View article at Pilotonline.com:
It also faces the costliest damage from today’s conditions, according to the city’s new sea level rise study. That’s true under short-term and long-term sea level rise projections, too.
Sanitary gravity mains under Cape Henry Ditch update
From a project manager’s email about Phase 1C.2 stormwater work:
The 15-inch and 27-inch gravity sanitary sewer mains that will be relocated from under the Cape Henry Ditch to underneath Cape Henry Drive will remain gravity systems (not force mains). These mains drain down west all the way down to the Public Utilities Pump Station at Lynnhaven Colony Park.
We will be replacing the Sanitary Gravity Mains from Ebb Tide Road to Starfish Road, quite a long stretch, about 1,488 Linear Feet. The plan is to upgrade the 15-inch to 18-inch currently, but maintain the 27-inch size.
Note: Phase 1C.2 is in red.
Lynnhaven Colony Civic League Meeting – Westminster Canterbury Presentation. “All welcome, need not be a member to attend.”
Lynnhaven Colony Civic League Meeting will have a presentation by Westminster Canterbury of their proposed expansion. They propose building a 22 story building at the former Lynnhaven fishing pier with additional construction.
All welcome, need not be a member to attend.Sat, Feb 8, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Dockside Seafood & Fishing Center
SDCC General Meeting Monday Jan. 27th at 7:30pm – Storm Water Project Presentation
Click here for a printable version of the agenda 1.27.20 SDCC Agenda
SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday January 27, 2020 from 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall – 3769 East Stratford Rd
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)
Special Presentation – Storm Water Projects East of the Lesner Bridge
Public Works Engineers, Mike Mundy and Brad Vanderwarker, will provide an update and answer questions regarding improvement projects planned for the communities between the Lesner Bridge and First Landing State Park. Lynnhaven Colony, Cape Story by the Sea, Areas along Cape Henry Trail and Condos north of Shore Drive will be specifically discussed. Come learn if you area will be included in improvements and if not, what you can do to help influence Councilmembers to allocate a portion of the possible $430mil bond monies to support.
Officer’s Reports
Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Empsy Munden
President – Todd Solomon
Old Business-
Bonaventure/Windsong Development – Project update and when it go before the Planning Commission.
Electric Scooters – E-scooter will be coming back to the Bayfront area starting April 1st. Rules for operation will be restricted from last year. Learn more about the new requirements.
New Business –
Westminster-Canterbury High Rise and Memory Center Expansion – At the Nov. BAC meeting, WC presented an expansion project that included a 22 story high rise to be built at the Casa del Playa/Old Pier site and a memory center to be located on a current parking lot. All facilities are planned to be connected with pedestrian bridges crossing public streets at Ocean Shore Ave and Starfish Rd.
Shore Drive Community Coalition Future Structure – SDCC officers met and have put together a revision to our Bylaws. Some of the key changes include: tri-annual (3 times) meetings instead of monthly meetings; eliminating $25 membership dues; making officer positions flexible from minimum 2 to 4. These revisions will need to be voted on at the next upcoming meeting TBD.
Community Concerns– Please share any issues or concerns your groups/organizations may have at this time.
Civic Engagement Opportunities
Cape Henry Trail Kendall St. Retention Pond Meeting- Monday Feb. 10th the City will discuss this retention pond at the Cape Story by the Sea General Civic meeting. The meeting is held at the Lynnhaven Congregational Community Church on West Great Neck Rd at 7:30pm, all are welcome.
Sea Level Wise Public Input – The Department of Public Works will be holding six public meetings regarding the Sea Level Wise Adaptation Strategy. The closest meeting to the Bayfront will be:
February 15, 2020 – Cox High School – 2425 Shorehaven Drive – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
City Budget Citizen Discussion – Councilman John Moss will be holding public information sessions in the Bayfront area at the following dates and locations. Both meetings are held from 6:30pm to 8:00pm
• Wed March 4th at the Bayside Rec Center
• Wed March 18th at Great Neck Rec Center
Free E-Cycling & Recycling Event – Sat. January 25, 2020 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at VA Aquarium
This is a great service and you don’t even have to get out of your car so you can still drop off waste if it’s a rainy day. For more details click here or on the image above
Click here for a map to the Aquarium. East Parking Lot is away from the main building and towards the ocean.
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, in partnership with Goodwill Industries, the City of Virginia Beach Public Works and TFC Recycling, will offer its semi-annual E-cycling event at the Virginia Aquarium East Parking Lot. There is no fee to drop off items, but donations are always appreciated.
Acceptable personal electronic recyclable items include:
Personal computers and laptops
Telephones, cell phones and PDA’s
Printers
Circuit boards and components
Monitors and flat screens
Fax machines
Stereo equipment and game systems
Regular recycling materials such as newspapers, bottles and cans will also be accepted.
***Note that cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions and alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D) cannot be accepted***
Acceptable household hazardous waste items include:
Up to five gallons of liquids or up to 75 pounds of dry materials
Aerosol spray cans
Automotive fluids
Batteries: Boat, Car, Camera, Cell phone, Hearing aid, Lead acid, Lithium, Rechargeable, Trucks
Herbicides
Household cleaners
Gasoline (up to 5 gallons)
Fertilizer
Pool chemicals
Light bulbs – small quantities of CFLs or fluorescent tubes
Oil and water based paint
Pesticides
Propane tanks (small – up to 20 lb. capacity)
We want YOUR input When it comes to Sea Level Wise public meeting dates
February 15th 10am – 12pm Cox High School
Address: 2425 Shorehaven Drive
Westminster-Canterbury rendering of proposed 22 story building and more plus Modification of Conditions Application to CoVB files.
View renderings supplied to City. ( 26 page PDF)
View Westminster Canterbury Modification of Conditions Application. ( 15 page PDF )
“Virginia Beach’s new flooding models are as advanced as any in the United States”
If Virginia Beach doesn’t take action to guard the city from more extreme flooding, its bond rating could be affected, officials have said.
After the flood models are completed at the city’s Public Works Stormwater Engineering Center, work begins on designing things like tidal backflow prevention devices. As seen Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. (Stephen M. Katz)
Article has a terrific amount of info.
Our Comments(Discuss) are always open. You may remember Pilotonline.com Commenting has been turned off.
Finally, if you’re familiar with our work preserving Pleasure House Point, you may find a connection in this article.
Stormwater Engineering Center page at VBGov.com has many resources
The stormwater staff of the Public Works Department work to minimize flooding and protect the quality of Virginia Beach’s waterways by managing stormwater.
Resources include:
The City of Virginia Beach is currently updating its citywide stormwater master plan, which was first completed in the early 1990’s.
Lake Bradford & Lake Chubb Stormwater (CIP 7-053)
Current Update
RK&K was chosen to provide technical engineering services and will analyze the City’s Master Drainage stormwater model for Watershed 31 to identify drainage improvements within the Lake Bradford Drainage Basin. The stormwater model was recently completed and RK&K have begun their analysis. Lake Bradford and Chubb Lake were identified as part of Targeted Area 4 in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) developed between Norfolk, Virginia Beach, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC), and several U.S. Navy installations including Joint Expedition Base (JEB) Little Creek. Engineering design work has begun for two early drainage improvement projects.
Eastern Shore Drive Drainage Improvements
UNFUNDED DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
Section 1F – Neighborhood Storm Drain Improvements North of Shore Drive
Section 1G – Neighborhood Storm Drain Improvements South of Cape Henry Drive
Phase I, Section II Poinciana Pump Station and Outfall (Cape Story By The Sea): This project includes replacing the existing pump station on Sandalwood Road. Collection system improvements will be constructed along Sandalwood Road, Bayberry Street and Poinciana Drive. The current proposed outfall force main alignment is down the center of Maple Street.
Sea Level Wise Adaption Strategy Draft Report
Download the entire 306 page 106.6MB PDF report here.
A few highlights.
Executive Summary
In the last five years, the City of Virginia Beach has completed a comprehensive effort to develop strategies to respond to sea level rise and related increases in flooding. The study, known as Sea Level Wise, has produced a wealth of information to understand what challenges the City will face and develop diverse strategies to pro-actively reduce the impacts. This document presents the findings of the Sea Level Wise effort. . . .
Report includes:
A Call To Action
Maintaining Good Credit
The City’s flood risks are also recognized by organizations that rate the financial strength and borrowing ability of municipalities.In 2014, the credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service Inc. sent a questionnaire to the City. It asked about the City’s sea level rise vulnerabilities, expenses, and plans to address future impacts. Thanks to the newly created Sea Level Wise program, the City was able to speak to proactive flood mitigation efforts underway, stating:
“The City firmly believes that the cost of damage done by ignoring sea level rise will far exceed the cost of mitigation.”
Satisfactory responses to these questions has allowed Virginia Beach to maintain a AAA credit rating. This high credit rating is essential for the affordable financing of City improvement projects through municipal bonds.
Page 8 Introduction.
Page 18 Community Engagement.
Page 46 Aging Infrastructure.
Page 58 Where are the losses occurring. Note Shore Drive area.
Page 72 City-Wide Objectives.
Page 78 Preserve Environmental Assets.
Page 104 Regulate Building and Development.
Page 110 Support Risk Mitigating Interventions. Note: “Priority areas for supporting risk-mitigating interventions at the parcel-level.”
Page 166 Lynnhaven. Note: “Over the last 40 years, this historically
agrarian community has undergone extensive development in both commercial and residential areas. However, the loss of naturalized landscapes has only served to make flooding worse, as development has formed on manufactured land and has surrounded the numerous water ways, rivers, tributaries, and bays that make up this region.”
Page 188 West of Lesner Bridge Neighborhood Alignment.
Page 190 East of Lesner Bridge Neighborhood Alignment.
Page 200 Residential Community Education.
Page 284 Planning and Coordination.
There is a massive amount of information in this report.
“To prepare for the threat of sea level rise in the coming decades, Virginia Beach will have to consider multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects, restricting new development in some parts of the city and purchasing properties in danger of flooding, according to a new report.”
Guess one of the top areas of VB at risk.
View article at Pilotonline.com:
Flooding in Virginia Beach is influenced by a host of factors. More intense rainfall, increased development on vulnerable lands and aging infrastructure have all contributed to more severe floods in recent years.
Police: VB man arrested for string of robberies around Shore Drive
35-year-old Justin Cassidy was arrested on Monday and charged with five counts of robbery, four counts of use or display a firearm in commission of a felony and five counts of wearing a mask in public.
Baylines January Newsletter from BAC
View Baylines Jan 2020 edition.
Massive expansion planned off Shore Drive.
Technically, the 22 story building that could be coming to Shore Drive is not a skyscraper.
Westminster-Canterbury, a retirement community on the Chesapeake Bay that has been gobbling up adjacent properties to expand its campus, is moving forward with an ambitious proposal to the dismay of some of its neighbors.
eScooters Coming Back Starting April 1st with Stricter Rules
This Spring along with the flowers, eScooters will once again be sprouting up along Shore Drive communities as they did last year. Although this time there will be a couple of new rules they must follow that should help with some of the safety concerns that worried many last year. The most impactful changes for operation in our area will be:
- eScooters will be prohibited from operating on roadways posted with speed limits greater than 25 MPH. So that means no scooters allowed on Shore Drive or North/West Great Neck Roads. Neighborhood side streets, Cape Henry Trail and area sidewalks will be allowed.
- All eScooters operating along shared paths like the Cape Henry Trail will be limited to maximum speeds of 10 MPH. This will hopefully make it safer when sharing the paths with bikes, walkers, strollers and joggers.
You can read more about the new changes at the following Virginia-Pilot article by Stacy Parker. Click the quote below to read the entire article.
Scooters won’t be allowed on roads with speed limits greater than 25 mph.
“To protect more homes from future flooding and to lower flood insurance rates, Virginia Beach is considering funding a local program to buy out or elevate at-risk properties throughout the city.”
There are hundreds of properties in the city that repeatedly flood. Local money could help fund a variety of strategies, including elevating homes, adding flood vents to properties, raising utilities and a quick-buy program after storms.
VBCPS is now accepting applications from current 10th grade students interested in attending the Environmental Studies Program, a new innovative program opening at the Brock Environmental Center in September 2020.
10th graders, start here to begin application process:
Application Process
Before entering grade 11, students will apply for admission to the program in the fall of their sophomore year. An essay formulated around the topics of Sustainable Economics and Business Innovation, Social Sustainability and Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Stewardship will be included in the application and will be used to identify candidates who show a passion for and interest in the fields of study. . . .
Editors note: Dream big and never quit. You never know what you’ll be able to accomplish in spite of it being “impossible”.
Sea Level Wise Adaptation Strategy Public Meeting schedule includes one near Shore Drive!
February 15, 2020 – Cox High School – 2425 Shorehaven Drive – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
View Comprehensive Sea Level Rise page at VBGov.com.
It is well documented that sea levels have been rising over the last century. This impacts coastal communities as virtually all human infrastructure will experience some risk. The story of Sea Level Rise and how it effects the City of Virginia Beach is detailed below:
The threat of sea level rise is a very real one, and it’s one that coastal regions like Hampton Roads must face and prepare for. . . .
Graphic from just one idea that was discussed.
#LesnerBridge wins 4th place in Roads & Bridges’ Top 10 Bridge awards for 2019
“People really love coming to the bridge—more than just crossing over the top, it becomes an experience sitting underneath the bridge and seeing the lights from the beach,” Wojtowicz said. “It’s very majestic looking from the beach, seeing these aesthetic lights. It makes an impression on folks that see it.”
Screen shot of construction cam December 22 ’18.
Update on PHP kayak launch & wetland mitigation bank
From an email:
We are now anticipating a fall 2020 construction start for the PHP wetland restoration and mitigation bank project. Our Mitigation Banking Instrument (MBI) has been approved subject to a few minor clarifications. We expect final approval in late January and will begin the JPA process and prepare final bidding documents. We should be in a position to detail a firm construction schedule at that time.
#WeLoveShoreDrive 