Start here to learn more about Pleasure House Road Improvements and take the survey.
PLEASE CONTACT THE MAYOR & YOUR ELECTED OFFICIAL NOW IN SUPPORT OF …
[T]he City is set to realize about $20MM in proceeds from the sale of easements to Dominion Energy for their Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, and Staff is recommending that nearly half of those proceeds be appropriated to Shore Drive Phase IV ($6.98MM) and to Pleasure House Road Phase II ($1.36MM) & Shore Drive Phase III ($ 2.24MM).
Please email Mayor & City Council to support this vital funding: citycouncil@vbgov.com
City Council vote is on November 21st 2023.
Pleasure House Road Phase II
”Data shows the city has the most crashes involving PEDESTRIANS in all of Hampton Roads”
View coverage at 13NewsNow.com.
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles data shows just this year, there were three pedestrian-involved crashes on Shore Drive, one of which ended with a fatality.
“I hope that we actually see some action on these throughout the city… because safety is the biggest priority, I think within all of our communities,” Murphy said.
Please take the Local Road Safety Action Plan SURVEY now!
That blockade to pedestrians & cyclists to safely navigate is at southeast corner of Shore Drive & Pleasure House Road where there is NO contiguous sidewalks on north side of Shore Drive. Minimum of dozens of pedestrians & cyclists commute through this area daily.
A couple more Presentations scheduled for BAC Thursday 330pm at OPVRS. Join us!
PRESENTATIONS/PROJECT BRIEFINGS
1) Skip the Stuff Presentation by Molly Jones and Lexi Bradshaw
2) Update from JLL re: beach access at Westminster Canterbury by Amanda Logsdon
3) Cape Henry Trail update from David Plum
OPVRS = Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad. Please enter at door opposite Shore Drive.
City Council November 14 ‘23 Formal session including controversial Public Hearing about WCCB request to vacate a public easement.
Additional public hearing plus vote on vacating easement currently scheduled for November 21st ‘23 City Council session.
Update to BAC meeting includes presentation by Environmental Studies Program(ESP) BAC members. Woot woot!
Also it seems WCCB is closer to guarantee their controversial approved beach walkway maintenance & probable rebuild since “we have reviewed the plans and are in support of the design as proposed”. Previously on this website.
Visit SurfRider.org/CAMPAIGNS.
SKIP THE STUFF
BAC Thursday NOV 16 330pm at OPVRS. Join us!
Check out Agenda above!
Many items being discussed including:
- Mr. Morrison spoke with Morgan Whayland from Virginia Natural Gas and provided her with the Shore Drive Corridor Plan and Design Guidelines to assist with their re-planting efforts at their property on Shore Drive.
o VNG will share the planting plan with BAC when it is completed
Change 1: Route 35 Trolley
- Change headways from 60 minutes to 30 minutes daily between May and Neptune Fest.
- Headways were changed to 60 minutes for FY24. This change returns Route 35 to previous service levels
- Additional revenue hour change: 3,741 hours (97% increase to FY25
- Cost for FY24: $183,626.00
BAC supported the proposed change to 30 minute headways, but stipulated that the line needs to be promoted for use by locals, employees, and tourists.
⬆️ Greats news!
“I’m for that, but I’m not for what the applicant wants to do with the property: filling in the lakes.”
Maybe redeveloping lakes is not smart or sustainable way for a City that will be dramatically impacted by sea level rise(SLR) and attempting to keep its currently stellar bond rating & logical story telling for rating agencies.
A downgrade by ratings agencies would obviously increase interest costs for tax payers.
Learn more at SaveLakeConrad.com including a link to Petition to stop this insanity. Join thousands who have signed the Petition.
Learn more about realities of sea level rise by starting at our SLR Resources page.
Maybe only redevelopment NOT in City storm water management facilities and lakes is more intelligent considering we’re 2nd in the country for impacts from SLR.
Potentially great news about more monies for vital Bayfront projects!
From Councilman Schulman:
Good afternoon,
You are receiving this message because you are a civic league or HOA president in a neighborhood in close proximity to Shore Drive in District 9.
As you may recall, due to inflation, supply and labor challenges, stormwater requirements, and other factors, the estimated cost to complete the projects in our Capital Improvement Program grew by nearly $180MM as the Council considered the 2023-2024 Budget. Consequently, the Council made the difficult decision to delay/defer several roadway projects, including Shore Drive Phase IV (Marlin Bay Drive to the Lesner Bridge) and Pleasure House Road Phase II (Shore Drive to Lookout Road). Money that was originally budgeted for these projects was redirected to other projects (like Shore Drive Phase III, to the east of the Lesner Bridge) in order to lessen the impact of additional cost escalations, because they were closer-in-time to construction.
Over the last 7 months, I’ve been working with City Staff to impress upon them the importance of these projects to our residents – and I’ve been challenging them to find ways to re-resource these projects so that they do not slip further away from us in both time and projected cost.
Thankfully, the City is set to realize about $20MM in proceeds from the sale of easements to Dominion Energy for their Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, and Staff is recommending that nearly half of those proceeds be appropriated to Shore Drive Phase IV ($6.98MM) and to Pleasure House Road Phase II ($1.36MM). Although we still have a ways to go to get these projects fully-funded, this is a very significant development because it gets us back on track after the setback we experienced earlier this year. We are also working on some interim pedestrian safety improvements along Shore Drive that are meant to last until Phase IV is constructed. These funds will help with this initiative as well.
The reason I am contacting you is because the appropriation of these sale proceeds requires the passage of an ordinance with the affirmative vote of a majority of the Council. There will be a public hearing about the appropriation of these funds tomorrow night at 6pm during our City Council’s formal session. The Council will vote on the ordinance and the appropriations at our November 21st meeting.
While I do not think we need speakers at the public hearing or for the vote on the 21st, I think it would be extremely helpful if your organizations would consider sending a letter to the Council supporting the ordinance and the appropriations made therein. You can feel free to send a letter on your organization’s letterhead, and you can also encourage your residents to email the Council at citycouncil@vbgov.com to voice their individual support. Additionally, if you have relationships with other members of the Council, I would encourage you to express your support to them as well.
A copy of the public hearing notice, some background information and the ordinance itself are attached for your reference.
If you have any questions, or require additional information, please let me know.
Thank you!
Joash
Joashua F. “Joash” Schulman
VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL
District 9 Representative
C: 757-840-1291 | JSchulman@vbgov.com
http://www.virginiabeach.gov
Bldg. 1, Suite 2047
2401 Courthouse Dr. | Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Note: Emphasis ours.
“Join Parks & Rec for public input meetings on the proposed Urban Forest Management Plan to shape the future of the City’s forestation program. Share feedback online if unable to attend.”
Great Neck Rec Ctr, 11/14, 6-8 p.m.
Princess Anne Rec Ctr, 11/29, 6-8 p.m.
Urban Forest Management Plan Feedback Survey.
WCCB on City Council Agenda Tuesday November 14th
CITY COUNCIL INFORMAL AND FORMAL SESSIONS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023. JOIN US!
2 items:
- Resolution to APPROVE the issuance of Residential Care Facility Revenue Bonds by the Virginia Beach Development Authority (VBDA), not to exceed $525-Million, re Westminster-
Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay
Previously Fitch Downgrades Westminster-Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay (VA) Rev Bonds to BB+.
And:
I 1.VACATION OF EASEMENT
20’ public access easement at 2454 Starfish Road
Vote Tuesday on VACATING easement is one step in process before beach walkway can be built.
Note: Wetlands Board unanimously approved this design recently. That approval was Appealed to VMRC. Appeal failed. After WCCB builds this walkway it’s believed their plan is to give it to VB tax payers. Who will pay for it to be maintained and rebuilt?
City Council Agenda November 14 ‘23 (488 page pdf)
Local Road Safety Action Plan. Community participation and input will be vital to the success of this plan so we encourage you to get engaged and promote awareness of the plan.
City is looking for feedback from YOU about road safety.
Start here to learn more & take the interactive survey.
Proposed Transportation Service Plan (TSP) for FY2025 including Route 35
Route 35 Bayfront – Improve headway to 30 minutes daily between May- Neptune Festival.
Annual revenue hour change: 3,741 hours
It’ll be great to get advertising for Route 35(R35) and to help it play a role in reducing traffic for Shore Drive Phase 3 starting soon.
Additional documents for BAC meeting Thursday Oct 19th 330pm at OPVRS.
OPVRS = Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad located at 3769 E Stratford Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23455.
Please enter door opposite Shore Drive.
BAYFRONT ADVISORY COMMISSION meeting at Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad October 19, 2023 330pm. Join us!
Thanks to Hank for the Agenda!
NEW BUSINESS
1) Proposed HRT Transportation Service Plan (TSP) for FY25 – Proposed service
adjustments for Bayfront HRT lines and requested changes for Route 35 Trolley.
2040 Comprehensive Plan Update – November Public Workshops. Join us!
The Public Workshops will consist of a short recap presentation on themes developed in the Focus Groups and the Vision Mapping process. We will then proceed to break out into small groups to provide more direct, specific feedback on each of the draft themes. The Vision Map will take the draft themes of balanced growth, sustainability, connectivity, diversity, and wellbeing, and apply them to areas of the city to create a framework of how the city should grow and develop over time. There will be an interactive planning exercise in our small groups.
The workshops will be held at these times and locations:
- Saturday, November 4th at 2pm: College Park Elementary School Cafeteria – 1110 Bennington Road
- Monday, November 6th at 6pm: Kellam High School Cafeteria – 2665 West Neck Road
- Wednesday, November 8th at 6pm: Bayside Recreation Center – 4500 First Court Road
- Thursday, November 9th at 6pm: Virginia Beach Convention Center, Suite 3 (2nd Floor; Middle of the Building) – 1009 19th Street
There is no need to RSVP to these workshops. We estimate this meeting to run about 1.5 to 2 hours. Please pass along the information to your friends, family, neighborhoods, colleagues, youth groups, civic leagues, faith groups, etc.
The more engagement we have from the community in this process, the better the plan will be! City Staff and the Consultant Team are eager to hear from as many residents as possible, so we hope to see you there!
Here’s where we are so far.
As always, for more information or if you have any outstanding questions, please reach out to me at RacMiller@vbgov.com or Hank Morrison, the Comprehensive Planning Administrator, at JMorrison@vbgov.com.
You are aware about the reality of sea level rise(SLR) correct?
Updated Agenda for BAC Thursday, September 21 330pm at OPVRS. Join us!
Thanks to Hank for updated Agenda.
Official info link about meeting at Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad. (Please enter door opposite Shore Drive.)
BAYFRONT ADVISORY COMMISSION meeting at Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad September 21, 2023 330pm. Join us!
THE NEEDLESS DESTRUCTION OF ABOUT 6 LIVE OAKS, The City Tree, will be on the Agenda.
Bayfront Advisory Commission meeting link at City’s website.
Bayfront Advisory Commission Agenda next week includes the Virginia Natural Gas property in Ocean Park. Join us!
Complete agenda, once we receive it, will be shared in another post.
BAC meets at OPVRS Thursday, September 21st.
Preliminary info about live oaks & pine trees cut down right now on Shore Drive by Virginia Natural Gas
Thanks to Mickey Toll, owner of Chesapeake Tree Service, for explaining that the larger live oak pieces being cut down will be hauled away by North Landing Firewood & Hauling Inc and milled for USE AS LUMBER for furniture & other potential uses well beyond mulch & firewood. Hooray!
Virginia Natural Gas recently acquired the property in December 2022.
Property detail at official VB website.
Another view of sole live oak that will remain standing.
Want to protect live oak tree?
JOIN FRIENDS of LIVE OAKS TODAY!
#WeLoveShoreDrive 