Shore Drive Community Coalition

Free Local Solar & More Home Tour

Free Local Solar & More Home Tour

in association with the American Solar Energy Society’s National Tour

& organized by the Hampton Roads Green Building Council’s Homes Committee

Saturday and Sunday, September 25 &26, 10-4

View Flyer at http://capehenryshores.org/cabsolartourflyer2docx.pdf

or go directly to the tour site for in depth info at http://www.hrsolartour.com

or visit the ASES site at http://www.nationalsolartour.org

Here in the Shore Drive Corridor of Virginia Beach, we live in an area with abundant sunshine and persistent wind.  Like me, maybe you’ve wondered if solar panels or a wind turbine might fatten your wallet or otherwise improve your life and property.  If so, here’s your chance to see solar and other innovative and sustainable technologies up close and personally.  Homeowners and other facilities will open their doors to the public to view and answer questions about the systems they operate.

Over the course of two days, you can venture far and wide within Hampton Roads to visit 22 sites on the tour.  If you want to stay close to home, 3 sites are within easy reach of the Shore Drive Corridor.

1 - The Renaissance Academy near Town Center was designed to a take advantage of passive solar heating/cooling and day lighting.  Among other innovations, it also has a green living roof which reduces runoff.  A catcment system captures and stores the filtered water until it is needed for toilet flushing. 

2 - Just off Shore Drive on Little Creek Road, one residence frequently produces more electricity than it needs and sells the power back to Dominion.  In addition, the sun heats their hot water and they have incorporated rain barrels into their garden to reduce runoff and the need for city water for irrigation.  The attic is also insulated with a bio based blown foam.

3 – Further down Shore Drive on Ocean View Avenue you can see two types of wind turbine in action:  The traditional horizontal axis model and a vertical axis model.  They’ve been up and spinning for the last several months.  Wouldn’t you like to know what kind of energy they’re producing?

Although tours have been annual events all over this country for many years, last year was the first year a local tour has been organized in well over a decade.  If you would like to participate, you need to register for a ticket. For more info or to register and download a brochure with descriptions of and directions to all the sites, go to http://www.hrsolartour.com.  Please note that tour times vary at some locations.

McLeskey has asked a judge to temporarily halt the sale of the land for environmental preservation

From Pilotonline.com:

The Trust for Public Land, which is leading the partnership in the purchase of the property for conservation, is aware of the lawsuit, said Kent Whitehead, the Chesapeake project director for the organization.

“It may cause a slight delay, but we remain confident that the conservation of this property will eventually come to fruition,” Whitehead said in an e-mail.

Two ramps connecting I-264 with London Bridge Road will be built over the next two years

From Pilotonline.com:

The exit ramp will end at London Bridge Road, and motorists can turn right toward Oceana Naval Air Station or left to Great Neck Road. The on-ramp takes motorists under the interstate roughly parallel to existing railroad tracks before looping onto I-264.

Trash & recycling services suspended for Friday

From PR from Public Works:

Friday, Sept. 3, Trash and Recycling Collection Postponed

Due to anticipated storm conditions, there will be no trash or recycling service in Virginia Beach on Friday, Sept. 3. Trash and recycling collection regularly scheduled for Friday, Sept. 3, will be collected on Saturday, Sept. 4. 

Residents are advised NOT to place trash or recycling at their curbs prior to Friday evening, Sept. 3, for Saturday collection. Additionally, residents are encouraged to make sure yard debris or other items are not placed in drainage ways such as ditches or street curb and gutter. Yard debris placed in drainage ways can cause flooding.

The City Landfill is scheduled to be open on Friday, Sept. 3; however, pending storm conditions, it may close at any time until conditions become safer for residents. The City Landfill, located at 1989 Jake Sears Road off Centerville Turnpike, is typically open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for Virginia Beach residents. For more information on Waste Management services, visit http://www.VBgov.com/wastemgt.

Coastal Action Storm Plan Emergency Response, CASPER

Dave has shared his report, CASPER,, produced by his company Safety Net Consulting.

He felt it was important to share the 24 page report since Earl was on its way.

Download 24 page PDF.

An excerpt:

The material presented in this document reflects multiple accredited sources and the accumulated best practices of those involved in emergency planning and disaster recovery. Your timely planning is critical for a successful outcome. Many emergency agencies have found that only 10-15% of those who live in areas affected by coastal storms will have a plan and prepare before a potential disaster. Timely planning is critical to the safety of your family. Any person using this document must use reasonable common sense and prudent judgment to prevent personal injury and limit property loss.

Questions? .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Latest about Earl at NOAA.

From Mike Taylor of Ocean Park

From an email, unedited, posted with permission from the author:

Dear Sirs,
I just wanted to thank you for stepping up on the purchase of Pleasure House Point. Your leadership on this issue has made it possible and directly affects the quality of life for the Shore Drive corridor. We hope there will be walking/biking trails around the perimeter of the parcel.

I also want to thank you for listening to the Shore Drive community regarding the speed limit change. I know you have taken a lot of heat for this decision from commuters, but as a resident who has to access Shore Drive every day, I can assure you your decision will save lives and not because of pedestrians.

Entering the road from a full stop with cars routinely traveling at 55-60 mph is like entering a highway with no ramp. In many places, visibility down the road is not adequate for those speeds as well. From direct experience I can tell you it was only a matter of time before a disaster happened. I believe a new bride was killed trying to enter the roadway after her wedding at Baylake Church sometime ago. A highway through the middle of a residential area is what we had.

I have never written anyone in the city before, but these two decisions moved me to write you to acknowledge your actions on these two issues. I commend you.

Sincerely,
Mike Taylor
Ocean Park

Thank for allowing us to post your email Mike.

Have your own “letter to the editor”?
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Editor’s note: We’ll set up a do it yourself space at SDCC.info and you can post your opinion anytime.
Please let us know if you’d like us to set that up.

Traffic Engineers Need Your Help

SDCC has received the following email from Mike Shahsiah of the VB Traffic Engineering Division:

Operations of the pedestrian warning signs with flashing lights (between Kendall St to Lesner Bridge) have been extended to start flashing at 12:00 noon until 2:30 a.m. every day. 

I need your assistance to provide feedback on the operations of these lights.  If you happen to drive this section of Shore drive after 12:00 noon, please look for these lights and send me an email at your convenience & let me know if they were working as programmed.
Thanks a lot.
Mike

Please address your comments to:
Mike Shahsiah, P.E.
Senior Traffic Engineer

mshahsia@vbgov.com

SDCC Agenda August 30, 2010

SDCC General Meeting – Monday, August 30, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Station (Intersection of Shore Drive and E. Stratford Rd.)

Call to Order

Present and adopt agenda

Presentation:  Kal Kassir, Chairman, Bayfront Advisory Committee:  An overview of the BAC mission

          Questions and Answers

Officers’ Reports

          President’s Report:  Grace Moran
          Vice President’s Report:  Dave Williams
          Secretary’s Report:  Todd Solomon
          Treasurer’s Report:  Steve Kohler

Update on issues:
          Shore Drive Safety Initiatives
          Pleasure House Point (see below)

Old Business

New Business

Adjourn formal session in order to open informal briefing re: Pleasure House Point.  A working group
has been formed to attempt to raise the $4M which the Trust for Public Land plans to sell a 5-10 acre
tract along Shore Drive. Two meetings have been held to date.  Reports of work in progress.

Dates to remember:

Saturday, September 18, 2010.  eCycling. The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science
Center, in partnership with TFC Recycling, is offering its third e-cycling event from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Virginia Aquarium east parking lot. Acceptable personal electronic recyclable items will include personal computers and laptops; telephones, cell phones and PDA’s; printers; circuit boards and components; monitors and flat screens; televisions smaller than 32”; and stereo equipment and game systems.

Saturday, September 11:  11th Annual Community Gardening Festival   The Agricultural Research Station, Diamond Springs Road, north of the intersection of Diamond Springs Road and Northampton Blvd.

Tuesday, September 14:   Bayfront Advisory Subcommittee meetings 3 p.m. at First Landing
State Park (Bayside)  Public Safety, Transit, Transportation and Access and Communications

Thusday, September 16:  Bayfront Advisory Committee 3:30 p.m. at First Landing State Park (Bayside)

Next SDCC Meeting:  7:30 p.m. September 27, 2010.
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Station
Please check http://www.sdcc.info for details as they become available.

Make your tax deductible donation to preserve 100% of PHP

Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Foundation is accepting your tax deductible donations to help preserve 100% of Pleasure House Point.

What’s the harm with a small commercial development on this property? The answer is simple. There is no do-over.

And:

Top Reasons to Donate:

1. Save the largest undeveloped parcel of land on the Lynnhaven River for generations to come.
2. Preserve your City’s Green Space and the opportunity to experience shoreline habitat, wetlands, and maritime forest.
3. Protect the natural habitat of birds and marine life.
4. Produce healthy lifestyle opportunities by having trails in close proximity to residences in one of the highest density areas in the City. *
5. Raise property values and prevent added congestion in this area. **
6. Be part of a legacy purchase; we will not have this opportunity again.

Learn more at the Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Foundation Pleasure House Point Fundraiser page.

Like a high school student at Cape Henry Collegiate once said about the importance of preserving PHP:

  “I don’t feel like this is an adult issue. It’s our future. It’s our Virginia Beach.”

Please be generous in sharing this link, and in donating.

Any amount will help. Thank you.

PHP is your unknown backyard. Click to view larger.

Swimming & Wading Banned from Little Creek to Ft. Story

The city’s Department of Public Health on Wednesday issued swimming and wading advisories along areas of the Chesapeake Bay and the Oceanfront.  Recent testing by the health department showed bacteria levels in the water exceeded the state water-quality standards at five locations in the Chesapeake Bay from the Virginia Beach city line east to Fort Story and at locations between 8th and 22nd streets at the Oceanfront.  The advisories will be lifted when the tests show the bacteria are within state limits.  Northeast winds, rain and high tides have pushed the water higher onto the beaches than usual, exposing it to bacteria, said Erin Sutton, environmental health manager for the health department. Bacteria called Enterococci, found in human and animal waste, showed up in the tests.
Update Note:  Restrictions lifted August 26.

Update on Stormwater issues from the Deputy City Manager

Be sure to check this out, and follow the link to the City’s Powerpoint provided at the end of the email.

From an email to Grace from Mr. Hansen:

Update on Stormwater Issues
Email from Dave Hansen, Deputy City Manager

Grace,

Here’s a link to the FY11 Stormwater Brief we gave 20 April 2010.  Several of your constituents have been very active in educating themselves about how stormwater O&M and CIP is resourced.  This brief lays out the huge requirements we face and the current revenues generated thru the stormwater fee and general fund supplement.  As the Cape Henry Drainage Project was cut in the budget several of your constituents have asked what it will take to bring it back.  For every one cent increase in the stormwater fee the stormwater enterprise fund receives @$850,000.

To reclaim the FY11 cuts (chart 21) totaling $16.6M in projects we have to add $2.75M back to the annual CIP budget to pay the long term debt for these initiatives.  $2.75M÷$850,000 =  3.25¢ increase to the stormwater fee (see chart 25).  That means each household’s annual stormwater cost would go from $87.96 to $99.83. An increase of $11.87 (less than a dollar a month). 

Why should everyone support this – just ask your neighbors in Lynnhaven Colony.  The residents along Atlantic Avenue have received their stormwater projects that took 20 years (the last pump station is going in this year and next at 61st Street).  Shadowlawn folks had their two projects with four phases each stopped in mid construction.  Cape Henry was just beginning.  And those inland neighborhoods have over 700 lakes and BMPs that we have no funding source to tackle the future dredging requirements.  They too will need to understand the stormwater business of the fees it takes to support a water based City.
The SDCC neighborhoods have many needs.  Stormwater issues rank very close to the top.  It is in everyone’s interest to understand how the Council funds stormwater management and the major gap that exists between actual resources and our publics expectations. As always, am available to meet and discuss how we try and keep VB moving forward. 

Here is the link:  http://www.vbgov.com/presentations/pworks/StormwaterWaterResourcesUpdate.ppsx

Regards,
Dave Hansen
Deputy City Manager

Lesner Bridge Concrete Repairs to Begin in August

This month Public Works Operations will begin a project to perform repairs to the concrete beams on the Lesner Bridge. The repairs will address aging patches of concrete and help slow corrosion to help extend the performance of the current bridge until the replacement bridge project can be funded.

The City’s contractor will be on site from mid-August through January 2011. Repairs will be performed from equipment both below the bridge and from the roadway, which will require some lane closures.  Public Works Operations is also performing repairs to some of the supporting piles for the Lesner Bridge. These repairs are done by barge from the water and consist of placing concrete “jackets” around the piles to reinforce them and contain cracks. These repairs are expected to be completed by the end of August. Repairs to the fender system at the bridge have just been completed.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Phillip Koetter in Public Works Operations at 385-1470 or pkoetter@vbgov.com

No injuries, minor damage in Shore Drive condo fire

A small fire occurred at Chesapeake House on the Bay around 12:15pm Wednesday. 

Click here to read the Virginia-Pilot article.

eNewsletter test today for the August 13th 2010 version

To make a long story short, the test failed. The layout that was intended did not work. I apologize.

Help someone with their Eagle Scout Project

From an email:

Hi,
I plan to build oyster floats for Lynnhaven River Now for my Eagle Scout Project at the end of this month.  LRN will then distribute the floats to local schools for educational purposes.  To build 15-19 floats will cost between $800-$1000.  I play acoustic guitar and perform locally, so to fundraise I have organized several performances over the next couple of weeks where I will contribute donations/earnings to the project.  I will be at Kokoamos & Bayside Bar & Grill (on Shore Dr.), and possibly additional venues (like Francis Asbury United Methodist Church).  The link to my project flyer, which I will update if more locations and or dates are added is http://riffcurrent.com/eagle%20project%20flyer3.pdf
Would you please post a notice on the SDCC blog (with a link to the flyer), the calendar and if possible your e-newsletter?  Since I am playing this Sat night at Kokoamos (and the next), the sooner the better.
Thanks very much,
Louis Smith
www.riffcurrent.com

City Council Pending Item List

Click to view the 20 page document. (.pdf Version)

Click to view the 20 page document. (Google Document Version)

There is a lot of info in there that will affect your life in the Shore Drive community.

City’s latest announcement about PHP

At SavePHP.org:

“The city anticipates working with citizens and partner groups to develop a plan for use of the public open space, building on the city’s existing plans to preserve land and improve water quality in the Lynnhaven watershed, including a return of the famous Lynnhaven Oyster fishery.”

PHP site partnership opportunity presentation at SDCC Meeting

July 26th we had a very exciting presentation from the City of Virginia Beach, the Trust for Public Land and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

View the 5 slides that were presented. (.pdf version)
View the 5 slides that were presented. (Google Docs version)

National Night Out - Tuesday August 3rd - Turn on your porch lights on and keep an eye out for crime

NEWS RELEASE
Virginia Beach Police Department
Municipal Center
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
8/2/2010                                                                           2010-108

national night out in virginia beach

On Tuesday, August 3, 2010, communities nationwide will be celebrating the “27th Annual National Night Out.”  The goal is to (1) heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, (2) generate support for and participation in local anti-crime efforts, (3) strengthen neighborhood and police community partnerships, and (4) send a message to the criminals that neighborhoods and the police are united in fighting crime.
Some of the neighborhoods participating in Virginia Beach are:
1st Precinct – Lotus Creek, Ocean Lakes, Red Mill Farm, Shire Village (Buckner Farm), South Shore Estates, Southgate, and Villages at West Neck.
2nd Precinct – Atlantis Apartments, Baycliff, Croatan, Rudee Heights, Seabridge Square, Southall Quarter, Waldon by the Chesapeake, and Wolfsnare Plantation.
3rd Precinct – Bishops Gate, Chesapeake Beach, Cypress Point, Diamond Springs/Gardenwood Park, L&J Gardens, Lake Shores, Little Creek, Summerset Lake Condos, and Thoroughgood Colony.
4th Precinct – Bellamy Plantation, Commons at Princess Anne, Driftide Condos, Fairfield Forest, Framingham Village (College Park), Green Run, Kempsville Lake, Liberty Ridge Townhomes, Salem Woods, and Tivoli Apartments.
Most events begin around 6:30 p.m.
Even if your neighborhood is not having a planned event, we encourage all of the citizens of Virginia Beach to get out and send the message that we are fighting back against crime and drugs.  Leave your porch lights on all night to show your support!
For more information, please contact MPO Helen Gillespie, office 385-1331, hgillesp@vbgov.com 

MPO Jimmy Barnes
Public Relations/Marketing /Spokesperson
Virginia Beach Police Department
jfbarnes@vbgov.com , 757-385-4494

Op-Ed from Chairman of Dollar Tree thanks SDCC for work on PHP so far

Read entire Op-Ed by Mr. Macon Brock at ePilot.com:

But thanks to this partnership and the many groups such as Shore Drive Community Coalition, Lynnhaven River NOW and other members of the community who worked hard to prevent intensive development on this land, it is encouraging to know this treasure will have the best, most capable, caring environmental stewards — if the rest of the needed funds to purchase the property materialize.