The commission will hear the appeal by L.M. Sandler & Sons, developers of the 1,063-home Indigo Dunes project, at 9:30 a.m. July 25 at the VMRC office, 2600 Washington Ave. in Newport News.
Read & comment on article at Pilotonline.com.
Google Map to VMRC.

The Subcommittee will be considering preliminary concepts being developed by the City’s consultant team for Phases II and II improvement projects planned for Shore Drive, and developing a series of draft recommendations and comments on these concepts.  The draft recommendations and comments will be brought forward for consideration by the full Bayfront Advisory Committee at its meeting scheduled for July 19, and ultimately will be forwarded by the Committee to the City’s Project Management Team for consideration.
Learn more at VBGov.com.

Lynnhaven River NOW with Virginia DARE Soil and Water Conservation District are offering a workshop on RAIN BARRELS.

A rain barrel is an easy way to reduce the stormwater runoff from your property and make the water available for irrigating your garden. In the workshop you will be constructing a rain barrel that you can take home with you.

Entire magazine is available at VBGov.com including articles about BAC’s Kal Kassir & June Barrett-McDaniels and a couple guys who are successfully raising oysters in the Lynnhaven.

Looks like a fun day at First Landing with Scheduled Events including Pooch Photos, Doggie Day Spa, K-9 Officer Demo, Fido Fashion Show, lots of exhibits, Kids crafts and concessions.

Please read on to find out how you can volunteer.

From Stacey at Resort & Conference Center:
We are having another Blood Drive on Tuesday, July 10th 1:00 PM ? 7:00 PM here at the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel and conference center. We had an incredible turnout in February with 25 first time donors and 35 pints collected.

Please come out and donate.

The Red Cross is giving out some cool t-shirts and everyone who donates will be eligible to enter a drawing to win a jeep Cherokee!
Check out the flyer! [1pg PDF]

Stop by on your way home from work!

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) respectfully requests the Commission to consider moving the time and location of the July 25th appeal hearing of the Virginia Beach Wetlands Board decision of Sandler at Indigo Bay, L.L.C.

And…

In addition, CBF believes that the public interest in this matter is similar to that in the Consol Coal Permit for which the Commission held an evening meeting at a public location.

Read the entire letter. [1pg PDF]
About CBF in Hampton Roads.

Shore Drive Community Coalition
2260 First Landing Lane
Virginia Beach, VA 23451

July 5, 2007

Honorable Steven G. Bowman
Commissioner of Marine Resources
Honorable Jack Travelstead

Virginia Marine Resources Commission
2600 Washington Ave., 3rd Floor
Newport News, Virginia 23607

Commissioner Bowman,

On behalf of the Shore Drive Community Coalition, a group of 32 civic and condo associations representing more than 8000 Virginia Beach City residents, we would like to formally request that the scheduled 7/25/07 public hearing for the Appeal of Sandler at Indigo Bay, L.L.C. decision by the Virginia Beach Wetlands Board be held in the evening and at a location in Virginia Beach.

This proposed project is a very important issue for the Lynnhaven River community as exemplified by the large number of letters and emails sent to the Virginia Beach Wetlands Board and attendance of over 100 residents at the Wetlands Board hearing.  Many of these individuals spoke to the Wetlands Board and presented their concerns regarding the project and how it would impact them personally as well their concern with the potential for negative impact on the waterway which many consider to be one of the jewels of Virginia Beach.

Whereas it would be very difficult for the majority of the individuals who are concerned about this project to attend a morning meeting in Newport News, we feel that having the meeting in the evening in Virginia Beach would provide the best opportunity for the Commission to obtain sufficient public input, if deemed appropriate, on this project prior to making their decision.  With this in mind, we respectfully request that the public hearing be held in the evening at a location such as Cox High School.

The SDCC has asked the Sandlers for support of this request for relocation, but regrettably they have declined.

We understand that off site hearings are rare but have been used in the past on large precedent setting cases and especially in cases where there is a demonstrated broad public concern regarding the project.  We hope that you will thoughtfully consider this request and look forward to your response.  I can be reached at 757-869-5447 if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Todd R. Solomon (See original for signature)
Todd Solomon
Shore Drive Community Coalition, President

Please Email your request for change:[encode=steve.bowman@mrc.virginia.gov, jack.travelstead@mrc.virginia.gov,tsolanic@gmail.com, todd@sdcc.info]Email Mr. Bowman & Mr. Travelstead.[/encode]

The following was received by one of our residents:

There are a group of underage high school grads that are parking illegally around Calvert / First Landing Streets and drinking on the beach.

The vehicles they normally drive are a large white older Cadillac, 4 door, VA plates, KJC-8372, and a older style silver or gold Jeep Cherokee, 4 door, VA plates, ADY-4684.  The man who drives the Cadillac is about 19 years old and has friends on Calvert and First Landing that he hangs out with.

Special thanks to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for emailing an Action Alert to their members to reach out to VMRC to hold the Hearing in a Virginia Beach location!

Go to CBF.org/IndigoDunes to email VMRC.
Read the Meeting Alert. If you subscribe to CBF’s Action Network you’ve received an email about Indigo Dunes.

Learn more about CBF’s Action Network.

When was the last time you didn’t signal each and every one of your directional intentions?  If you don’t know or simply haven’t given it much thought, you may want to review the attached… one example is $1050 CIVIL fine [$350/year for 3 years] + 3rd degree misdemeanor (permanent civil record) for first offense IMPROPER SIGNAL.

Renaissance Park, recently approved by City Council and half as dense as the proposed Indigo Dunes was the topic of an editorial in today’s paper. The editorial ended with statements about Indigo Dunes.

Neighbors there have no interest in discussing the project. They simply want the Lynnhaven River development to go away.

Apparently the author of the editorial does not understand all sides of the issues.
Read and comment on the editorial at Pilotonline.com.

2 Loggerheads & 1 Kemps Ridley were released.
Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.
Fred the loggerhead’s MySpace page.

The Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations will hold its monthly general membership meeting at 7:00pm on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, 1000 19th Street. The meeting is open to open to the public and there is no charge to attend.  No registration is required.

Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC)- General Meeting Monday June 25, 2007 7:30pm to 9:00pm Ocean Park Fire & Rescue Hall.

This month,  Dr. Shiflett will be presenting a proposed expansion to the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel and Conference Center.  The plan includes adding 2 additional floors on top of the existing structure for condo units and converting the top 2 existing floors to condo units.

…My client has every intention of proceeding before your Board, however, in light of the number of deferrals that have been granted previously, and our desire not to have staff or the City incur any additional costs in advertising until we are certain of a final determination respecting the wetlands by VMRC and the Wetlands Board, I would ask to withdraw this application.

Read entire letter. [1pg PDF]

Construction has started! Handicap access is closer than ever, the big machines and wood pilings are on the bay and construction has started on the Sandalwood Walkover.   
Thanks for the info Empsy.

The waters were calm on Tuesday as workers prepared 215 of the cylinder piles for new, snug-fitting jackets. The wrapping is lined with wiring and connected to zinc anodes below the water, a method called cathodic protection.
Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.

When they wade into the Lynnhaven Inlet, fishermen feel like they?re walking in the wake of their ancestors. ?People have been fishing there for 400 years, since the first landing,? said Mark Feltner, who heads a group fighting to maintain coastal access for the public.
Read entire Pilot Warrior article.
Virginia Coastal Access Now, or VCAN.

Photo of actual plans for the facility. [Click image for larger view.]

Red line is approximate path of dump trucks. [Click image to enlarge.]

Aerial shot from Google Maps.
[The dump trucks will be sharing the northern parking lot and the only entrance/exit to the entire boat ramp. More pics to follow.]

Above is one image from the proposed plans to turn the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp into a Dredge Spoil Transfer Station too.

The current info available includes:
+ Western Branch of Lynnhaven needs dredged
+ The facility proposed for the Boat Ramp could be permanent or temporary
+ Facility could be in use from 6 months – 2 years – undetermined
+ Barges docking at the facility could be 40-65 feet long
+ Unclear how long barges would block boat channel while unloading
+ Unclear who company would be who would operate barges, dump trucks & facility
+ Dump trucks operating from the facility could be 40-60 on any given day
+ Dump trucks would follow gravel path in above image & share Boat Ramp with other traffic
+ Dump trucks would carry material to an existing facility located near Oceana Blvd
+ Time of year facility would be in use is unclear
+ One lane of the Lesner Bridge would probably be closed for trucking operation as has been done in the past
+  Opinion of various regulatory agencies that need to be involved is unclear

[VBGov.com Official Project Page checked September 25th, 2007 10:56am]
Official Page at VBGov.com for proposed project.
Includes links to:

+ Main Channel Map
+ Transfer Station Map
+ Disposal Area Map
+ Project Status Page for W. B. Lynnhaven River Dredging
+ CIP Project Status

View entire photo here. [1 pg PDF]