law that needs fine tuning is about pedestrian crosswalks on streets with the speed limit of 25mph or lower. Currently, it is somewhat confusing as drivers are to yield to pedestrians in cross walks.

The recommended changes will help make the law clearer.

“There was no saving it,’ Hutcheson said.

Read article at Pilotonline.com.
BayvilleGolfClub.com.

Today, Sunday, Aug 19, another person was approached at the Food Lion by a man fitting the same description (George Hamilton look-alike) asking for money because he left his wallet on his boat and needed gas to get home.  She gave him $20.00.  When he asked her for her name and address so he could send her a check, she got suspicious and didn’t give it to him.  A resident of Cape Story by the Sea witnessed it and explained to her what had happened here just days before. They got the license number and it was in fact the same as our previous resident reported.

Check out previous post about the scam. Spread the word.
Thanks to Cape Story’s Neighborhood Watch for the info.

Watch for a White Male – 5’10- 11”- – Approx 50 Years Old. Dark Hair with some gray.
Very tan with mirrored silver sunglasses ( Looks Like George Hamilton).

Read more to find out the scam…

Just saw what appeared to be an accident where a vehicle rear ended another one in the new merge lane coming east bound from First Court.

Dear Shore Drive Residents,

If you haven’t heard or read, on Tuesday City Council decided to appeal the Virginia Marine Resource Commission decision that allowed the Sandlers to destroy 1.5 acres of wetlands on their proposed Indigo Dunes project.  More information on this subject can be found at the following link.  Visit the pilot article and post a comment.

Link to article.

If you have an opportunity, send City Council an email thanking them for making this decision.  Send the email to [encode=ctycncl@vbgov.com?Subject=Thank you from SDCC.info]CtyCncl@VbGov.com[/encode]  This email address will get to all Council members.

And most importantly, a special thank you to those who took the time to send over 100 emails and make personal phone pleas requesting Council support this action.  Your voice is being heard.  As you are finding out, this will be a long struggle, but with your continued support, truth and reason will prevail.

Sincerely,

Todd Solomon
Shore Drive Community Coalition – President

Visit http://www.sdcc.info for additional information regarding the Bay front area.

?We felt strongly we should investigate all avenues,? Councilman Ron Villanueva said after the appeal was announced at Tuesday?s council meeting.

Thank you City Council.

Read & comment on article at Pilotonline.com.

In their Editorial entitled “Wetlands debate flips means and ends”, the author suggests doing just that.

As you all know by now…
The law of the Commonwealth, and the City Ordinance derived from that law, clearly states that projects that propose to fill wetlands:
1. must reduce impacts to wetlands to the minimum necessary,
2. must be water-dependent,
3. the public and private benefits of the project must outweigh the public and private detriments.

By Law, all three conditions mentioned above, must be met to grant a permit to destroy wetlands.

While much of the public debate centered on the latter, and there can be reasonable disagreement on these issues, the former two approval conditions can not be met by the Indigo Dunes proposal.

Read & comment on editorial in the Pilotonline.com.

Stay current with Pleasure House Point news.
Learn more about emailing City Council to encourage them to appeal the VMRC decision.

Photo of one area that would be destroyed if the existing wetlands law would be ignored.
[Note: this is an archive photo taken before it was illegal to walk on the private property called Pleasure House Point. Please respect their property rights, do not trespass.]

Visit The Virginia Conservation Network to view their 2007 Briefing Book and to learn more about the organization who’s goal is simply:

“It doesn’t look like it will cause a problem with the bridge,” said Shana Conley, manager of the transfer station project. If a problem arises, she added, the city would reroute the trucks to Independence Boulevard, so they wouldn’t cross the Lesner Bridge.

Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.

Clean Community Commission’s August Issue. [ 1pg PDF]

We are writing to remind you that we will be closing the application period for our new staff position soon and appreciate your referrals.  If there is someone you know who would be great in this position, please encourage him or her to submit his application soon.  We will be accepting applications through August 16, 2007.
View Info Packet. [ 2pg PDF ]
LynnhavenRiverNow.org.

Mr. Schick is wrong in that the Wetlands Board held an extended hearing of data presented by Mr. Sandler’s representatives, which was overwhelmingly refuted by professional and expert witnesses who had thoroughly reviewed the Sandler proposal and data. Mr. Bowman is wrong in concluding that the public benefit superseded the Wetlands Board’s concern. Further, it is beyond the scope of VMRC’s authority to make such a determination.

We in Ocean Park do not deny Mr. Sandler’s right to develop his property, within the limits of local, state, regional and federal guidelines. A city agency has voted that his proposal does not comply in its present form. We encourage the City of Virginia Beach to stand behind its dedicated servants.
Letter to City Council requesting they appeal. [ 3pg PDF ]

Attend!

BAC August Mtg Agenda [ 2pg PDF ]

Note: Meeting location Thursday, August 16, 2007 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Frank W. Cox High School Library.

An excerpt from one article:
Almost every day I hear someone say or read in the paper “I wish our neighborhood wasn’t lacking this or I think the city should have handled it this way. “ You don’t have to wish we have in our power an opportunity to be part of the process, to learn about what is available and how we can achieve our neighborhood goals.

The Community Advocate [ 8pg PDF ]

On Aug 8, our cat Buck became lost. We were trying the PetStop electronic fence, but Buck paniced and escaped during training. He is wearing a bright red collar with a PetStop receiver and dragging a red leash. He is large, very furry and brown striped, but shy around strangers.

Please call Jack or Marion at 496-3823 or 754-9507 if you spot him.