As mentioned previously “Indigo Dunes has attracted the attention of Environmental Attorneys, Scientists, Engineers & Planners from around the country who collectively have decades worth of experience”.

Here’s some of the documentation that was presented at the hearing that will undoubtedly be used going forward in this process:

Introduction of SDCC’s Argument [2pg PDF]
SDCC’s Argument [13pg PDF] Note: Several dozen pages of supporting docs to this Argument will be made available.
Dr. Maynard H. Schaus Statement [1pg PDF]
A Wildlife Argument [5pg PDF]

VIMS Report on 06-2601 [9pg PDF]
Planning Department Comments [3pg PDF]

There was significantly more information presented including dozens of pages of supporting resources, verbatim testimony & more that will be made available to the public in the future.

Diamondback Terrapin Nest on Pleasure House Point.

Two raccoons tested positive for rabies yesterday evening. The raccoons attacked two pets, a cat in the Chick?s Beach area and a dog on Wolfsnare Road.  The cat will be placed in isolation for six months because it wasn?t vaccinated for rabies.  ~From Betsy

We apologize for the late notice but as you can see, it was just announced!
Release Date:  Friday, June 15, 2007 11 a.m.

The community is invited to attend a Citizen Information Meeting on Phases II and III of the Shore Drive Improvement Projects (CIP Projects 2-116, 2-117 and 2-200)  on Tuesday, June 19, 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Hermitage Elementary School, 1701 Pleasure House Road.

More at VBGov.com about Meeting.
Public Works Capital Project Detail Sheet.

Public Works Project Manager: Heather Ham
[encode=hmham@vbgov.com?Subject=Shore Drive]Email her[/encode] or phone her at 385-4131 to learn more.

When: June 13, 7pm to 8:30pm
Where: Virginia Beach Central Library Auditorium
What: Disaster Preparedness Primer presented by the American Red Cross.

The program will focus on how to prepare our communities and work in concert with state agencies to support our individual neighborhoods.

Anglers get $5 for calling in a catch, or $20 if they keep the fish on ice for scientists to retrieve.
From CBF.org’s Blog.

Appeal is currently scheduled for Wednesday, July 25, 2007, 9:30AM.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Virginia Beach Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Board will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, June 25, 2007, at 11:00 a.m., in the Council Chambers of the City Hall Building, Municipal Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia, at which time the following applications will be heard:
OLD BUSINESS:

1. SANDLER AT INDIGO BAY LLC – Variance to Sec. 106 of the CBPA Ordinance on
107.12 acres by plat located along MARLIN BAY DR., also known as proposed
project INDIGO DUNES. GPIN 1489-47-2243 DISTRICT 4? BAYSIDE

At VBGov.com.
And there’s more…

No further info is available right now.
This was confirmed by Environmental Engineer Justin Worrell of VMRC.

If you attended the workshop about turning the boat ramp into a dredge material transfer station, the part about “…would also remain available for private neighborhood dredging projects after the City project is finished” was apparently clarified.

From Cookie Ketcham, VBCERT Coordinator:
Hi Everyone!  The Virginia Beach Community Emergency Response Team, in conjunction with the Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries, will be offering a Boater Safety class, open to the public, at the Fire Training Center, 927 So. Birdneck Road, Tuesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 27 from 6:30 pm ? 9:30 pm both nights.

Updated June 4th, 2007 at 8:44am.

VMRC Appeal Meeting Info from the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall website which is sponsored by the Virginia Department of Planning & Budget.

[Note: if you are viewing this over the weekend…we checked on the statement we of course will be checking on the statement “This meeting has been canceled” that is posted there. No worries, we were assured we would be kept in the loop. According to Justin Worrell, the VMRC Rep, the hearing is still currently schedule for June 27th.]

According to SailVirginia2007.com Ships will begin to rendezvous at the official Sail Virginia 2007 anchorage location off East Beach, Ocean View, starting at 10 am on Thursday, June 7. Sooo….seems they might be visible from our beaches starting an hour or more before![?]

Uruguay’s tall ship Capitan Miranda, captured at Lisbon during the 50th Anniversary Tall Ships’ Race. [From Flickr.com] She’s one of the Tall Ships that’s coming.

Thanks for the info Susan & Empsy!

LRNow has a project on next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 4, 5, and 6 from 4:00-6:00 PM. They’re looking for volunteers who would help with transplanting Spartina alterniflora plugs into a wetland restoration area in Crab Creek at the Virginia Beach City Boat Ramp on the west side of the Lesner Bridge at the mouth of the Lynnhaven. 

The city has choices to make, too. Should we change how we evaluate development proposals? Do we need a new approach to stormwater management?
Tuesday, June 19 at 7:15 ? 9 p.m. in the Virginia Beach Convention Center.
Learn more at VBGov.com.

The state commission is tentatively scheduled to hear the Indigo Dunes case on June 27, said Justin Worrell, an environmental engineer for the agency.

Read & comment on article at Pilotonline.com.

Thanks to Mr. Joel Rubin for supplying us with their appeal notice of Wetlands Board recent decision on Indigo Dunes.

According to the letter, it appears their legal team has expanded to include Mr. John W. Daniel II and Mr. John K. Byrum Jr. of Troutman Sanders.

Yesterday, the group behind Indigo Dunes decided to Appeal the Wetlands Board decision.

As those who attended the Wetlands Board Hearing now knows, Indigo Dunes has attracted the attention of Environmental Attorneys, Scientists, Engineers & Planners from around the country who collectively have decades worth of experience in evaluating issues such as those that were presented at the Hearing.

Please view the 2 page PDF  which was an introduction for only one of the fact based arguments in opposition to the proposed project.

In the near future, we’ll be making public virtually all information presented at the Hearing.

I’m sorry to report that, for the third summer since I first wrote about this issue, …will not have the added protection these flashing signals would provide.

Read, comment on Pilot Warrior article at Pilotonline.com.

Apparently the author[s] of an editorial in today’s Virginian-Pilot wasn’t at the Wetlands Board Hearing Monday, hasn’t read the verbatim transcript & isn’t familiar with the City, State & Federal statutes that the Board is required to follow by law.

It also appears the Joint Permit Application for the proposed project, relevant & best science was not taken into consideration either.

Some highlights of the editorial include:

+ their focus on protecting wetlands that don’t deserve it undermines their credibility
+ The problem is that the wetlands being protected by the board’s decision do little to protect either the Bay or the Lynnhaven.
+ But in this case, by serving a smaller good – protecting wetlands – the board harmed the greater cause of water quality. And in order to halt Indigo Dunes, opponents – many of them residents of Ocean Park – must perversely advocate the continued pollution of the Lynnhaven.

Read & comment on the editorial at Pilotonline.com.