VMRC’s Section 28.2-1311 through 28.2-1313 of the Virginia Code re: wetlands board appeals is the code.

Deadline for Indigo Dunes’ appeal is Thursday, May 31st 2007.

About the clean up including info how to sign up at CBF.org.

?For me it?s a ritual. I?m dedicated and I?m going to do it. I enjoy it,? he said. ?It?s my small part, so I feel like it?s a necessity.?
An old friend explains why he does it.

Pilotonline.com article about a Number of Beach restaurants going smoke-free growing including our very own Chick’s Oyster Bar, Hot Tuna Grill & Bar, Shorebreak Pizza Sports & Billiards, & others. It’s ironic they chose the above photo for the article.

Dear Shore Drive Residents,

If you haven’t heard already, the Wetlands Board voted 4-3 against approval of the Indigo Dunes project on Pleasure House Point in Ocean Park.  The next step for the developer will be to either appeal to the VMRC or to submit a new plan via a Joint Permit Application to the Wetlands Board.

This disapproval of the proposed 1,063 unit plan would not have been possible without the overwhelming community involvement.  The residents of Shore Drive and those that treasurer the environment should be commended on a job well done.  The following is just a few examples of the broad range of opposition actions that were required to help make this decision happen.

  * 150 emails sent in opposition to the project.  (personal note: I was impressed that over 80% of these emails were written in the senders own words)
  * 120 residents attended the Wetland Board hearing as a sign of their opposition.
  * Over 20 Cape Henry Collegiate students attend the Wetlands Board hearing in opposition.
  * Over 20 residents spoke in opposition at the hearing.  (personal note: I was pleased with the professionalism of the community’s discussion)
  * Presentation, discussion and rebuttal required over 5 hours at the hearing before a vote was taken.  (personal note: I was impressed that a large number of residents were able to stay the duration)
  * Environmental groups expressed their opposition at the hearing.
  * Professor from Virginia Wesleyan expressed opposition via a letter read at the hearing.
  * A bus was chartered to take attendees to and from City Hall.
  * Thousands of dollars have been collected and are still being pledged to help defeat this project.

Once again, on behalf of the Shore Drive Community Coalition, thank you for your efforts in making this vote happen.  Please pass this on to your friends to let them know there is hope and to help motivate them into getting involved the next time we have to rally the opposition.

Sincerely,

Todd Solomon
Shore Drive Community Coalition – President

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

If you missed the concert at Relative Theory Records on Sunday you can still listen to some of the bands that played there.

Just a reminder that the next Hearing currently scheduled for the proposed Indigo Dunes is before the Ches Bay Area Preservation Board on June 25th.

We imagine the project might not be heard. Stay tuned.
Previously at SDCC.info.

“I’m surprised,” said R.J. Nutter II, the attorney who represented brothers Art and Steve Sandler.

Read the entire article “Wetlands Board rejects Indigo Dunes project” and comment at Pilotonline.com.

A tragic accident where ?Either he had a big fish or something snagged it away from the bottom,? Nedelka said, ?but he went in the water for the pole.?

The man?s companion, watching from the boat, apparently became worried that his friend was in distress, so ?he went in after him.?

Shortly after, however, the second man slipped below the water?s surface.
Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.

Reprinted here with permission:

###

Imagine L.E.A.R.N. on Pleasure House Point

Imagine L.E.A.R.N. The Lynnhaven Environmental Area Research Network or the McLesky Center for Learning, or the Sandler Center for Learning or another appropriate name for it’s mission: Restoring historical Pleasure House Point[PHP] to its environmental glory.

July 1945 Princess Anne County Soil Survey. “T” = Tidal Wetlands
View larger image.
[Image added May 22nd.]

Though the applicant has stated in the joint permit application (JPA) that 1,063 residential units are necessary to make the project financially viable, no economic analysis has been provided to justify this level of build-out. The scale of the development directly affects the degree to which avoidance and minimization measures are successful in limiting impacts to tidal and nontidal wetlands.

Permit 06-2601 revised comments. [4pg pdf]

“I don’t feel like this is an adult issue,” she said. “It’s our future. It’s our Virginia Beach.”They have organized a seven-hour concert Saturday [Sunday] at Relative Theory Records in Norfolk. All proceeds will go toward the effort to oppose Indigo Dunes, including environmental studies, legal fees and research on alternative uses for the 69 acres.

Read entire article & comment at Pilotonline.com.
About the concert.

Here is a one page flyer [pdf], which gives a brief overview of how the proposed revisions will affect R5R properties.

Interested in speaking at the Wetlands Board Hearing Monday?

[encode=NoIndigoDunes@gmail.com?Subject=WB Speaker]Email this link with your full name, address & phone number[/encode] and we’ll submit it for you.
Note: We will only share this information with the City Clerk at the Hearing Monday.

The next meeting of the Bayfront Advisory Committee will be held at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, May 17, at the Bayside Community Recreation Center. More at VBGov.com.

Just a reminder for those who noticed there was no public notice today in the Beacon for the hearing Monday – it is confirmed, deferred items, like Indigo Dunes, are not re-advertised in the paper.

See you all down there Monday.

In the 2400 block, where the curves are most dramatic, everybody’s got a story about the time a car landed in the front yard. Or, in the case of the Conner and Wagoner families, the time a car landed inside the house. “The problem is not the 94 percent who drive the speed limit,” Mary Wagoner said. “It’s the rest of them; they all end up in my yard.”
Read entire Pilot Warrior article.

Meeting canceled. New date not yet chosen. The citizens of Virginia Beach are invited to the Bayside Public Library on Wednesday, May 30, at 7 p.m. for an informational briefing on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers? Norfolk District?s plans for native oyster restoration in the Lynnhaven River. 

The Army Corps, in conjunction with its federal, state and local partners, plans to embark on the first phase of the multi-year restoration efforts this summer. 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the so called R5R Debate has been changed to a presentation & questions & answer forum. The Building Area Ration or B.A.R. will be presented from inspiration behind the idea to the current details of the proposed changes. Public information & discussions related to the process & current results will also be discussed. Plan on attending this month’s meeting to learn more.

A mostly silent City Council cut the real estate tax rate to 89 cents Tuesday night over the pleas of 19 residents and two council members who wanted to slash the rate further. The council agreed to the rate as it adopted its $1.7 billion budget for fiscal 2008.

Read entire article & comment at Pilotonline.com.