“BOTH EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND TRAFFIC CROSSING THE BRIDGE WILL BE REDUCED TO A SINGLE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION.” Saturday 10am to 10pm #LesnerBridge Update.

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Tim

PLEASE SHARE ENTHUSIASTICALLY !

Expect delays caused by single lane in both directions from 10am to 10pm.

From an email update from Project Manager:

Folks:

In the last project update (11/22/2017) we mentioned that we had issues with one of the 10 drilled shaft foundations for Pier #5 of the new eastbound bridge. Between the holidays, cold weather, and a longer than expected duration for remediation of drilled shaft #1 at Pier #5 construction of the EB bridge superstructure had been temporarily suspended. That was the bad news.

Now the good news. Shaft #1 at Pier #5 has been fully remediated, all 10 drilled shafts in this footing have been cut down to the correct elevation, and all of the reinforcing steel for the footing has been placed. The footing is now ready to receive the 400 cubic yards of concrete which is planned for tomorrow, February 3rd, 2018. The concrete will be delivered to this footing via two concrete pumper trucks parked near the center span of the Lesner Bridge eastbound lanes.

This, unfortunately, means lane closures on Lesner Bridge for most of the day tomorrow, Saturday February 3, 2018. Here are the details:

Beginning tomorrow, 2/3/2018 at approximately 10:00 AM single lane closures will be setup on Shore Drive approaching eastbound Lesner Bridge between DuPont Circle and Vista Circle. Single lane closures will also be setup during this time for westbound Shore Drive traffic approaching Lesner Bridge between Page Avenue and East Stratford Street. BOTH EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND TRAFFIC CROSSING THE BRIDGE WILL BE REDUCED TO A SINGLE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION. BOTH eastbound lanes on Lesner Bridge will be CLOSED until the concrete placement operations are completed. All work and temporary lane closures on Shore Drive at Lesner Bridge are expected to be cleared by 10:00 PM Saturday night, February 3rd, 2018. Be advised that, in addition to the lane reductions on the bridge, there will also be flaggers present that will intermittently STOP all traffic in BOTH directions on the bridge to allow the arrival and departure of concrete delivery trucks.

There will be a lot of activity on the bridge tomorrow so please plan accordingly and drive slowly when crossing the bridge.

Once Pier #5 is complete, we will launch the gantry across the inlet, set the pier segments on Pier #5 and then launch to Pier #6 and set the pier segments on Pier column #6. Span #6 will then be assembled by picking segments off a barge moored in this location. After Span #6 is completed, the gantry will be back-launched toward the channel to complete the other half of the cantilever section of Span #5 that crosses the channel.

Footing Reinforcing Steel being placed at Pier #5 EB Bridge (Completed Pier Column #6 shown in background)

View looking East from East Stratford Street at the recently graded area for the 10-foot wide multi-use path that will cross the new EB Bridge.

Since the last update other work on the project continued while waiting for Pier #5 to be completed. The following work has been completed since the November 22, 2017 update:

· 4 additional segments of cantilever Span #5 have been constructed for the new EB bridge (8 total);

· The footing and column at Pier #7 have been completed;

· The cofferdam around the footing for Pier #8 has been installed and the and the area around the drilled shafts excavated;

· All four drilled shafts at Pier #9 have been installed (ALL DRILLED SHAFT INSTALLATION FOR THE PROJECT IS NOW COMPLETE);

· Abutment B for the EB bridge has been completed;

· Grading for the new 10-foot wide multi-use path between the new EB Bridge and East Stratford Street has been completed;

· The remaining two street lights (four total) on the western bridge approach have been installed;

Completed Abutment B EB Bridge. Forms being removed.

Completed Footing and Column at Pier #7 new EB Bridge (Forms shown being removed).

Over the next two weeks, the bridge contractor will:

· Complete the footing and column at Pier #5;

· Place reinforcement steel for the footing at Pier #8;

· Backfill Abutment B and complete MSE wall #5 located in front of the Virginia and Maryland Pilots Association;

· Install falsework for gantry launch at Pier #5;

· Complete concrete multi-use path along MSE wall #2 between East Stratford and the new EB Bridge; and

· Complete curb & gutter and median curb on the west side of the bridge between East Stratford Street and the new EB Bridge.

That’s it for now!

Drive Safely!

-Chris

Christopher J. Wojtowicz, PE
Engineering Construction Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Engineering Division
2405 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Office: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
Email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com

Meeting dates for STR and EH proposed ordinance changes

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Tim

Recent Planning Commission Workshop notes:

Below is a summary of the Planning Commission Workshop held on January 24, 2018 on Short Term Rentals.

Planning Commission Attending: Robert Thornton, David Weiner, Dee Oliver, David Redmond, Karen Kwasny, Jack Wall, and Jan Rucinski

Staff Attending: Kay Wilson, Kevin Kemp, Carolyn Smith, Jimmy McNamara and Barry Frankenfield

Public Attending: +/- 20

Discussion and Briefings . . .

Upcoming meetings:

Lesner Municipal Wharf update

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Tim

SDCC General Meeting – Mon Jan 29th at 7:30pm – Working Meeting on Issues and Priorities

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Todd Solomon

Click here for a printable version of the agenda – 1.29.18 SDCC Agenda

SDCC General Meeting Agenda
Monday January 29, 2018 from 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall
(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)

Special Discussion – This month’s presentation time will be used for a working group discussion to help identify community issues and priorities. What are your group’s biggest concerns? What Shore Drive issues are most important and need addressed immediately? Come help us prioritize our efforts for 2018.

Officer’s Reports: Secretary – Andrew Broyles;Treasurer’s Report –Tim Solanic; Vice President – Wally Damon; President – Todd Solomon

Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) News – Mr. Wally Damon will update us on the actions of the Bayfront Advisory Commission.

Old Business-
Addition of “Your Speed Is” Traffic Signs on Shore Drive – Temporary trailer signs were used for 2 weeks in December. The City has been contacted to brief us on the results. Stay tuned.

Short Term Rentals – Update on City of Virginia Beach’s public input session and next steps for Short Term Rental (Airbnb, etc.) property.

Storm Water/Sea Level Rise Public Input Meetings – The last of 6 public meetings is being held on Jan. 29th at Bayside HS. SDCC will contact the City for more information regarding the next steps in this effort.

4-Way Intersection at Indian Hill Rd. – Update on City’s planned expansion on this intersection into a non-traffic lighted 4-way intersection to support the new entrance of the recently approved retirement community expansion.

New Business –
Shore Drive Road Improvements in Ocean Park – Update on Phase 4 – CIP 2.118. An onsite meeting with City Manager has been requested. Plans to attend an Open Mic night to request budget funding are being made and need community support. The current construction date of 2026 is not acceptable.

Lesner Bridge Update – Would anyone be interested in attending a tour of the bridge? SDCC would be happy to try and set this up. We are also trying to have the Project Manager attend an SDCC to provide us an update on the project which should finish sometime this year.

Community Concerns– This will be addressed in the Special Discussion section.

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday February 26, 2018***

E-Cycling at the Virginia Aquarium – Sat. Jan 27th from 9am to Noon

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Todd Solomon

Click here for more information on this event.

Location: East Parking Lot, Virginia Aquarium
Cost: Free to the public (donations welcome!)
Contact: Virginia Aquarium
Phone: (757) 385-FISH (3474)
Upcoming Dates:
Saturday, January 27, 2018 – 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

*Note that cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions cannot be accepted.*
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

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: Alkaline (AA, AAA, C, D), 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)

BAC Meeting for Thursday cancelled

Posted on January 17, 2018 by Tim

From VBGov.com:

The Bayfront Advisory Commission meeting scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 18 has been canceled. Meetings are normally held at 3:30 p.m., on the third Thursday of each month, at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center.

New Stormwater Appeals Board to be appointed at City Council Tuesday January 16th

Posted on January 13, 2018 by Tim

View the proposed changes from VBGov.com here. (58 page PDF)

New ordinance starts here:

Sec. 1-1. Purpose and authority.

And includes:

1149 …The Board shall be appointed by City Council and shall
1150 consist of six (6) members, one (1) from the Department of Planning, one (1) from the
1151 Department of Public Works, one (1) from the Department of Public Utilities and three (3) citizen members.

View entire City Council Agenda here.

Bayline January Newsletter from BAC

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Tim

Check out the entire Baylines January edition. (3 page PDF)

Planning Commission December 13th meeting that includes STR and Event Home discussion.

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Tim

You can watch the 3 hours and 55 minute video below.

When Minutes are posted, they will be available at VBGov.com here.
Official page for Online Home Sharing Economy here.*
(*Please note: Broken links remain on page as of the time of this posting.)

THE live oak in Chics Beach is getting crown cleaning and branch reduction Tuesday December 19th.

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Tim

From an email:

Good afternoon Elisa,

I received word today that our contractor plans to do the crown cleaning and branch reduction tomorrow for the Live Oak at 2512 Bayview Avenue. We are requesting any onlookers to remain well back from city and private property lines in order to insure safety. This should be good timing for the work, as trees have now entered dormancy due to the colder temperatures. Landscape Management has every expectation that the work will go smoothly and be beneficial for the health of this notable tree.

Sincerely,

Susan French
City Arborist
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation

Landscape Management Division | 4141 Dam Neck Road | Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Phone 757.385.4076 | Fax 757.427.1895|sfrench@vbgov.com | VBgov.com/Parks

View Petition at Change.org that helped get this beloved live oak some extra care.

NEW Public Engagement Tool by City of Virginia Beach requires YOUR ACTION.

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Tim

From today’s email:

Transitioning to a New Public Engagement Tool

Dec 17, 2017 04:09 pm | The City of Virginia Beach

Thank you for participating in past Virtual Town Hall surveys. Your input helps city leaders make decisions about issues, projects and services that affect the community.

We wanted to let you know that we will be transitioning to a new public engagement tool in January. This new platform will enhance our capabilities to gather public input; it offers a mobile-first technology and broader tools to help us design options for people to provide feedback. We’ll start using it early in 2018 for projects such as the entertainment district at the Oceanfront and strategies for revitalizing neighborhoods, just to name a couple. Unfortunately, we are not able to transfer your email address to the new platform. If you would like to be notified when the new system is online, please send an email to news@vbgov.com asking to be added to the new database. Your information will only be used for this platform and will not be shared. Alternatively, watch for the announcements in January and please be sure to join in and spread the word so we can get as many people involved as possible.

We appreciate your participation and look forward to hearing from you in the new year.

Sincerely,

Julie Hill, PhD

Communications Director

If you would like to be notified when the new system is online, please send an email to news@vbgov.com asking to be added to the new database.

OPVRS volunteer Ben Cohen in the news!

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Tim

View video at 13NewsNow.com.

Link to how you can Donate to Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad.

Join us Monday to hear Detective J.I. Cole VBPD Economic Crimes Unit presentation!

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Tim

Come hear Detective J. I. Cole from the VB Economic Crimes Unit speak at our next SDCC meeting, this Monday 18 DEC at 7:30 at the Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Building (Shore Drive and West Stratford just west of the Lesner Bridge).

Find out what you have to do if your identity gets stolen, or somebody steals your credit card
number. Find out how to end ROBOCALLs or how to stop all those credit card offers that you don’t want. Detective Cole will be there to give you the information that you will need to keep your identity and credit safe.

I have heard her speak and she is very good.

PEDESTRIAN STRUCK ON SHORE DRIVE at MARLIN BAY. Life threatening injuries.

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Tim

HAPPENING NOW

First news at WAVY.com.

The accident is being investigated by VBPD Fatal Crash Team.

SDCC General Meeting – Monday Dec. 18th at 7:30pm – Holiday Gathering

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Todd Solomon

Click here for a printable version of the agenda 12.18.17 SDCC Agenda

Please note the early date of the meeting. It has been moved a week early to avoid conflict with Christmas.

SDCC General Meeting Agenda

Monday December 18, 2017 from 7:30 to 9:00pm

Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall

(parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)

Special Presentation – Holiday Gathering – Come get to know your neighbors. We will also be thanking our officers David Williams and Kathy Pawlak for their wonderful service to SDCC and will wish them well on their future endevours.

Officer’s Reports: Secretary – David Williams, Treasurer’s Report -Kathy Pawlak,Vice President – Wally Damon, President – Todd Solomon

Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) News – Mr. Wally Damon will update us on the actions of the Bayfront Advisory Commission.

Old Business-
Addition of “Your Speed Is” Traffic Signs on Shore Drive – They City has placed temporary “Your Speed Is” trailers east of Great Neck Road. These signs and speed counter strips are being use to help slow down vehicles and to capture data for additional usage of signs.

Short Term Rentals – Update on City of Virginia Beach’s public input session and next steps for Short Term Rental (Airbnb, etc.) property. Planning Commission is holding a public workshop and hearing on this issue.

Storm Water/Sea Level Rise Public Input Meetings – The City of Virginia Beach recognizes challenges and is exploring solutions to the issues caused by sea level rise and recurrent flooding. The public is encouraged to attend one of several upcoming meetings where city representatives will provide residents with the opportunity to share their views and concerns. The information collected from the meetings will be used to develop the City’s long-term plans for sea level rise and recurrent flooding. The City has held 4 meetings and will hold 2 more in January 2018. Shore Drive residents are encouraged to attend a meeting to have your concerns be captured.

New Business –

SDCC Officer Elections – We are in great need of volunteers to step up and serve as officers for SDCC. All positions are welcomed, but we are in immediate need of a Secretary and Treasurer for 2018. We will be accepting names from the floor and will vote once we have nominees.

Community Concerns– General discussion of neighborhood and community concerns that may need SDCC attention. This is an opportunity for all to share information.

***Next SDCC Meeting – Monday January 29, 2018***

Coyotes are now your neighbor

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Tim

View article including photos at Pilotonline.com.

“Coyotes and wolves and dogs don’t normally get along,” Fies said. “But when a species is expanding its range, and there’s not enough of its own kind for mating, I guess they can get along for long enough.”

Because of that, Fies says, our coyotes are a little bigger than the ones out west, and come in more colors – from blonde to black – which can make them even harder to recognize.

Photo credit: Eric Hauser

Sea Level Rise Public Meetings Schedule for Shore Drive area including fascinating map designating areas.

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Tim

Main info page at VBGov.com.

All of the meetings will take place from 6 to 8 p.m.

Shore Drive areas are split into 3,30 & 31.

Mon., Dec. 11, 2017 8, 29, 30
Oceanfront: Beach District and the Lynnhaven east of Great Neck Road
Cooke Elementary School,
1501 Mediterranean Avenue

Thurs., Jan 25, 2018 3, 4
Western Lynnhaven: North of Princess Anne Road; bounded to the east by South Rosemont Road and Little Neck Road
Princess Anne High School,
4400 Virginia Beach Blvd.

Mon., Jan. 29, 2018 1,31
Little Creek: Area to the east where Shore Drive meets Northampton Blvd.
Bayside High School,
4960 Haygood Road

Seems strange Bayfront community was spit up into 3 meetings none held here.

19 trees stolen from Tin Soldiers

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Tim

News including vid at WTKR.com.

For the small business, they said that’s a good amount of money. The police officer who responded to their call said that would be considered a felony.