But after several hours of debate in front of a large crowd, council members voted to defer the matter in a 6-3 vote .

Read entire article.
Learn more.

A state panel approved two projects Tuesday designed to restore oysters to the Chesapeake Bay ? one to help disappearing native stocks, the other to continue experiments with an Asian species.

Read entire article.

Notes from Dorinda who attended the SDAC Meeting on March 17th.
Thank you!

Good News from the SDAC: There has been a major cleanup by volunteers along Shore Drive.  Lots more to do. More volunteers would be welcome.
Clay Bernick, city planner announced that 45 live oaks had been transplanted from the site next to Chesapeake House and all are doing well to date.

Monday March 28, 2005
7:30pm to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Fire & Rescue Hall

This is a meeting reminder for the SDCC general meeting for March.  Even though it is the day after Easter and the first day of Spring Break, I hope most of you can still make it.  There are several important topics to discuss. 

City’s plans to move ahead with the redesign and construction of the Lesner Bridge – What should be the SDCC’s position?

More info from March 8th article about Parks & Rec funding proposed to be killed.

Dear Cindy Curtis,

Late yesterday, U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) withdrew a proposed amendment to the Senate Budget resolution that would put the Senate on record as favoring $90 million appropriation in FY 2006 for LWCF State Assistance. The proposal was finalized late yesterday afternoon, leading to an urgent call for advocacy by NRPA members and others. Yielding to pressure from budget committee leaders and the uncertainty of passage, the amendment was withdrawn.

Undoubtedly you’ve heard about the City not being able to afford the approximate asking price of $25 million for buying Pleasure House Point.

You may not have heard about the proposed Bus Rapid Transit system at the Ocean Front being championed by Councilman Maddox that would cost at least $33 million.

A federally funded consortium of various universities, institutions, the Maryland Waterman’s Association with help from a lab at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is working on raising blue crabs to be released into the bay.  [thanks to Richard for the info about the article!]

The following article, written by Jim Morrison, appeared in the March 17th 2005 issue of Portfolio Weekly.

An excerpt:
It also placed an annual premium on real estate along that Bay at $2.3 billion ? $3.9 billion in today?s dollars. Overall, it declared the 1987 value of the Bay to be an estimated $678 billion ? or $1.15 trillion today.

The details discussed in this article can also easily explain how critical it is to protect, from an economic value, the Lynnhaven Watershed, significant trees & even open space as it relates to at minimum the immediate Shore Drive Area.

Please let us know ASAP if you are interested and available to help:
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Hampton Roads Office at (757) 622-1964 ext. 300 or [encode=rsvp@cbf.org]email the CBF[/encode].

Where is Osprey Point Nature Park?
It’s proposed to be located directly next to the City Marina in Ocean Park at the base of the west side of the Lesner Bridge. The ‘old spoils site’.

Urge Congress to Fund LWCF State Assistance program; Vital to Public Parks and Recreation

The President has proposed terminating the Land and Water Conservation Fund state assistance program (LWCF) in the FY 2006 budget proposal ($91.5 million in matching funds was granted to the states last year and over $544 million in the past four years).

Please navigate to the National Parks & Recreation Association’s website to send an email in support of funding this program.

On March 5th a number of neighbors cleaned up an area on Urchin Road that is a paper street.

“We were amazed to find many live oaks buried under vines and briars.  Here’s a before and after photo. we’re not finished cleaning up, but we think the trees look great and we hope they will be healthier.”

Just a few minutes ago the City Council in their Preliminary Session placed the Ordinance:
“Resolution to establish the public’s interest in Cape Henry Beach and authorize acceptance of dedicated public beach easements regarding implementation of a beach erosion plan.” [discussed here]

on the Council’s Consent agenda which means it is grouped with other Ordinances and is generally voted on favorably.

Dear Madame Mayor and City Council Members,

On behalf of the Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC), I formally request that you approve the resolution being considered at the March 8th City Council Session regarding Cape Henry Beach.  The approval of this resolution is the first step toward a much needed sand replenishment program for the beaches located East of the Lesner Bridge.  A public easement and sand replenishment program will benefit the local residents as well as the entire City and implement a program currently recommended by the Beaches and Waterways Management Plan.  The SDCC also suggests that a Task Force be created to help maintain the momentum of this initiative.  The specifics of this Task Force have been included [below].

Thank you for your consideration in approving this “everyone wins” resolution.

Todd Solomon
Shore Drive Community Coalition – President

Formation of Cape Henry Beach Sand Replenishment and Beach Ownership Task Force. [Word Doc.]

?My son still talks about the day we saved a bunch of live oaks,? Wood said. ?He?s kind of a barometer of our community. If we can get more people aware of how important these trees are, that?s a good thing.?

Villaire agreed. ?I think they?re one of the great jewels we have here in Virginia Beach,? she said. ?It?d be a shame to lose them.?

Read entire article at Pilotonline.com.

This Tuesday March 8th City Council will vote on a resolution regarding sand replenishment along Cape Henry Beach.  Sand Replenishment and public beach easements were one of the SDCC’s priorities and goals for 2005.  This is a big step in allowing a portion of the Lynnhaven Inlet dredge material to be placed on the beaches East of the Lesner Bridge.

If all things go well, the beaches East of the bridge may receive sand during the 2007 dredging.

The Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation is seeking citizen input on a draft ordinance regulating where parking on lawns will be permitted in the City of Virginia Beach.

You’re probably aware there was an Open Space Sub-Committee meeting held yesterday at Bayside Rec Center.

The Sub-Committee was looking for feedback on which properties to purchase for Open Space in the Bayside area and obviously Pleasure House Point was the overwhelming choice.

We have been terrible stewards of this natural treasure. Decades of inattention, as well as relentless encroachment have spoiled the watershed. The river is far too important to Virginia Beach, to the region, and to the Chesapeake Bay to allow it to deteriorate further.

This is a reminder for all Civic League and Condo Associations,

The City’s Open Space Subcommittee will hold a Community Involvement Workshop for the Bayfront area on Monday February 28th at the Bayside Recreation Center.  The meeting will be held in room #3. 

The Open Space Subcommittee will have it’s general meeting from 3:00 to 4:00pm and will follow with a Community Involvement Workshop from 4:00 to 5:30pm.