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.
***UPDATE **** As of 3-5-2010, The contractor was not able to work on Wednesday 3/3/10 (due to the Nor’easter) and the remaining sand material removal from the Maple Street Dredge disposal area is taking longer to remove than we first anticipated. We anticipate completion of the truck haul early next week and then another week to re-establish the Oak Street vehicular beach access
The following is the third weekly update for the Cape Henry Beach truck haul replenishment contract as provided by Phill Roehrs, Water Resources Engineer with Public Works Engineering:
“As of the close of business on Monday, March 1, the contractor had hauled 36,000 cubic yards of sand to the eastern portion of Cape Henry Beach. The entire reach from Ships Watch Court, where replenishment from the navigation project terminated, to the border with First Landing State Park/Kendall Street has received sand from this effort.
Approximately 4,000 cubic yards of material remained available at Monday’s close for hauling to the beach – our revised estimate for total quantity is 40,000 cubic yards. The remaining material will be spread to the east of Oak Street. The sand quality continues to be outstanding.
Hauling did not occur this past Saturday, February 27; the contractor used the time to scour the Maple Street Dredged Material Management Area for all remaining sand, creating a final stockpile and reconfiguring the staging for efficient hauling this week. We anticipate that the haul will be completed sometime this week. The restoration of the Oak Street vehicular beach access will commence immediately following the truck haul. Work hours for the truck haul and the beach access restoration will continue as 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
No citizen concerns were received this week, and there have been no reported traffic incidents. No damage to Oak Street has been observed, however a final and detailed inspection will occur after the completion of the beach access restoration and any needed repairs will be promptly scheduled. A topographic survey of the beach has been scheduled to commence next week to document the ‘after placement’ condition.”
If you have any questions or need additional information, please let me know and I will be happy to assist you. Thank you.
Drew Lankford
Media and Communications
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach
dlankfor@vbgov.com
(O) 757.385.8062
(C) 757.409.4353
From Councilwoman Barbara Henley Regarding Electronic Signs
February 27, 2010
My understanding at this time is that the electronic billboard ordinance will be considered by the Planning Commission at the March 10 meeting. The LED sign ordinance proposals were referred to a subcommittee of council for further comment, and it is expected that it will be brought back to Council on March 9. Since it had been advertised for that day, that would be a good time for council to receive public comment, whether a vote is taken at that time or not. It is very important that we have a complete hearing on both of these issues, and I do appreciate your community’s interest and involvement.
Just saw your post about electronic billboards. I have to drive down Great Neck Rd several times a week and truly do not appreciate the glare of the Wave Church’s new sign (especially when it’s an all white background with bright blue letters - it’s almost blinding). If I recall correctly, the city of Virginia Beach at one point was trying to get Shore Drive named a scenic byway. I’m not sure if they still are, but Scenic America is very much against the electronic billboard. They’ve even prepared a downloadable power point to present to city officials. Scenic Virginia is likewise against the signs.
I’m attaching some great links I found in 10 minutes of research: Most importantly: Electronic billboards attract attention and therefore distract drivers. The number one cause of accidents is distraction and the number one cause of distraction is an outside person, object or event (like a digital sign).
1. [PPT] Regulating Digital Signs and Billboards (S606) Sponsored by Zoning ...
File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint - View as HTML
Apr 28, 2009 ... Video LED Billboards. Regulating Digital Signs and Billboards (S606) ... Research on Electronic/Video Signs and Traffic Safety ... Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Center for Automotive Safety Research. March 22. ...
law.wustl.edu/landuselaw/powerpoint/digital%20signs%20apa%202009.ppt
2. [PPT] Animated Signs
File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint - View as HTML
LED & Video Display Signs: The Next Frontier for Sign Codes ... outdoor full color, full motion LED digital sign for higher speed roads around town, ... Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Center for Automotive Safety Research. ...
law.wustl.edu/landuselaw/.../Digital%20Signs%20Marya%20Morris.ppt - Similar
1. [PDF] MEMORANDUM
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Oct 15, 2009 ... Noble noted that schools had LED signs that displayed many messages each .... Digital billboards have been the subject of much debate and research. ... and Gibbons, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, for FOARE (2007). ... message signs will not enhance traffic safety and could increase crashes. ...
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/.../pdf/.../20091015_PHED2.pdf
Thank you for your email sharing your views regarding the proposed ordinance regulating digital signs in our City.
We agree, this is an important issue. City Council will be receiving the report of the subcommittee reviewing the ordinance amendments on March 9, 2010, and a vote is tentatively scheduled for March 23, 2010. Please be assured your comments will be given serious consideration at that time.
The time you took to make us aware of your concerns is greatly appreciated. Citizen input is vital in our decision-making process.
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
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday granted more than $1 million to help Virginia localities replace and repair infrastructure damaged in November’s nor’easter.
FEMA) promised more than $1 million in Public Assistance (PA) funding Thursday to help Virginia localities repair and replace public infrastructure damaged in the wake of the severe storms and flooding associated with the 2009 November Nor’easter and the remnants of Tropical Depression Ida.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
(Assistance to State and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards):
All jurisdictions in the Commonwealth of Virginia are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Just spoke with an Engineer at P/W and he mentioned Parsons has been tasked with looking into the storm water issues caused the damage re: Nor ‘Ida and his best estimate for best case was the study would be done around the end of April.
The following is the second weekly update for the Cape Henry Beach truck haul replenishment contract as provided by Phill Roehrs, Water Resources Engineer with Public Works Engineering:
“As previously reported, hauling began on February 10, 2010. As of the close of business on Monday, February 22, 22,000 cubic yards of sand had been hauled to the beach and spread between Ships Watch Court and Oak Street. The contractor is now placing sand east of Oak Street.
We have revised our estimate of the quantity of sand available to be approximately 35,000 cubic yards – the contractor has been able to remove quality sand down to elevation 2 feet, NAVD, within the Maple Street Dredged Material Management Area, almost two feet deeper than we had originally anticipated. Again, our intention is to remove all available sand from the Maple Street site, we are actively looking for every opportunity to maximize the volume. We are also closely monitoring the material quality with a full-time inspector at the borrow site, no objectionable loads have left the site.
We continue to field-adjust the cross section to assure that the fill operation will extend all the way to First Landing State Park with the largest possible beach berm dimension. The finished beach is a substantial and notable improvement. The sand placed on the beach is of such a quality that it is difficult to distinguish the new material from the existing beach sand – from color to grain size to shell content. We have not discovered any pockets of deleterious material, but if found on final inspection we will promptly schedule a visit by Beach Operations to sift and groom any objectionable areas.
Work hours continue as 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
With roughly 13,000 cubic yards to go, we anticipate the hauling will be complete by the end of the first week of March. We continue to monitor the condition of Oak Street, and will schedule repairs if necessary immediately after hauling and the Oak Street beach access restoration are complete.
No concerns or objections from citizens were received during this week, and there have been no traffic incidents.”
Planning Commission Public Workshop on Electronic Display Billboards
Monday, February 22nd – 4:00 pm
City Council Chambers
The Planning Commission is holding a public workshop to take comments on the attached amendments drafted by their subcommittee. This alternate version differs from the version referred by City Council in the following ways:
1. Requires that where an electronic display billboard is approved, all existing billboards on the zoning lot must be removed and at least 2 times the total sign area of the proposed digital billboard must be removed from other existing billboard sites.
2. The sign area of any new electronic display billboard must be at least 2/3 smaller than the sign area of the billboard that it replaces.
3. Allows electronic display billboards only where plainly visible from the main traveled way of an Interstate Highway, a National Highway System Highway or a federal-aid primary highway, as that system existed on June 1, 1991. In Virginia Beach, such roadways with existing billboards include Interstate 264, Shore Drive, and Northampton Boulevard.
4. Increases dwell time to 30 seconds.
5. Prohibits electronic display billboards within Strategic Growth Areas, as identified in the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
6. Requires any electronic display billboard visible from a residential or apartment district to go dark between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am.
7. Reduces intensity to 5,000 candelas with a maximum of 500 candelas at night.
8. Requires all digital billboards to be monopole construction.
Please forward this to anyone who might be interested. I am trying to get it widely circulated before the Monday workshop. Thanks!
After hearing a handful of complaints from residents, the council decided to deny Richards’ request. Richards, who also lives on Lookout Road, was advised to consider other options and work out existing issues with residents.
After all the amplified police during the summer, writing tickets for drinking on the beach, scrambling on their bikes during the 4th of July trying to find where every firework came from now the restuarants are in danger. The 3 restaurants in the heart of Chic’s are part of what makes it different and gives a sense of community. I walk over to the Parrott about 3 times a week. I love breakfast and take in the sports on TV. I have never seen a bar fight - ever. And I live within sight of the place. Also I have never heard music at my house. However if the owner agreed not to have amplified music then she should have abbided by it.
Hauling began on February 10. By the close of business on Monday, February 15, the contractor had hauled 7,730 cubic yards to the beach. This material was spread between Ships Watch Court and the VB Resort & Conference Center, about 1,700 feet, working west to east. The fill rate is approximately 3.2 cubic yards per foot, yielding a beach berm approximately 70 feet wide at elevation 5 feet, NAVD.
The total volume of sand available at the Maple Street Dredged Material Management Area for the truck haul is approximately 25,000 cubic yards. This is less than we had hoped, but is a sufficient amount to place the above described beach cross section on the entire beach from Ships Watch Court to First Landing State Park. We will completely evacuate the Maple Street site, take all available sand.
Given the contractor’s production rate of about 1,720 cubic yards per day, we anticipate that hauling will be complete by the end of February or very early March.
The operation involves 6 ‘quad’ on-road dump trucks cycling between Maple Street and Oak Street (0.75 miles). The material is dumped on the beach at the Oak Street access, then transferred by an excavator to 2 off-road dump trucks for the beach transit to the placement area. A bulldozer is stationed at the placement area to shape the fill into a beach berm. The beach access at Oak Street has been temporarily graded and lined with timber mats, and will be fully restored at the conclusion of the haul.
Work hours at 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. of Saturday.
We have received two ‘concerns’ so far, one by e-mail from the Bailey family wanting to know whether the beach access will be restored. We responded the same day (Saturday) with an assurance that the access will be restored, and they responded in a positive and appreciative manner. The second ‘concern’ was voiced in the field to our inspector regarding the potential that the cross beach drains could be blocked by the fill. Our inspector assured the citizen that the grading operation will provide positive drainage at the outfalls.
We are monitoring the condition of Oak Street for wear and potential damage from the operation. PW/Operations is standing by to repair or overlay the street at the conclusion of the project as necessary to restore it to ‘as good or better’ condition than prior to the operation.
Please let me know if you need any further information. Thanks.
Phill Roehrs, P.E.
Water Resources Engineer
City of Virginia Beach
Public Works Engineering
757-385-8985
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.
Staff concludes that the proposed wind energy conversion system meets the intent and requirements of Section 209 of the Zoning Ordinance, and, therefore, Staff recommends approval of this request with the following conditions.
An Atlanta developer said Thursday that he has signed a contract to buy Ford Motor Co.’s shuttered Norfolk pickup-truck assembly plant and plans to use the facility to produce solar energy panels.
The following are the agenda items from the Commission’s regular meeting held January 26, 2010 at Commission headquarters. The Commission’s actions are in bold.
THE FOLLOWING SO-CALLED PAGE TWO ITEMS (PROJECTS OVER $50,000 WITH NO OBJECTIONS AND WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR APPROVAL) WERE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY, INCLUDING AGENDA ITEM 5 THAT WAS MOVED TO THIS SECTION OF THE AGENDA:
2K. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS & CITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH, #09-0427, requests authorization to modify the existing Cape Henry Beach nourishment permit to allow the truck-hauling of beach quality sand from the City-owned Maple Street dredged material management area to the easternmost end of Cape Henry Beach. A maximum of 50,000 cubic yards of beach quality sand will be delivered and spread along the beach within the overall boundaries of the Lynnhaven Fishing Pier and First Landing State Park situated along the Chesapeake Bay.
This ordinance is scheduled to go before City Council on February 9, 2010. As you can see, the Planning Commission tightened up the restrictions over what they had received from City Staff. We have received a solicitation for public comment as follows:
“Attached is the Staff report regarding electronic signs in the city. The first version is the ordinance Councilman VILLANUEVA. The Planning Commission recommended favorably for the “Alternate Version”. The Zoning Administrator feels it is critical that citizens provide comments regarding the ordinance amendments. She is willing to meet with you for breakfast or lunch or an afternoon meeting somewhere in the corridor to discuss the ordinance amendments with you. “
If you have any interest in registering your opinion, I will make it easy for you. Contact me at grace@sdcc.info and let me know if you would like to meet with the administrator or if you would like for me to pass along your remarks.
We do not have sufficient time to arrange for a presentation before the City Council meets. Our meeting is Monday, January 25 and our next one will not be until February 22.
This ordinance could perhaps use some tweaking, but it is a vast improvement over what was originally offered. Thanks for your interest.
SDCC General Meeting – Monday, January 25, 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Baylake United Methodist Church, 4300 Shore Drive, Friendship Room
Call to Order
Presentation of Kroger Plan to install fuel station at Shore Drive Location
Officers’ Reports
President’s Report – Grace Moran
Vice President’s Report – Dave Williams
Secretary’s Report – Todd Solomon - Minutes of November meetings
Treasurer’s Report – Steve Kohler
Update on issues:
City Budget Hearings (DeSteph Town Hall meeting)
Shore Drive Safety Initiatives
Beach Sand Replenishment and Beach Access Repairs
LED Sign Update
Neighborhood Signs
Old Business: Discussion of 2010 SDCC Agenda
Executive Board Recommendations:
1. Improving communication among the civic associations.
2. Improve military-civilian interface between SDCC and JEBLCFS.
3. Implement upgrades to the Website in conjunction with the upcoming joint effort with
BAC and the acceptance of advertising on the Website.
4. Refine the eNewsletter opportunities that the BAC/SDCC email sign-up offers.
5. Improve disaster planning for SDCC areas.
6. Open floor discussion
New Business: Emergency Preparedness: Dave Williams
1. Transportation limitations
2. Realistic Course of Action
Issues of Interest: Do we want to take a position?
1. Zoning Changes at the Oceanfront
2. Eminent Domain stance of the City
Adjourn
Next Meeting: February 22, 2010. Location: Back at Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad building.
The map they are working from I was shown was inaccurate including showing a driveway where a 150 year old live oak sits in our yard. They were given approval yesterday about where the Right of Way [ROW] is - but if you know our property, with the circa 1950 brick wall, they were clearly in our yard. No need to go into further details as they repaired it and used “the missile” to drive 2 conduits & their FIOS line in the ROW instead of in our yard. Fortunately I was home, and fortunately the Foreman corrected their error after spending some time with the crew.
Point is - you might not want to assume you know where they are going to trench to install the new cables even after the lines are spray painted on the ground.
I did not call either number, but I did take plenty of photos and documented everything with date/time/etc. For our section, Verizon’s permit number is #VZ09092.
From a Police Press Release:
Detectives were able to determine the identity of the suspect in this case. On January 11, warrants were obtained and it was believed the suspect was on the campus of Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach. The suspect was spotted by detectives and after a foot pursuit was taken into custody around 5:30 pm. The suspect is identified as Wayne Alexander Pfeister, 24, of the 700 block of Willow Lake Circle, Virginia Beach. Pfeister is being held without bond in the Virginia Beach Correctional Center on charges of Armed Robbery, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, and Wearing a Mask in Public.
Due to the almost completely fixed damage at Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad, we’re meeting at Baylake Methodist Church for our January 25th General Meeting. We’re meeting in the Friendship Room. [Look to this post for updates.]