Observations/Notes from SDAC meeting on 7/13/06

SDAC held brief general meeting prior to 2 presentations.  Items to note during general meeting:

  * Clay Bernick mentioned that there is still no approved funding for the Safety Task Force reccommended improvements.
  * City Staff asked for $1 million but no dedicated funding stream has been identified.

According to the article, a “community development authority” would need to be created to take out about $85M in bonds to pay for necessary public improvements.

Virginia Beach was named Number Six among the Best Big Cities and Arlington topped the Best Educated Cities.

See the scoop at CNNMoney.com.
More at WTKR.com.

We need folks to sign an online petition at this website:
Link to petition.

Here’s the deal:  All of the Va Beach wildlife rehabbers have to get a STATE PERMIT allowing them to rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife.  But, if a neighbor gripes, the person then applies for a CITY PERMIT that allows them to have a wildlife refuge on their property.

An excellent article in the City’s City Page promotes being safer on Shore Drive.

Read the 1-page PDF.

An article at WTKR.com quotes Barry Knight, chairman of the Virginia Beach Planning Commission. Knight said, from what he’s seen of the plan, it looks like one of the best projects at the beach.

Congratulations to Louis Jones for unanimously being re-elected as Vice Mayor.

A unanimous City Council on Tuesday re-elected council member Louis Jones to a second two-year term as vice mayor.

Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.

Lynnhaven River 2007 Volunteers,

I hope you have all received your invitation to subMERGED, the event we are co-sponsoring with the Contemporary Art Center on July 28 from 7:00-10:00.

Dredging is a business with ugly tools, befitting the fact that they have no application other than to scrape gunk from the bottom of waterways. Just ask the residents in Virginia Beach’s Long Creek Cove condominiums.

Read the Pilot Warrior article.

Unfortunately, they’re being used by VDOT in Zuni and not on Shore Drive as was discussed at the SDSTF meetings.

You’ve also noticed the creative line painting used on Atlantic Avenue in the Northend where Shore Drive connects to it at the edge of First Landing State Park.

Curious about Indigo Dunes and Point Chesapeake projects?

You might want to be as they’ll change the Bayfront community forever.

Attend the SDAC meeting on July 13th at their new location for this meeting.

More at VBGov.com.

Through Labor Day, boaters in the Lynnhaven Watershed can have their sewage holding tanks pumped out free of charge on Saturdays and Sundays by calling 460-4253.

Learn more at VBGov.com.

“We are concerned that it’s just a matter of time before someone gets hurt,” said Sam Meekins Jr., president of the Central Business District Association.

Article in Pilotonline.com.

22-year-old man who was struck by an SUV on Shore Drive in a hit-and-run on June 25 has died.

Larry Paul Bryant Jr. died at 4:06 a.m. Tuesday at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, police said.
Article in Pilotonline.com.

Don’t have to ask me twice to eat as many oysters and clams as I can.

Check out LynnhavenRiver2007.org to learn more about their program to collect oyster/clam shells by eating at select restaurants and also, how you can drop them off locally – at Bubba’s Shellfish Company.

There’s been some interesting discussion in the Comments section of Jon Glass’s article posted at Pilotonline.com.

In the Pilot’s unscientific Poll, 67% of respondents are against the project.
More Indigo Dunes project info at SDCC.info.

Thanks to Beverly for her email/opinion published, unedited below:
Subject: “Doggie Beach”
There are so many dogs on the Bay Beach between Great Neck Rd. and the Lesner Bridge that people call it Doggie Beach.

The coward who hit Bryant and left him by the side of the road, like an injured animal, was still missing in action.
Read Kerry Dougherty’s article.

Salmons Inc. , a Virginia Beach marine contractor, was fined Tuesday for the second time in two months for illegally dredging local waterways and causing environmental harm to them.

Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.
Learn about the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Some cities have used their own workers and resources to remove signs. Illegal signs are removed daily in Virginia Beach, James said.

Apparently the signs are replaced everyday in exactly the same place.

Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.