“This spring’s Outreach meeting will be held on Thursday, June 20, 2019 during the regular BAC meeting.”

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View invitation to attend Outreach meeting.(2 pg PDF)

This spring’s Outreach meeting will be held on Thursday, June 20, 2019 during the regular BAC meeting. The community input will begin shortly after the 3:30pm meeting start time. The meeting will be held at the Virginia Beach Tennis and Country Club, located at 1950 Thomas Bishop Lane (2nd floor meeting room), Virginia Beach, VA, 23454.

Download Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) Strategic Plan.(2 pg PDF)

Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) Strategic Plan
2018-2019

Mission

    The mission of the BAC is to review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding public and private projects and issues associated with the Bayfront area, and projects or issues associated with the Bayfront area that the City Council may refer to the Commission.

Committees

    Executive – Kal Kassir Chairman
    Design – Joe Bovee Chairman
    Communications – Scott Ayers Chairman
    Transportation – Charles Malbon Chairman

High Priority Project Items

    Funding Phase IV roadway improvements ( Shady Oaks to west base of Lesner bridge )
    Water issues
    Drainage/Stormwater
    Dewberry/Sea Level Rise Study
    City Marina Development
    City Wharf/Osprey Park
    Pedestrian walkway under bridge (from Vista Circle to Page Avenue)
    Sand replenishment
    Cape Henry
    Ocean Park Beach
    Crab Creek
    Infill development
    Address what the nature of the “Bayfront” should be
    Determine future look (preserve commercial, address vacation rentals)
    Work with Planning on Comprehensive Plan
    Landscape design of Route 13 and Shore Drive interchange

High Priority Communication Items

    1. Schedule department heads for briefings
    2. Reach out to City’s Communication office and Drew Langford, Public Works
    3. Make regular City Council connections
    4. Renew existing partnerships and seek out new
    5. Look for new Commission talent, especially multi age group
    6. Focus on marketing “Who is BAC”
    7. Review capital projects in Bayfront Area

Ongoing Concerns To Be Monitored

    Shore Drive roadway improvements phases II,III,IV
    Update Shore Drive design guidelines
    Beach replenishment
    Development review coordination with city staff
    Live Oak protection
    Beach interpretive signs / bike parking and beach access
    Recognition awards
    CIP projects – identify and get annual updates
    “No Parking” signs clearly defined within neighborhoods
    Community signs as developed by BAC
    Code revisions

Liaisons, Partnerships and City Staff Support

    City Council (liaisons Jim Wood & Louis Jones)
    City Attorney
    Conventions and Visitors Bureau
    Public Works
    Parks and Recreation
    Planning
    First Landing State Park
    JEB Little Creek – Fort Story
    Planning Commission
    Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Commission
    Chesapeake Bay Foundation
    Friends of Live Oaks
    Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission
    Lynnhaven River NOW
    Public Art Foundation
    Resort Advisory Commission
    Shore Drive Community Coalition
    HRT
    Virginia Beach Public Schools

Phase IV will dramatically upgrade Shore Drive in Ocean Park.

It appears “Saturday, June 1 from 1 to 3 p.m. Cox High School 2425 Shorehaven Drive” has been added to the list.

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The City Is Hosting a Series of Sea Level Rise Public Meetings at VBGov.com.

Virginia Beach Public Works has announced a series of public meetings with Old Dominion University in May and June concerning the City’s efforts in developing a comprehensive flooding response plan for sea level rise. Working with Dewberry, Public Works Engineering has been conducting studies and developing long-term plans to combat the growing risks and projected effects of sea level rise throughout the city.

Previously at SDCC.info.

Monday May 20th at 7:30pm – SDCC General Meeting *Note a week early due to Memorial Day*

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This meeting is being held a week earlier than normal due to Memorial Day

Click here for a printable version of the agenda 5.20.19 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
***Monday May 20, 2019 from 7:30 to 9:00pm***
Meeting is a week early due to Memorial Day
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall – 3769 East Stratford Rd
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)

Special Presentation – Attempting to confirm a presentation on Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) – This program is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives (usually 75%) and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible Best Management Practices (BMP’s) in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Officer’s Reports

Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Wally Damon
President – Todd Solomon

Old Business-
Bayfront Beach Replenishment Update – Contractor will begin equipment set up last week of May and begin placing sand on beach the middle of June. Additional details and concerns will be discussed.
4th of July Fireworks for Cape Henry Beach – Still waiting for an update from Councilman Wood and Deputy City Manager Cover on request to have City’s Entertainment Contractor take over the planning and execution of this event.
Shore Drive Improvements in Ocean Park – Contractor will begin work the week after Memorial Day
Cape Henry Ditch Volunteer Clean Out Corps Proposal – Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation presented a plan to Cape Story by the Sea Civic Association that would create a volunteer workforce to help clean out and maintain a section of the ditch behind Food Lion. It was suggested that CBF meet with City Staff to pursue a plan that would get City support and approval.

New Business –
Dewberry Report Sea Level Rise and Stormwater – Community forums planned for public input into Dewberry’s Draft document. Unfortunately there are no meetings planned north of Virginia Beach Blvd. SDCC has asked to have an additional meeting added to list for Bayfront residents, but nothing has been done to date. Meetings are from 6 to 8 pm at the following locations. The Princess Anne HS meeting is designated for our Lynnhaven watershed.
• May 29 at the Virginia Aquarium
• May 30 at Kempsville High School
• June 3 at Kellam High School
• June 5 at Princess Anne High School
• June 6 at Creeds Elementary School
Route 35 Bayfront to Oceanfront Shuttle – Service will start Monday May 20th and run through Labor Day weekend. An additional stop has been added to the Fort Story gate where riders can catch another shuttle service to visit the Lighthouses. Tickets to ride HRT Route 35 can be purchased at both Food Lions on Shore Drive. Adult fares can also be bought using the new GoHRT mobile ticket app.

Upcoming Chances for Civic Engagement
Tuesday June 11th – Primary Election – 6am to 7pm at your normal polling locations.

Community Concerns– Please share any issues or concerns your groups/organizations may have at this time.

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday June 24, 2019***

“The contractor (Cottrell Contracting Corporation) should begin mobilization of the dredge and associated equipment for the remaining days of May 2019. Sand placement will start on the western end of the beach, closest to Lesner Bridge, on or about mid-June 2019.”

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Read May 15, 2019 Subject: Cape Henry Beach Replenishment-Project Update #1 letter (1 pg PDF)

We will be requesting that citizen’s personal property (volleyball courts, catamarans, beach furniture, etc.) be removed from the beach or safely secured and stored in its entirety on top of the dunes (where practical) before the project reaches your area.

“The Lynnhaven Inlet could see dramatic, and costly, changes in order to protect Virginia Beach from sea level rise in the coming decades.”

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View article including some of the proposed plans at Pilotonline.com:

“This is probably the biggest threat that faces our city. We really need to take this seriously,” City Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson said at a meeting Tuesday night. “These are huge, huge numbers. It’s very frightening.”

The city is still months away from deciding how to move forward.

No doubt you are aware the probability of your taxes going up to pay to mitigate for sea level rise is roughly 100%.

More about Dewberry study

Dewberry sea level rise study update to City Council Informal Session video from May 7 2019 at SDCC.info.

“Dewberry” Search results at SDCC.info.

Comprehensive Sea Level Rise and Recurrent Flooding Response Plan​ at VBGov.com.

Current Public Hearing Schedule

June 5, 2019 – Princess Anne High School (Lynnhaven)

We are working with the City to have a Public Hearing located in the Bayfront area.

Dewberry sea level rise study update to City Council Informal Session video from May 7 2019

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This is a very detailed presentation

Current Public Hearing Schedule

The same information will be available at each of the 5 public meetings. The presentation at the beginning (approx. 10 minutes) will be focused on the watershed (Atlantic, Lynnhaven, Elizabeth and Southern) will be tailored to the location. The revised dates and locations for the meetings are as follows:

May 29, 2019 – Virginia Aquarium (Atlantic Ocean)
May 30, 2019 – Kempsville High School (Elizabeth River)
June 3, 2019 – Kellam High School (Southern)
June 5, 2019 – Princess Anne High School (Lynnhaven)
June 6, 2019 – Creeds Elementary School (Southern)

SDCC Meeting Minutes for 2019’s Q1 Posted

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For any of you that may have missed an SDCC meeting this year, have no fear, you can get caught up by visiting our SDCC Minutes page or by clicking on this years Q1 minutes below.  Thank you to our wonderful SDCC Secretary, Kathy Damon, for all her hard work and details.  These minutes are a great source of information on many relevant topics and presentations that pertain to our Shore Drive area.

3.25.19 SDCC Minutes
2.25.19 SDCC Minutes
1.28.19 SDCC Minutes

ROUTE 35 STARTS MAY 20th !

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From Baylines May 2019 Newsletter:

The Bayfront Shuttle, Hampton Roads Transit’s Route 35, resumes service May 20, running every 30 minutes between Shore Drive and Pleasure House Road and Rudee Inlet. This will be the third year for the bus route that connects the Bayfront with the Oceanfront. Passengers will be able to buy tickets on their mobile device this year by downloading the GOHRT application.

One new tweak to Route 35 will have the shuttles jog north to the Fort Story gate for those passengers who want to visit the Cape Henry Lighthouse and other public attractions on the base, eliminating the need to hike from Shore Drive to the 89th Street gate.

The base runs shuttles from that gate to the lighthouse, which reopened last weekend after a renovation and dune restoration project.

Our ROUTE 35 page at SDCC.info.

May Baylines from Bayfront Advisory Committee

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View May 2019 Baylines Newsletter

Route 35 shuttle resumes; Light reopens
Ballyhoos makes permit presentation
Bike trail at State Park studied
and more . . .

Monday April 30th – SDCC General Meeting at 730pm – Bonaventure Apartment Development Presentation

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Click here for a printable version of the agenda  4.29.19 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday April 29, 2019 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 –

Bonaventure Realty Group – Expansion Plans for Windsong Apartments on Pleasure House

Representatives from the Bonaventure Realty Group will present their current plans to redevelop and expand the Windsong Apartment complex located on Pleasure House Road north of Shore Drive. Previously presented plans had the old apartments being increased a total of 160 units from 272 to 432. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. As always, all are welcome to attend SDCC meetings.

Officer’s Reports

Secretary – Kathleen Damon
Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic
Vice President – Wally Damon
President – Todd Solomon

Old Business-
Bayfront Beach Replenishment Update – An update on the project will hopefully be available. The project has been delayed and appears to continue to be pushed to the right and will most likely take place through the summer season. When is the start date and what are the impacts to the beach during construction?
4th of July Fireworks for Cape Henry Beach – City Council and Staff are evaluating the request to take over the planning and execution of the show. A decision should be forthcoming after the “Something in the Water” event is over which will allow Staff to focus on the request.
Dog Leash Law for Beaches – A public hearing was held on Wed April 10th at 630pm at the City’s Law Enforcement Training Facility. City Council has request the topic be studied for a year before any changes are made to the code. A steering committee will be formed to help with this evaluation. It is SDCC plan to invite representatives of this committee to a future SDCC to present their plans and how our community can provide input.

New Business –
Parking Meters at Lynnhaven Boat Ramp – The City has installed a metered parking kiosk for public parking at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp. If you plan on using this lot, please be aware of the update to avoid tickets.
Shore Drive Improvements in Ocean Park to Start Soon – $600,000 of improvement to the Shore Drive/Stratford Road intersection, is fully funded and expected to begin later this spring. This would involve a “fully functional” traffic light with pedestrian crossing signals, an emergency signal to accommodate Ocean Park Fire and Rescue
Cape Henry Ditch Volunteer Clean Out Corps Proposal – Representatives of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be discussing a plan to have volunteers clean out and maintain a section of the ditch behind Food Lion. The Cape Story meeting will take place on Monday May 13th at 7:30pm at Lynnhaven Colony Congregational Church.

Upcoming Chances for Civic Engagement
Tuesday April 30th City Council Budget Input – 6pm at City Council Chambers. Other ways to provide comments are posted at https://sdcc.info/2019/04/25/city-budget-public-hearings-scheduled-last-chance-for-input-on-tuesday-april-30th/
Tuesday May 14th Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Forum – 6:00pm – 8:00pm @ Brock Environmental Center (3663 Marlin Bay Drive, Virginia Beach 23455). Speakers will discuss the Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Blueprint (Phase III Water Implementation Plan/WIP).
Tuesday June 11th – Primary Election – 6am to 7pm at your normal polling locations.

Community Concerns– Please share any issues or concerns your groups/organizations may have at this time.

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday May 20, 2019***
Please note the meeting will be a week early due to Memorial Day

“However, staff is conducting an analysis of the daily storm water rate with the intention of developing options that would reduce the regressive nature of a single rate for all residences across the city so that residences that generate less runoff (due to less impervious surfaces) would pay a lower rate. “

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HOW GREAT WOULD THAT BE !?

View the info at VBGov.com.

The FY 2019-20 budget increases the funds designated for these areas in the six-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) by 41%.

Animal Control looking for exotic cat spotted near Shore Drive

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Have you seen Rocky the Serval Cat?

It’s been a few weeks since his last siting in First Landing State Park, so he may have moved on.  But be on the lookout for him if you frequent the Park during runs or walks.  I personally spotted him on the beach side of the Park in camping loop H which is just to the west of the visitor center.

Click here to read the Virginian Pilot article on the lost exotic animal in case you missed it.

April 10th – Virginia Beach Animal Control is looking for an exotic cat that was spotted Wednesday morning, according to a news release.They received a call about the cat at 8:15 a.m. It was spotted near the 2300 block of Shore Drive, according to the release. It’s believed to weigh about 25 pounds and has long legs, making it about 25 inches tall at the shoulders.

City Budget Public Hearings Scheduled – Last Chance for Input on Tuesday April 30th

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City Budget Public Hearings Scheduled
The City Council will hold two public hearings in April. Citizens can register to speak prior to the start of the public hearing. Speakers are limited to three minutes.

• April 24 – 6:30 p.m. – Old Donation School, 4633 Honeygrove Road (note, original (March 26) release incorrectly had start time as 6 p.m.)
• April 30 – 6 p.m. – City Council Chamber, 2401 Courthouse Drive

Comment by email
To send a comment to the entire City Council, contact citycouncil@vbgov.com
To send a comment to an individual City Council member, find email addresses here.
Got a question? Send it to budget@vbgov.com.

Review the budget
To review the complete budget, visit www.VBgov.com/budget.

• Open Budget – An online app that lets citizens review, compare, download, visualize and analyze data at the line-item level. http://www.VBgov.com/budget
• Full text of the budget – In three documents: executive summary, operating budget and six-year capital plan.

Virginia Beach sees jump in Airbnb listings, more than 500 are being investigated

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View article at Pilotonline.com:

Phil Kellam, commissioner of the revenue, said that’s about five times the normal rate of potential improper listings.

A city consultant is looking into every advertisement.

“In dismissing the developer’s lawsuit, the judge affirmed the council’s prerogative to factor in sea level rise and future flooding when deciding on whether to allow new construction, even if these projections are not established in city codes or ordinances. “

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View article at Pilotonline.com:

After the judge’s decision, McFarland said it was too early to decide if he and his client would appeal the ruling.

Balloon sculpture at Virginia Aquarium encourages people to STOP RELEASING FLYING GARBAGE that eventually lands, litters and tortures critters both on land & water.

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The FLYING GARBAGE they/we are speaking of are deadly helium balloons that are plastic garbage when they land.

At Pilotonline.com:

Two new balloon sculptures at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center are not just works of art. The oversized sea turtle and butterfly are also displaying an ugly picture of balloon debris and its damaging effects on wildlife.

Visit & learn more about the amazing Virginia Aquarium here.

You can learn more about the FLYING GARBAGE at BallonsBlow.org here.

All released balloons, including those falsely marketed as “biodegradable latex,” return to Earth as ugly litter. They kill countless animals and cause dangerous power outages.

Balloons are also a waste of Helium, a finite resource. Balloons can travel thousands of miles and pollute the most remote and pristine places.

Starting May 1 2019 all new & renewal flood policies should reflect a 15% discount thanks to VB joining CRS! Wooo hooo!

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CRS ?

Community Rating System is:

The National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.

You may recall we’ve been lobbying for it since 2014. An article on our website here.

You may also have attended one of our meetings with reps from CoVB doing a presentation followed by a Q&A. Check out more posts about CRS on this website here.

The news about CRS at VBGov.com.

The CRS uses a 10-level (or point) scale to evaluate efforts. Each level below 10 receives a 5% discount on flood insurance premiums. The City will join the program as a Class 7 community, which reflects the significant investment being made to mitigate flooding issues throughout the city.

View the PDF of the presentation slides made to City Council.

The PDF includes contact info for the amazing Whitney McNamara if you have questions.

btw – with more work there’s a chance VB might be able to earn a 20% discount.

New required metered parking at beloved LBR&BF

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Started yesterday.

LBRBF-MeteredParking

Apparently the City was inspired to replace the honor system with the new required metered parking because of so much abuse including some ignorant users of LBR&BF mouthing off to Parks & Rec staff who work their.

For those who don’t pay, you will be ticketed and may be towed. New box is self explanatory.

Interesting new idea how to handle storm water will be tested & refined on Shore Drive.

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New scoop we just learned over the weekend after meeting one of the people whose been working on this.

Thanks to the amazing work Dewberry has done so far studying sea level rise and storm water issues in Virginia Beach, the Brock Environmental Center being located here and the fact the Shore Drive community is at the top of the list of biggest impacts to VB – a new potential solution will be tested here.

The working group will be looking for property owners who can plant trees in the Phase 3 area to help mitigate storm water. The City will also be planting more trees as well.

There’s been a breakthrough in the science of designing trees to increase Photosynthesis and surprisingly it’s palm trees that have the biggest bang for the buck.

You may remember Photosynthesis is one of the functions of a tree that pulls water from the ground – thereby mitigating the increase risk from sea level rise and storm water increasing due to more storms.

You’ll be seeing a palm tree lined Shore Drive once Phase 3 is complete.

It’s too early to know exactly what they’ll look like at this point but the other benefit to the design is the ease of transplanting them to different variations as they’ll have monitoring equilement on them to test the efficiencies of the trees.

Part of the working groups public comment includes gathering input for what would work best for our area including our climate of course.

Note: I’m excited about the testing of new science here. Just not happy it didn’t turn out to be live oaks that will be studied more.