Read the entire resolution in this PDF [1pg].
The resolution is being scheduled for vote at City Council on Tuesday February 28th.
“Ask an Ocean Park resident what they love about their home, and our area’s natural beauty will be at the top of the list.”
Or… ask any Shore Drive resident what they love about their home, and our area’s natural beauty will most certainly be at the top of the list.
Sabrina of Ocean Park allowed us to post her words, unedited, below:
Today, I found four discarded fluorescent tubes in one of the beach garbage cans, which says to me that someone didn’t feel like taking them to a landfill (or Home Depot or Lowes) where they could be disposed of properly, but instead carried them out on to the beach to leave them for a crew which is unlikely to be equipped for hazardous waste. It also means they didn’t care if the bulbs got broken, thus allowing the [fluorescence’s] mercury lining to leak onto the sand and wash into the Chesapeake.
The garbage that we allow onto our land and into our waterways is not just ugly, it is deadly. Plastic bags, balloons, and shiny wrappers are a significant choking hazard for marine animals such as dolphins and sea turtles. Ocean birds starve to death every day with stomachs full of undigestible, brightly colored plastic that has built up over time; birds cannot pass this through their systems and ultimately have no room to swallow anything that has nutrition.
Ask an Ocean Park resident what they love about their home, and our area’s natural beauty will be at the top of the list. Perhaps we who purport to appreciate our surroundings could take responsibility for our own waste– and maybe even pick up something that was left behind by someone else.
Sabrina originally wrote this in Ocean Park’s Facebook Group yesterday.
Thank you Sabrina.
Photo Credit: KEVIN J O'HARA
Photo taken in your unknown backyard, Pleasure House Point.
Way to go Wally! Life Saving Award winner!
Read entire article in Pilotonline.com:
He climbed into the vehicle through a passenger window, told the women to remain calm and kicked out the windshield to help them out of the vehicle.
Wally lives in Chicks Beach & does a bunch of great volunteer work.
You might have walked on some of his relentless hard work. The sidewalk on Greenwell Rd.
Way to go Wally!
Great Neck Ramps for 264 will open on Feb 8th 2012
Hooray!
Public Works Public Information Meeting in Ocean Park re:storm water improvements on southside
From an email:
IMPORTANT NOTICE: There will be a meeting of the Ocean Park Civic League on February 23rd beginning promptly at 6:00 p.m. at the Ocean Park Rescue Squad Building to address drainage improvements to Ocean Park. Please spread the word to your neighbors who may not be on our email distribution list. Below is the information from the City representative who will be conducting the meeting:
> Dear Mr. Thomas,
>
> I am a Project Manager with the City of Virginia Beach Engineer’s Office. We have recently developed alternative drainage improvement plans for the Ocean Park – South neighborhood and would like to hold a Public Information Meeting at the Ocean Park Rescue Station on Thursday, February 23, 2012 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting will be to update the residents about our recent evaluations and receive input from the citizens and Civic League regarding a preferred drainage improvement alternative. Vice Mayor Jones has received a verbal notification of this meeting.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Michael S. Bumbaco, PE
> City of Virginia Beach
> Public Works Engineering/Water Resources
Emphasis ours.
“Less than three weeks ago, city officials spent part of their retreat compiling an extensive list of the city’s recent successes. They included the preservation of Pleasure House Point.”
Read entire editorial at Pilotonline.com.
Also – it looks like City Council will be voting in March or April to permanently preserve Pleasure House Point forever.
VMRC Joint Permit Application for Long Creek Dredging
On 30 January, the VMRC sent a letter to notify the residents along Long Creek of a Joint Permit Application #11-1830 concerning maintenance dredging. The commission requests protests to their application to be submitted within 15 days of the date of the memorandum (done by 14 February) if you wish to express your concerns with this project. The Permit letter and project drawings should be available on the VMRC website (www.mrc.virginia.gov) and will soon be made available on the http://www.SDCC.info site. I have attached my reply to this posting.
February 2, 2012
Mr. Justin D. Worrell, Environmental Engineer
Virginia Marine Resource Commission
2600 Washington Avenue
Newport News, VA 23607Re: Joint Permit Application #11-1830, Long Creek Maintenance Dredging
Dear Mr. Worrell:
I thank you for giving our residents the opportunity to comment on the proposed maintenance dredging permit for Long Creek. One of our residents asked me the purpose of this notification as she has never received one before in the 37 years of living here. As she was not able to decipher the attached drawings, she asked how she could make an informed decision on this permit without sufficient information. I acknowledged her concerns. Is your letter of 30 January to serve as sufficient information or will public hearings be held?
On my review of the permit, I too have strong concerns. Many of the residents and boaters using Long Creek acknowledge that periodic maintenance dredging is needed every 4-5 years, but we question the scope of this project. As I have attended the majority of the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Committee meeting related to the Neighborhood Dredge (Spoils) Program for the Lynnhaven basin, I am very aware of the strong mistrust that many have of the city’s true motives concerning the proposed dredging of the Lynnhaven Basin, and Long Creek, and in particular, the use of Maple Street and Crab Creek areas as permanent mechanical transfer sites.
Concerning Long Creek and this permit, we are concerned with lack of thoroughness related to the city’s planning, the lack of sufficient studies related to traffic, safety, and the impact on the neighborhoods mainly involved. We have strong concerns about the quality of the dredged material, whether beach grade or unusable spoils, and the stated need for the permit’s mechanical dredging. We vehemently oppose any use of the Maple Street containment area for anything other than hydraulically transferred beach grade sand as non-beach grade sand would have detrimental environmental impact on both the adjacent preservation area and the water quality of Long Creek, one of our prime fishing areas.
We are requesting that the Joint Permit #11-1830 be sent back to the city of Virginia Beach to more adequately address our citizens’ concerns. Until such time as these concerns can be substantially met, we cannot support this permit.Sincerely,
David M. Williams
President, Shore Drive Community Coalition
2104 West Admiral Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 234521(757) 481-1668
New multi-use path bridge at Lake Joyce in the Beacon
Read the entire article at Pilotonline.com:
Kal Kassir, Bayfront Advisory Committee president, said that while safety was group members’ No. 1 concern, the resulting view also helps advance their goals.
“This is a gateway corridor to our city,” he said, “and the new footbridge and view of Bayville Farms Park enhances the natural beauty of the area.”
Previous post on this new awesome bridge at SDCC.info.
Pedestrian bridge was one of the recommendations that came out of the Shore Drive Safety Task Force [SDSTF] that you first heard about here.
You can view the PDF of the SDSTF recommendations[PDF] unanimously accepted by City Council in 2006.
Learn more about Shore Drive Topics at VBGov.com.
Thank you for this new awesome bridge! Shore Drive is a little safer because of it.
Virginia State Parks has an iPhone & Android App
Hooray!
“We’re very pleased to team up with ParksByNature, the VAFP and Imperial to bring this exciting new smartphone application to the public,” said Joe Elton, state parks director for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. “This is a cutting-edge 21st century technology brought to the market by a dynamic 21st century public-private partnership.”
The app offers users increased performance and activation speed with multi-tasking capabilities, enhanced user navigation, detailed park maps and an interactive GPS mapping guide for use in areas with little to no mobile reception.
Use the photo waypoint feature to snap a photo and mark and record the coordinates of plant life, animal species or landscape views. Post or share these remarkable finds with family and friends with the click of a button.
Interactive GPS feature for on/offline use
For more adventurous outdoor enthusiasts, try your hand at one of our GeoChallenges, which includes geocache and geoquest activities and games.
Maintenance Dredging Permit Request Joint Permit Application #11-1830 from City of VB
This is the City’s Joint Permit Application(JPA) that could impact Maple Street and/or Lynnhaven Inlet Placement site.
Mayor response to Prez of Cape Story by The Sea Civic League re: proposed dredge transfer station on Maple Street
The Mayor’s email response:
Dear Empsy:
Thank you for your recent email, on behalf of the Cape Story Civic League, regarding the dredged transfer facility site.
City Council just received the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Commission’s report in response to the tasking we gave them on specific areas of the Neighborhood SSD Dredging Program. We are in the process of reviewing that report, along with staff.
The City’s application to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) for the construction of the mechanically dredged material transfer site has been returned to staff, and until we on City Council make a decision, the application is not active. Public Works Water Resources staff has submitted a renewal permit application to VMRC for maintenance dredging of Long Creek due to shoaling in the channel. This renewal permit application is in the public review stage. On January 20th, City staff provided additional information to VMRC for the application. VMRC requested this information prior to forwarding notification letters to the adjacent property owners about the renewal permit application. We hope residents are not opposed to our keeping the navigation channel open. I believe you may have also been in communication with Mr. Justin Worrell at VMRC and should have been advised this work could be performed by either hydraulic or mechanical dredging.
As to your request that we withdraw our appeal, we believe that the Board of Zoning Appeals’ decision has other ramifications which we need to consider as part of our appeal process. Our City Attorney has kept our options open by filing for an appeal. Our final actions have not yet been determined.
The adjacent parcel to the dredged material holding area is zoned R-7.5. I can ask staff to look at your request that the property to the east of the dredged material holding area be rezoned P-1 and am supportive of this request. A subdivision may be required so that we can continue to use the dredged material holding site for operations referenced above.
I hope this information is helpful. Your input is appreciated. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may provide any additional assistance.
William D. Sessoms, Jr.
Mayor
City of Virginia Beach
Office of the Mayor
2401 Courthouse Drive, Building 1, Room 234
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757-385-4581 (MAIN)
757-385-5699 (FAX)
wsessoms@vbgov.com
Empsy Munden is the President of the Cape Story by the Sea Civic League.
More at VBGov.com Neighborhood Channel Dredging.
Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
Peeping tom in Vista Pointe Condos WAVY coverage
Read and watch story at WAVY.com:
Police say a woman in Vista Pointe Condos reported that early Wednesday morning she saw a stranger peaking through her window. The woman, who lives on the first floor, had just gotten out of the shower when she saw the man.
Judith “Judy” Kane Connors passed away on Friday January 20th 2012.
Our condolences to her family and friends.
“Judy” made a huge difference in Ocean Park, the Shore Drive community and Virginia Beach and undoubtedly every where she lived.
“Judy’s” obituary at Pilotonline.com:
Among her many activities, she was a member of Ocean Park Civic League, Ocean Park Womens Club, Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations, Bayfront Advisory Committee, Retired Officers Wives, member of board of directors of the Francis Land House, was the first women appointed to the Virginia Beach Board of Zoning Appeals and Past Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Thanks to Public Works for installing a pneumatic plug device in Crab Creek out fall line to help prevent catastrophic flooding.
Public Works has installed a device similar to this in the Crab Creek out fall storm drain system. The device should help prevent catastrophic tidal flooding from storms like Nor ‘Ida in 2009, over ~$150,000 worth of damage, and Irene in 2011. The pneumatic plug device is a temporary solution. The permanent solution is the plan to move the Crab Creek out fall line to the pump station late in 2012.
Storm drain cleaning in Ocean Park today, and over the next couple weeks
You’ve seen the contractor Tri-State cleaning storm drains in Ocean Park around the Ocean Park Baptist Church area.
I was just assured by the contract supervisor for the City of VB that the contract cleaning will be completed, then service requests by home owners will be completed in the next couple weeks. That includes lines on the pump station, and also the Crab Creek out fall line.
They are not only cleaning, but also using the fancy movie camera in the storm drain looking for damage or issues thing too.
“Troutman said that just a week and a half ago, an officer went door-to-door warning residents about recent car break-ins and thefts.”
The Cape Story by the Sea Neighborhood Watch Group sent out an e-mail to all of its residents alerting them about the burglary. The homeowner believes it happened between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Stolen car from Ocean Park recovered. Thief confesses crime.
He was caught in Ocean View:
[T]hey have arrested the guy who stole my car out of the driveway in early January. He has been connected to several thefts, was out of jail on probation, and is currently incarcerated without a chance of bail. He has confessed to the thefts[.]
Pedestrian signs installed at La Casa Rana, Salty C’s, Croakers, Cheap Chic Resale Boutique “block” on Shore Drive. Thanks Public Works!
East bound side of Shore Drive at Salty C's.
West bound side at Bay Vista
Thanks to Debbie of La Casa Rana Baja Grill for letting us know Public Works installed the signs!
There were 4 deaths, including 3 pedestrians, in this area since 1997.
Update on barge in Long Creek
Email from VMRC rep:
Mr. Cunningham,
I recently talked with the contractor. He is currently waiting for the excavator to be delivered back to Marina Shores so it can be placed back on the barge. He has two pier projects (recently authorized by VMRC) nearby on Long Creek, and the barge will be moved over to those properties by the end of January.
Justin D. Worrell
Environmental Engineer
Habitat Management Division
Virginia Marine Resources Commission
(757) 247-8063 telephone
(757) 247-8062 fax
Break-in and Robbery In Cape Story
From an email from Cape Story Prez:
Follow up on the young couple who just moved into Cape Story and were robbed yesterday (door kicked in and two TV’s and computer stolen). I stopped by tonight and found a couple of Cape Story neighbors replacing the door (GREAT WORK!!) and I expresssed the concern of the neighborhood and offered to send out email to see if anyone had extra TV or computer not needed. SO this is the send, if you have extra electronics let me know and I will forward.
THIS is a very serious robbery with the door destruction , between 11 am and 2 pm and targeting specific items right on SHORE DRIVE . CAREFUL and SEE Something SAY Something. Empsy
Empsy Munden, Pres Cape Story by the Sea emunden@aol.com 757-869-5785
#WeLoveShoreDrive 