On the other hand, if Wells Fargo held out for more money and sold to another developer, environmental permits would be needed before construction could begin and homebuyers would have to return to the market.
The property, known as Pleasure House Point, has been the focus of extensive community debate, with local groups such as Shore Drive Community Coalition, Lynnhaven River NOW, and CBF vigorously opposed to development proposed for the parcel.
“Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr. announced today that the 122-acre property known as Pleasure House Point may be acquired and protected under terms of a deal between Wells Fargo bank and The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national environmental group. The property has been a top city open-space priority for a decade. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and The Trust for Public Land plan to partner with the city to pull together funding to meet the $13 million purchase price.
Pleasure House Point, located just west of the Lesner Bridge and south of the Chesapeake Bay, is at the confluence of Pleasure House Creek and Crab Creek, overlooking the Lynnhaven River. The property’s owner, L.M. Sandler & Sons, had planned to build a large waterfront development there known as Indigo Dunes.”
... is at the very least exciting for Hampton Roads residents and future generations.
Over the next days, and weeks you will undoubtedly hear more details about the possibilities of what Pleasure House Point will be.
From housing a wildlife refuge & rehab center to being part of the Lynnhaven River Blueway and being a leader in educational programs for disabled children & adults. Pleasure House Point will be home to an inspiring facility that will not only protect a jewel of Virginia Beach and Hampton Roads - but can just as assuredly, incubate big thinking on so many levels we have not had a chance to comprehend. Yet.
If it were not for countless hard working, selfless volunteers who dedicated an incomprehensible amount of time, energy, and effort to save Pleasure House Point from development and to raise the level of awareness to the property’s value for preservation, open space, and environmental education, we would not be having this conversation right now.
Without you, dear volunteer we would not be at this place in time.
Without you, dear volunteer, this opportunity to tell your grand children you were there when… would not be possible.
We hope a thank you is enough. But we know it’s not.
We know protecting 100% of Pleasure House Point is merely a starting point for something bold and grand that you will be proud of.
And in case you haven’t heard it enough, for the work you’ve put in to accomplish this feat - thank you. Thank you dear volunteer. You do and will continue to make a difference.
City Announces Partnership to Acquire Pleasure House Point
Plans include environmental education center and preservation of open space
City News Release Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 6:30 p.m.
...“Thanks to The Trust for Public Land, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the citizens of Virginia Beach, we have a plan to save the vast majority of Pleasure House Point from development,” Mayor Sessoms said. “The strength of this partnership gives us the best chance yet to preserve this unique property. Our persistence is paying off!”...
Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We’ll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.
The City of Virginia Beach is requesting citizen input regarding possible participation in a fiber broadband trial being conducted by Google.
Google is planning to build and test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the United States. Google’s stated intention is for these proposed fiber networks to deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today with 1gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections.
To be considered for participation in this trial, the City of Virginia Beach must complete a Request for Information (RFI); as part of this process, the city is requesting that citizens complete a short survey in order to assess the level of community interest and support for this type of trial.
The city has a very short window of opportunity in which to respond, so citizens wishing to participate should complete the survey no later than March 23. Responses will be tallied and incorporated into the application RFI process.
1. Do you feel our city and its residents can benefit from faster Internet connectivity?
2. How could you or your business benefit from this project?
3. Recognizing that new fiber infrastructure would have to be added to our city rights-of-way, would you still support this project if you personally would be impacted by the undergrounding or construction process?
4. Do you currently subscribe to a high speed Internet service provider (DSL, cable, fiber)?
Or downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes. Or collaborating with classmates around the world while watching live 3D video of a university lecture. Universal, ultra high-speed Internet access will make all this, and more possible.
Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads and Virginia need a more sustainable, intelligent energy future. The Mayor’s Alternative Energy Task Force has been exploring options since June. Now it’s your turn.
To view briefings and documents from previous meetings, visit www.VBgov.com.
For more information, or to make your opinion known, contact Bob Matthias at 385-8267 or rmatthia@vbgov.com on or before October 26, 2009.
You’ve heard rumors about Indigo Dunes, preserving PHP as a public park, that the City should pay $25M to buy it, etc.
Attend SDCC’s Meeting October 26th to find out:
the latest on Indigo Dunes & Pleasure House Point.
ask your questions and get answers about how to make PHP public open space.
view an idea to create an environmental learning center on PHP and how it could affect our beloved neighborhood.
Rumors of the Mayor, City Manager and the President attending are, as of the date of this post, unfounded rumors.
Watch this website and our eNewsletter for official info.
Federal agencies have released seven draft reports on protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay.
They include:
develop focused and coordinated habitat and research activities that protect and restore living resources and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed (U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Interior).
“If we continue as we have, Virginia will develop more land in the next 40 years than we have in the last 400 years,” the governor said in a speech.
If he did not take action in this way, Kaine added, “the opportunity to do it will not be there for future governors and future Virginians.”
By comparison, much more crowded New York City actually has more parkland than all five of the Hampton Roads cities combined. And even though the five Hampton [Roads] cities cover a much larger area than New York, Boston or the main cities of San Francisco Bay, the other three regions all have more parkland as a percentage of their cities’ land area than Hampton Roads.
In the interest of the Lynnhaven River’s health, we endorse the City’s Outdoors Plan (2000 update) in its recommendation to preserve Pleasure House Pont as open space, on which the report places, “Top Priority”. Open space provides critical ecological benefits to the Lynnhaven River, such as water filtration, pollutant removal, water percolation and habitat provision. Open space would also provide valuable public access to the river, giving citizens of Virginia Beach the opportunity to appreciate the Lynnhaven River and feel invested in the river’s health and its future.
As stewards of the Lynnhaven River, we strongly support the existing wetland and Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area regulations that are in place to protect the health of the river. Therefore, we believe that any development that is proposed within the Lynnhaven River’s watershed, including the proposed Indigo Dunes project, must avoid impact to wetlands and to the existing buffer (100’ minimum) that falls within the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area.
Thanks to Ms. Kathryn Edgar, regulator with Army Corp of Engineers, for letting us know the public comment period for Indigo Dunes has been extended until end of business January 16th.
More to follow.
The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above.
We’ll provide more details, answer questions & more soon.
Then-Councilman Will Sessoms, also now running for mayor, said the council would “really regret it down the road” if it didn’t buy the land when it had the chance. Sessoms was right.
I’d wager which ever elected official[s] is[are] part of acquiring Pleasure House Point and/or the “Duck-In property” would get [re]elected for as long as they want to hold office.
The editorial continues:
For example, high-end condo projects proposed for magnificent waterfront properties on either side of the Lesner Bridge sit idle, their prospects dimming each day as the real estate slide accelerates.
Just because the open space fund might be diminished doesn’t mean there aren’t other creative solutions if the will is found to make it happen.
Special note: I happened to have been part of a dedicated group of people who worked diligently to get the Lake Ridge project mentioned in the editorial much reduced in size, scope & impact.
Daphne Atkins, a civic leader in the Shore Drive community, hopes the city aggressively markets the open space acquisition program to developers such as L.M. Sandler & Sons Inc., the owners of the Pleasure House Point property.
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.