Shore Drive Community Coalition

Are you coming out for Share Shore Drive Day ?

Cycling info at ShareShoreDriveDay.net.

Come out and join the Circle in The Bridge from CHKD at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Beach Facility at 10am to walk.

Lynnhaven Fishing Pier not opening this weekend, but LBR&BF walkway is done

Thanks to every one involved in getting the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Beach Facility walkway completed in time for this weekend.

Weekly update on Beach Access & LBR&BF repairs from Nor’Ida

From an email:

Here is the weekly update on the Beach Access Projects. Overall, the contractor has performed as expected. Delays have been due to material delivery delays and inclement weather. I anticipate, without any further delays, at least 6 of the 9 accesses will be open by 05/28/10.  The projected substantial completion and all opened to the public by 06/04/10.

Kendall Street - Complete and open to the public on 05/18/10

Sandalwood Rd. - 98% complete and open to the public on 05/19/10 - ADA hand railing will be delivered by Monday 05/24/10 and installed immediately. This installation will take about 4 hours

Lynnhaven Marina - 75% complete as progress is going forward - Remaining work to be completed are the decking, handrails and stairway landing & steps. Projected to open to the public 05/26/10.

Ketch Ct. - 25% complete - sidewalk demolition and vinyl sheeting installed

Ocean Shore Ave. - 15% complete - demolition completed and vinyl sheeting to be installed today

Whaler Ct & Spinaker Ct. - Demolition and sheeting to be completed by 05/21/10 and all flowable fill pours are scheduled for 05/24 & 05/25, weather permitting. High early concrete walkways will be poured 05/25 & 05/26.

N. Great Neck Rd. - 85% complete with handrail system remaining. Handrail system to be delivered 05/21 or 05/24. Projected opening date to public 05/24/10

Velzey Ave. - Upon completion of Lynnhaven Marina Access - Velzey will be the last to be constructed - Projected opening date to the public 05/28/10.

Be advised, due to inclement weather on 05/17 & 05/18, we lost 2 days towards construction.

Should you have any questions regarding the above, please contact me.

Very truly yours,

Karl L. Smithson, APM
PW/Operations Mgmt.
385-1540

Drew Lankford
Media and Communications
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach
dlankfor@vbgov.com
(O)  757.385.8062
(C)  757.409.4353

LBR&BF walkway work started today, and other updates on beach walkways

From an email:

Grace,

Thank you for your inquiry and I have just completed a meeting with our contractor in the field. Here is my current schedule and update information:

The Lynnhaven Marina Beach Access started today (05/12/10) with the demolition and the pile work. I am hopeful that this access will be operational by the end of next week (05/21/10). Earley Marine, our contractor,  has now dedicated 3 work crews and hired additional personnel to complete the 9 identified beach pedestrian accesses by Memorial Day Weekend.

Additionally, demolition of the old walkway and reconstruction of the new sidewalk and hand railings on the W. Great Neck Rd. Access will begin on Monday 05/17/10.

We are having some difficulty in delivery of specialized material (vinyl sheeting) , hopefully, this will be delivered by Friday ((05/14/10)  so we can begin construction on Ketch, Whaler, Spinaker Courts and Ocean Shore Ave. beginning next week.

Sandalwood Rd. ADA Access is 95% complete – the final landing area and final railing steps and stairway system remains to be installed.

Kendall Street is 85% complete – some TREX decking, and the railings and stairways/step system remains to be installed.

Again, I am hopeful that these accesses will be operational by the end of next week (05/21/10).

Velzey Ave. will begin construction on or before 05/21/10 or as soon as we can shift work crews accordingly.

Regarding Fentress Ave., I have no set schedule to date. This work will be accomplished by in-house force account utilizing the city work force. As soon as I can get information regarding this schedule, I will forward to you accordingly.

I would like to thank all citizens and visitors alike for their patience regarding the construction of these accesses and any inconvenience the construction activity may generate. We will continue to aggressively pursue the final construction completion of all damaged accesses as soon as practicable.

Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

Very truly yours,
Karl L. Smithson, APM
PW/Operations - Technical Support
385-1540 (Office)
403-3821 (Cell)

Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Beach Facility Walkway to beach not repaired yet

It was damaged in November during Nor’Ida.

Rumor is - it will not be fixed before Memorial Day.

People walking to the beach, like moms with kids and beach gear, are detoured down to the southside of the Lesner Bridge to walk past the fisherman on the beach north toward the beach on the bay.

Please - be careful - the currents are crazy strong right there.

Update 5.6.10:
For those not in Facebook:

City of Virginia Beach commented on your wall post:

“Tim, this is what we received from Public Works. I hope ths helps! The beach access at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Beach Facility was damaged along with 8 other pedestrian access points during the November nor’easter.  These access points were reviewed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for reimbursement following the storm and a repair package was put together to repair all and approved by FEMA.  The contractor began work at the Sandlewood access in mid-April and will be working westward with repairs. The goal is to have all access points repaired before the Memorial Day weekend.”

What’s going on with the equipment and dredging by the Lesner Bridge?

From an email from a City staffer explaining it:

The work near the Lesner Bridge is indeed maintenance dredging of the Crab Creek channel that serves the Lynnhaven Inlet Boat Ramp and Beach Use Facility.

This channel system is subject to constant shoaling and requires dredging on an annual basis to maintain access to the boat ramp.  Dredging will be complete by February 28, site restoration and full demobilization of the equipment will be complete by mid-March. 

5 Pics from Friday the 13th 09 Nor’Easter

Note: This was not hi tide.

City Council unanimously approves new funds for new transfer station

City staff had originally recommended the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp, but nearby residents and boaters were opposed to that site because of concern over truck traffic.

...and concern over an incredible amount of safety conflicts including barge strike on the Lesner Bridge, enormous safety conflicts at the LBR&BF, in the water, etc.

Thank you City Council!

Read & comment at Pilotonline.com.

LBR&BF will not have dredge spoils transfer station

Official Page at VBGov.com:

...Based upon feedback received at the Public Meeting, alternate sites for a dredged material transfer station were evaluated.  The proposed transfer facility has been moved from the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp Facility to a site located near the crossing of Thalia Creek and Virginia Beach Blvd.

Thank you.

Crab Creek will be dredged early 2009

Thanks to Lee for the info!

Her email about the dredging needed to open Crab Creek channel:

Subj: Crab Creek Dredging
Dear Mr. Kay:
  On behalf of the fishing and recreational boating communities, would you kindly give me a status report on having Crab Creek dredged this winter since October thru February is the time in which there are no restrictions on dredging for Crab Creek?  Information I would like to report back to the fishing and boating communities is as follows:
1.  Does the City have plans to have Crab Creek dredged between now and February, 2009?
2.  If not, then please explain why not, especially since Crab Creek is suppose to be 50 ft. wide and 5-6 feet at mean low water, and we know that it is less than 15 ft. wide and will continue to narrow if not dredged in a timely manner.  This can, of course, create a hazard to boating when an exiting boat and an entering boat into Crab Creek are forced to pass too closely or try to avoid hitting and end up beaching themselves along side of the Crab Creek Channel shoals.  I believe much of the depth of this channel at low tide is also under 3 feet.  If left undredge for another season, surely the opening of Crab Creek from the Lynnhaven Inlet will close, and an “exception” to the time of year restrictions will have to be applied for from VMRC.  Is it not better to plan ahead knowing the facts of the situation? 
3.  If Crab Creek will be dredged between now and February, 2009, what type of dredging will be performed, i.e., mechanical vs. hydraulic and please provide as much information as you can as to the bidding information, contractor, when will the dredging begin, and how long is the dredging anticipated to last and any other details in which boaters should be aware of when using Crab Creek during this period.
  Thank you for your assistance to this matter.  I look forward to hearing from you so that I may continue to keep our boating community safe and informed on important issues, especially during striped bass season.

Master Captain Leona “Lee” M. Shuler
2008 At-Large City Council Candidate
2448 Rose Hall Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
757-481-5371
757-718-1457
Email:  CaptainShuler@aol.com
cc:  Mr. Justin Worrell, VMRC
Capt. Reese, WTAR Radio Fishing Talk Show Host
City Council
Lee Tolliver, Virginian Pilot

The response from Mr. Kay:

Subj: RE: Crab Creek Dredging
Ms. Shuler,

Yes the City is planning to have Crab Creek dredged as well as providing some maintenance dredging to Long Creek in the coming months.  The specifications are currently under review and a survey of the Crab Creek and Long Creek channels and the associated material placement areas is underway.  Upon completion of the survey the necessary calculations will be performed and incorporated into the specifications.  It is anticipated that the project will be advertised for bid in late November to early December with award and Notice to Proceed in January.  The project will be packaged to allow either mechanical or hydraulic dredging; the contractors bidding the project will decide how they want to bid the project.  Historically mechanical means has been the preferred method by contractors.

In past contracts signs and notices were posted at the boat ramp as well as notification to the Coast Guard for issuance of a Notice To Mariners when the project is to begin and during construction, these procedures will be used again for this contract.

Sincerely,

Michael F. Kay
Coastal Engineering Division
Public Works Engineering
City of Virginia Beach
ph. (757) 385-4511 fax. (757) 385-5783

Study on barge strike on Lesner Bridge, barge strike Accident Report from May 2008

Remember the crazy idea to have a permanent public & private dredge spoils transfer station at the LBR&BR?
The idea is not dead yet but we finally have more info we can share.

We finally received a summary of the report done by Clark-Nexsen studying what damage would be done if a loaded barge operating at the proposed transfer station would strike the Lesner.
Scope and Work Summary [4pg PDF].
This is the report that was requested back in April.

Remember the hit and run barge strike in May ‘08 that didn’t make the MSM?
Here’s the Accident Report [5pg PDF].

Thanks to Lee for both docs from her FOIA request.

VB looking at VB Blvd site for transfer station

The plan supplants one that would have used the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp, near the Lesner Bridge, to move sand and silt dredged from the Western Branch of the Lynnhaven River from barges to dump trucks. That idea was tabled after it met with opposition.

Read & comment on article at Pilotonline.com.

Q&A posted at VBGov.com about permanent dredge spoils transfer station

In case you’ve missed it, the Contract Questions & Responses are posted at the VBGov.com page for the proposed Permanent Dredge Spoils Transfer Station located at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp & Beach Facility[LBR&BF].

Here’s a few:

Will flaggers be subjected to background and drug tests?
Not as a requirement of the contract.
Would flaggers be allowed to direct trucks around parked boats
and vehicles awaiting entry to LBR?
No.
Would flaggers working at boat launch area halt boat traffic?
No.
How many truck trips from LBR will be allowed per day maximum?
No maximum will be specified in the contract.
How many truck trips per week will be allowed maximum per week?
No maximum will be specified in the contract.
What pollutants are in the spoils?
Without a definition for ‘pollutants’, we are unable to answer.
If there are odor complaints from nearby neighbors, is there a remediation plan available?
No.
Describe the exact truck route from Shore Drive to Independence Blvd.
On the advice of the Traffic Engineering office, the proposed route is west on Shore Drive directly to Independence Blvd.
Will trucks drive north on Great Neck Road and over the Lesner Bridge after unloading at Oceana?
No.
If a dump truck collides with a boat on trailer rupturing fuel tank, will dump trucks have additional fire suppression equipment?
Not as a condition of this contract.
Will drivers be trained to extinguish fires?
Not as a condition of this contract.
Is there a remediation plan available for parking lot fuel spills and accidents with large quantities of fuel known to be on boats?
No.
Will high wind discontinue barge operations?
The contractor will be responsible for determining if conditions
are safe for operations.
What is the speed of wind needed to discontinue barge operations?
No particular wind speed is anticipated to be specified in the contract.
Who determines if the hauling operations continue when high winds exist?
The contractor.

Seems the contractor is still responsible for all safety related issues including the Lesner Bridge.
Read all 44 pages of questions at answers at VBGov.com project page.
View BoatRampClosing.com.

SDCC General Meeting Agenda for Monday, July 28th 2008

SDCC General Meeting Agenda - Monday July 28, 2008

SDCC General Meeting - Monday July 28, 2008, 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall (parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)

Program/Presentation – No program planned for this month.  Time will be allotted to Old & New Business Sections.

The general agenda for the evening will be:

Officer’s Reports - Brief Reports
Secretary - Tim
Treasurer’s Report - Leslie
Vice President & President - Daphne & Todd

Old Business-
Indigo Dunes Project – Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has asked for more time to review and answer the public’s concerns before going before the State Water Control Board (WCB).  The next WCB meeting is scheduled for September 30th.  The SDCC Pleasure House Point (PHP) committee has scheduled a meeting with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), Lynnhaven River Now (LRN), Wetlands Watch and our legal representation to put together a plan for the WCB hearing. 

Lynnhaven Boat Ramp (LBR) Proposed Spoils Transfer Station – City Staff is still pursuing the purchase of land behind the AT&T-Battery Plus building on the Blvd. for the dredging of the Western Branch as a permanent dredge transfer station. This site would also provide kayak
& canoe access when not being used as a transfer station.  City Staff is looking at purchasing or condemnation of all the property in the area (excluding the vets office) to also allow a Fire Station.  Staff plans to present details to City Council on Aug 12 at a closed session.
[Correction 2:18pm Monday July 28th 2008.]

Proposed Rezoning of City Marina - Planning Commission review was deferred from the July 9th meeting to the August 13th meeting at noon in City Council Chambers.  SDCC has sent a letter to City Staff and Council opposing the rezoning from P-1 to B-2.  Reasons for opposition include the fact that a marina is considered a principal use in a P-1 zoning district so there is no need to rezone and the current arrangement is a money making venture for the City, about $50,000 per year.  Making it a private venture runs the risk of losing this income.

City Council Candidate Forum and Questionnaire –  SDCC agreed to partner with OPCL and host a City Council Candidate Forum the week of September 22nd – 26th.  The locations suggested were the VB resort conference hotel, Baylake Pines church, Lynnhaven Congregational church and Westminster Canterbury.  It was recommended that Todd moderate and the format still needed to be decided.

SDCC Oyster Roast – Mark your calendars for Saturday Nov 15th from noon until 4pm at the VB Resort Conference Hotel.  First committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday August 21st at 6:30pm at Charlie’s Restaurant.  Volunteers are needed, email Todd if you’re interested in helping.  Todd@sdcc.info

SDCC Officer Nomination Committee – The nominating committee is narrowing down the list of candidates and is still in need of a good candidate for Vice President or Secretary.  If you are interested in running or know of anyone that may be, please contact Dan Creedon at DanVaB@aol.com.  The committee will make their presentation of names at the October 27th general meeting.

New Business -

Lynnhaven Boat Ramp (LBR) Proposed Spoils Transfer Station – Should SDCC write a letter to City Staff and Council supporting the plan to purchase and/or condemn businesses behind PEP Boys for a transfer station?  Should SDCC partner with Saw Pen Point C.L. is support of this site?

Community Legislative Town Hall Meeting -The City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations will be co-hosting a town-hall style discussion to give citizens an opportunity to provide valuable input into the City’s 2008 Legislative Agenda – goals which the City will submit to members of the local General Assembly delegation later in the year.  Meeting will be Wednesday August 6th at 7:30pm in the VB Convention Center and is open to the public.
Indigo Dunes Project – With the possible Sandlers financial troubles reported by the Virginian-Pilot, does the SDCC think it’s a opportune time to sit down with City Staff and Council to discuss working up possible purchase scenarios (land swaps, tax reductions, etc.) and then have the City pursue these plans with the Sandlers?

Sincerely,
Todd Solomon
Shore Drive Community Coalition - President
Visit http://www.sdcc.info for additional information regarding the Bayfront area.

More fun with barges at the Lesner Bridge

You probably saw the barge/crane gone since apparently the repair work is complete.

The company attempted to take their equipment Friday.

You might not know the ~82’ barge was grounded for at least 3 hours blocking the channel when it tried to leave yesterday.

Still no official word about the LBR&BF being taken off the list or moved to the bottom for the proposed Permanent Public & Private Dredge Spoils Transfer Station being located there.

Lesner Bridge barge strike on May 30th made Pilotonline.com today

...5 weeks after we broke the story.

Even 3 weeks after an update.

In the May 30 incident, Koetter said, “the bridge structure itself sustained no damage. The fender system ... protected the bridge pilings from collision.”

Technically, it was an allision, not a collision.

Read the article here.

You know you really want to comment about it taking 5 weeks for the media to cover this….
Go ahead… ‘DISCUSS’ below.

SDCC General Meeting Monday, June 30th 2008 Agenda

SDCC General Meeting - Monday June 30, 2008, 7:30 to 9:00pm
Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad Hall (parking in back, on side streets and across Shore Drive)

Program/Presentation – Mr. Lou Paulson, Posieden Court Condominiums, will be discussing viewpoint as to why it’s a bad idea for Cape Henry Beach landowners to sign over a public easement to the City for sand replenishment. The Sand Replenishment project is one that has been discussed for awhile and has a potential project date of late 2009/early 2010. If you are in favor or against, come on out and hear Mr. Paulson’s views.

The general agenda for the evening will be:

Officer’s Reports - Brief Reports
Secretary - Tim
Treasurer’s Report - Leslie
Vice President & President - Daphne & Todd

Old Business-
Indigo Dunes Project – Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) held a Public Meeting on Monday June 9th, that was attended by over 130 residents in opposition to the project. DEQ’s report is in favor of the plan. The deadline for public comment was June 24th. SDCC has submitted a box of documents and opposition letters in hopes to persuade the Water Control Board (WCB) to vote against this project at their July 28th meeting. The WCB is scheduled to meet on July 28th in Richmond and vote on this project.

Lynnhaven Boat Ramp (LBR) Proposed Spoils Transfer Station – Many Ocean Park residents have been involved in identifying the problems with this project. Due to their diligence, it appears that the LBR has been moved down on the list of possible sites. Council is pursuing possible land purchases as an alternative. Also, as a testament to the opposition’s concerns, a barge recently ran into the Lesner Bridge justifying the community’s opinion that the project would create too large a risk.

Proposed Rezoning of City Marina - Planning Commission review is scheduled for July 9th at noon in City Council Chambers. SDCC plans to take a vote at our June 30th general meeting, so please come prepared to discuss and vote. Visit the website for latest proffers and restrictions. Remember, the current arrangement is a money making venture for the City, about $50,000 per year. Making it a private venture runs the risk of losing this income.

Phase IV Shore Drive Demonstration Project – A citizen information meeting was held on Thursday May 22nd regarding the planned improvements to Shore Drive between Marlin Bay and East Stratford Rd in the Ocean Park area. Several street closures and median cut fill-ins are planned for this area. Attendance was small to the public meeting, so Ocean Park may want to get information directly to its effected residents. SDCC has asked for electronic versions of the presentation and will forward as soon as they are received.

SDCC Oyster Roast – Mark your calendars for Saturday Nov 15th from noon until 4pm at the VB Resort Conference Hotel. Committee meetings will begin in July. Volunteers are needed, email Todd if you’re interested in helping. Todd@sdcc.info

SDCC Officer Nomination Committee – The nominating committee is getting an early start for the upcoming election of 2008/9 officers. If you are interested in running or know of anyone that may be, please contact Dan Creedon at DanVaB@aol.com. The committee will make their presentation of names at the October 27th general meeting.

New Business -

Action Plans for PHP – Discuss and vote on any actions or position statements. Email campaign, Should we send emails to the WCB before the July 28th meeting? Should we call them beforehand? Discuss how we want to best use our legal counsel for the Richmond meeting. Who needs to go to the Richmond meeting, should be rent a bus?

City Council Candidate Forum and Questionnaire – Where should a forum be held? When should it be held? Who should be the moderator? What type of format should it follow? Be prepared to discuss these questions and volunteer for the forum committee. Also be thinking of questions for a candidate questionnaire.

More pics of barge strike on Lesner Bridge

Fortunately it was a small barge and it damaged only part of a fender.
Heard it’s about $200,000 damage & an editor from the Pilot has put the news room on it as of today.

When we have the Coast Guard report we’ll post it.

Have pics from a boat? Send em in!

Barge strikes Lesner Bridge

No kidding.

Apparently a barge moving into the inlet to do work at a private home hit a wooden fender of the Lesner Bridge.

Click below for a photo:
bargestrike-lesnerbridge-05-08.jpg
Obviously more photos and details to follow.

Pitching ectourism on the Eastern Shore

“It’s high-end, low-impact tourism,” said Donna Bozza, director of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission. “We don’t want the scale of Virginia Beach, especially given our fragile area here.”

A former journalist herself, Bozza added, “If we get paved over and look like everyone else, we’d lose what makes us special.”

Imagine eco-tourism being promoted in cooperation with the Eastern Shore as another reason to visit here and/or live here.
Imagine promoting using the LBR&BF to launch kayaks to tour our special places, as people in the know do today.
Imagine Pleasure House Point staying a special place, remaining open space.

Now imagine a Permanent Public/Private Dredge Spoils Transfer Station at the LBR&BF & PHP becoming 1/2 asphalt and a thousand housing units.

Read article at Pilotonline.com.