Fletcher
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NORTH VIRGINIA BEACH CIVIC LEAGUE
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NORTH VIRGINIA BEACH CIVIC LEAGUE |
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HOT TOPICS
UPDATE ON LASKIN ROAD GATEWAY PROJECT [Posted 4/6/10] Barry Frankenfield, the City's Strategic Growth Area Manager, has provided the attached as their responses to comments made at the recent Laskin Road Gateway Citizens Advisory Committee meeting. This meeting was held on February 15, 2010. KHA Responses to Feb 15 CAC Meeting
61st STREET PUMP STATION UPDATE [Posted 4/1/10] Dan Adams, the City's Public
Works/Coastal Engineering representative reports the storm water pump station
project continues on schedule as we enter the spring season. Members of your
NVBCL board recently met with City Staff and the private architectural firm
hired by the City to discuss the storm water pump station above ground building
and its design. Two of our North End residents, Duff Kliewer and Gerrie West,
donated their time and architectural skills to review some minor re-design
details to the pump station building with City representatives. Gerrie and
Duff's input will be incorporated into new CAD drawings as the final details of
this building are completed.
UPDATE ON LASKIN ROAD GATEWAY PROJECT [Posted 4/1/10] The Laskin Gateway Project - Phase One is now under construction. Martin Waranch and Billy Almond are representing the NVBCL on the Citizens Advisory Committee for the project. All construction will be complete for this phase by May and work will resume in the Fall for the next phase. Please go to the City website for daily updated information regarding the project. Their website is located at www.vbgov.com/laskingateway. All relevant information, including project schedule and the latest designs, are posted on the right hand side of the web page under “related documents”.
UPDATE ON LASKIN ROAD GATEWAY PROJECT [Posted 12/6/09] Attached is a briefing that was provided to the RAC Transportation, Parking and Pedestrian Committee yesterday December 3, 2003. The presentation provides some of the information we will be providing next week at the CAC meeting. Since the information has been provided publicly I thought you should have access to it. I also will be posting this on the City Website. If you have any questions, please let me know, thanks. J. Barry Frankenfield, Strategic Growth Area Manager Phone 757-385-4876 (Direct) 757-385-4242 (Main)| Fax 472-5626 |bfranken@vbgov.com| VBgov.com
ATLANTIC AVENUE DETOUR & PUMP STATION UPDATE [Posted 12/6/09] Please share this
project update with your membership.
PUBLIC MEETING RE: 61st STREET PUMP STATION [Posted 11/9/09] The community is invited to attend a Public Information Meeting for the North Beach Storm Drainage, Pump Station & Ocean Outfall [CIP 7-902] on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2009, at the A.R.E. Library Audiotorium located at 215 67th Street. The meeting format will be open house so you may stop by anytime between 6:30 and 8:30 P.M. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the contractor and the construction management team, provide an overview of the project and preliminary schedules, and to answer questions from the public about the upcoming construction activities. For further information please contact: Daniel F. Adams, P.E., with Public Works Engineering at 385-4131. If you are physically disabled, hearing or visually impaired and need assistance to this meeting, please call the City Clerk's Office at 3862-4303 or TDD. City's Public Notice re: North Beach Storm Drainage
LASKIN ROAD GATEWAY PROJECT [Posted 11/9/09] If you would like to receive email blast updates directly from the City, please send an email to Barry Frankenfield, SGA Office Manager [385-4867] requesting that you be added to their email list. His email address is bfranken@vbgov.com.
61st STREET PUMP STATION: [posted October 6, 2009] The City's award of this project has been delayed for several weeks. Once announced (anticipated sometime around the 1st week of November) the contractor will commence mobilizing equipment to the area. At that time, the City will take out ads in the Beacon and will also send out letters to the adjoining neighbors nearest to the project advertising for a public meeting at the A.R.E. to give interested citizens an opportunity to come and ask questions. We will keep updates posted on this website.
LASKIN GATEWAY PROJECT: [posted October 6, 2009] This is the first of a number of informational e-mails concerning the City’s Laskin Road Gateway project. Our goal is to keep you informed by offering you needed information as well as links to our web page that will have frequently-asked questions, updates, maps and other information. Please note that a list of frequently asked questions has been posted on the Laskin Gateway Website. This is a start to answering everyone's questions in a forum where you all can have the same information. With direct access to the Oceanfront along Laskin Road, this key gateway district is the resort area’s best location for a concentration of diverse, high-end retail businesses. The Laskin Road Gateway project will transform the area surrounding 31st Street and the Oceanfront into an exciting place for everyone to gather with upscale shops, restaurants, hotels and residential buildings in a pedestrian-oriented setting.Also the Phase 3, 30% plans have been posted. Finally, we also have sent out and posted changes to Phase 1 construction and have indicated the closure of Holly/32nd Street intersection. We understand this closure will have significant impact to most of you in your travels. We are working through a phasing and detour plan, as soon as we have it available we will get it out for your information. Below we have listed links to our web page that highlight our Vision Statement,Frequently-Asked-Questions and a list of Scheduled Road Closures. We believe that keeping citizens informed as we progress is an essential part of this project. We realize that you are involved each day simply by working and living in the affected area, and we hope to do all that we can to help you. Please go to our web site and review the information posted. If you have questions or need additional information, please let us know.Submitted by Barry Frankenfield, Administrator - Strategic Growth Areas Program Laskin Gateway Project Website
PAVER - PARKING ISSUE: [posted August 3, 2009]
The NVBCL has studied the on going issues surrounding
public parking in our neighborhood. We addressed the driveway issue a few
years ago with the development of the North Beach Driveway Permit Process.
What has lingered for years is the treatment of the public R.O.W. with regards
to shoulders. As every one knows residents and tourist's park in our
neighborhood to go to the beach. Right now, the only definitive approved Draft North End Shoulder Parking City Policy Report
The City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works is moving forward with the design phase of the 31 Ocean infrastructure improvements, including the connection of 32nd Street to Laskin Road near where the 30th Street split is located now. Significant private sector development is planned to begin as early as next Fall on the 31st Street corridor. At the City's link to the Laskin Gateway Project [www.VBgov.com/LaskinGateway] you can find out what is currently happening on this project. The City is committed to updating this constantly.
61st STREET PUMP STATION: [posted 7/10/09] This project has been approved for construction and is in the July 1, 2009 budget. Much like the 31st Street project the City is in the process of advertising the project for bid. They expect to receive bids and make an award by the end of July, with construction to start at the end of summer in late September or early October. The City will be providing NVBCL monthly progress reports once they start. The PDF attachment below includes diagrams of a slight encroachment on an angle from 60th Street toward 61st Street over a 340' distance. It will then taper back off from 61st St. towards 62nd St. over a 150' distance. From the paved surface of the feeder road on the west side, the City right-of-way [ROW] is 15'. Basically, when the 6100 condo project was built between 60th and 62nd Streets the developer located the stucco knee wall just inside the owners' property line, 15' from the paved surface of the feeder road. It is the intention of the City to veer the feeder road slightly from the surface to a maximum of 5' at 61st Street and back down to zero again. Some of the owners will have a portion of their grass and tip of their paved driveway surface that is located entirely within the City ROW trimmed off. The City has been communicating to the owners and real estate agents that have sold properties there recently about this proposed change in the feeder road. Nobody should lose any of their bushes along the way in front of their residences. The most affected home is the home that Mr. Fink owned at the southwest corner of 61st Street, which recently changed ownership.
61st STREET PUMP STATION: [posted 2/20/09] The following is a summary by John Wilson of a recent telephone conversation he had with Phil Roehrs for an update on this project: First of all, the awarding of the overall 61st Street pump station contract to a winning bidder has been delayed because of cost overruns and thus, the City did not receive a bid within the planned budget for this project. Two main issues have driven up the cost of the project, one of which was totally unforeseen. The additional 600 feet of outfall pipe extending beyond the original 1000 feet of pipe that was proposed, out into the Atlantic Ocean and was made a condition of the approval on this project by the VMRC, was unforeseen. That arbitrary decision by the VMRC on behalf of those that were opposed to the pump station altogether, has increased the cost of the project by approximately 3.5 million dollars. Second, the cost to relocate all of the utilities out of the median that are underground and need to be moved is an enormous job and the bids that came back were higher than budgeted. When John asked Phil what was underground in the median his response was, "What isn't under there?" The number one reason why the City wanted to build the pump station and underground vault with pumps on the west side of the feeder road in the City right-of-way is for that reason, the amount of work and cost involved to relocate everything. Under the grass median area is three large water force mains, one owned by the US Government, one owned by HRSD and one owned by the City. There is also a Virginia Natural Gas line, a sewer line, and a gravity storm water pipe. All of that will have to be relocated (Utility Offset) under the western-most lane of the paved Atlantic Avenue surface to make room for the pump station. Before any construction on the pump station can begin the City was on Dominion Power's schedule to have the overhead power lines moved from over the median to where they are being "temporarily" relocated, west of the feeder road. None of the work just described can occur under the power lines. Once this project is completed, Dominion Power will come back and move the overhead power lines back to where they were, along the median close to Atlantic Avenue. Since the contract was not awarded this past fall, it is going to be rebid in the May 2009 timeframe with an award this summer. The winning contractor will not start "digging" until after our summer season around September 15-30th, 2009. The reason the City wants to make an award with a Fall start date is because the relocation of the underground utilities to under the one lane of Atlantic Avenue will obviously require a single lane closure on Atlantic Avenue, which they want to confine to a five month period in the winter, next year (2009-2010). They can then have all four lanes of Atlantic Avenue reopened before the summer of 2010. The construction on the pump station will take approximately 18 months from September 2009 until around March 2011. At that time, about two years from now, Dominion Power will come back and move the power lines and poles back. Once a successful bid is received and approved by the City in May or June of this year, the City would like to come back and make a full presentation to our Civic League and answer our questions.
DRIVEWAY APRON REGULATIONS: [posted 10/08/08] Eight board members recently met to discuss recent conflicts between residential and visitor parking spaces, and created a list of recommendations to present to the City. The complete presentation made at the September 9 board meeting is listed below, together with the City's Amendment to Subdivision Ordinance/Street Width. North End Parking Recommendations Amendment to Subdivision Ordinance/Street Width
DRIVEWAY APRON REGULATIONS: [posted 8/12/08] There has been a great deal of discussion about driveways in our neighborhood over the last few years. Size, materials, and process seem to prompt questions. We have provided a copy of the latest Driveway Permit Bulletin from the City of Virginia Beach for your information. This will give you a basic idea as to what is permitted. As with any technical construction process, the NVBCL strongly urges you to engage a Land Surveyor, Civil Engineer, or a Landscape Architect to survey and prepare technical site design documents for your driveway construction project. Please contact Billy Almond at 422-9522 should you have any questions about driveway construction.
61st STREET PUMP STATION: [posted 4/21/08] The 61st Street pump station is the last project of a comprehensive plan that the City of Virginia Beach started more than ten years ago to protect our oceanfront coastline and improve the stormwater management system. With federal assistance the Hurricane Protection Project and Oceanfront Stormwater Management Program was established. As part of these coordinated efforts the Seawall was constructed, followed closely by the 16th Street pump station and outfall. Next, the 42nd Street pump station and outfall was constructed serving both the North End and Hotel Resort area. Currently, the Army Corps of Engineers is overseeing the new 79th Street outfall which, like the 16th and 42nd Street outfalls, will redirect the stormwater 1000' offshore, as opposed to discharging our stormwater directly out onto our beaches. The 61st Street pump station and outfall is the last of the stormwater upgrades that were part of this overall plan. Construction is slated to begin in the Fall of 2008. We encourage you to call, write or email your City Council members in support of the 61st Street pump station. Your voices need to be heard. Click here to submit an email message to ALL City Council members. Contact Information for City Council
R5R ZONING REVISIONS: [posted 4/7/08] The R5R Amendment Revisions have been withdrawn from the City Council Agenda. The Planning Department will be pursuing further study with the previous concerned citizen groups and others in the near future.
PROPOSED A.R.E. EXPANSION PROJECT: [posted 3/28/08] On March 11, representatives of A.R.E., and their engineers and landscape architects, made a detailed presentation to the Board outlining their proposed changes and additions to their A.R.E. campus. The links below show the presentation and diagrams shown to the Board at that time. Kevin J. Todeschi, Executive Director and CEO of Edgar Cayces A.R.E., sent an email to Dave Jester on March 17 stating as follows: 1) What A.R.E. wants to accomplish? 2) Why these changes are being planned, which is essentially a part of the handout we had for the civic league meeting? The reason we are requesting the help of the NVBCL is because the residential area around our 67th Street site essentially grew up around us. Since the establishment of the Edgar Cayce organization in the hospital building on the hill in 1928, the City of Virginia Beach has zoned or re-zoned the property at the North End surrounding the A.R.E. to the point that our existing campus is non-conforming and any slight change requires City Council approval. We feel that we are, and want to continue to be, good neighbors and would like to work with the civic league in any way reasonable to make this change. We are also convinced that these changes will greatly improve the appearance of the property to our neighbors. Question: What does A.R.E. want to accomplish in terms of changes to its 67th Street facility? Answer: Essentially two things: 1) Replace a building on the hill that currently contains our maintenance department and conference offices with a building that would contain offices as well as a facility for the on-site catering of conferee meals. In the process of replacing this building, we also plan to put siding and dormers on the white cinderblock building, vastly improving its appearance; 2) Upgrade our existing parking facilities in back of the hospital building and add an additional 35-40 spaces on the north side of our property. Both lots would be "green" in terms of being environmentally friendly and both lots would be thoroughly landscaped, vastly improving the property's present appearance. Question: Can you summarize why these improvements are being planned and what they will accomplish? Answer: Overall, the purpose of these improvements is to accommodate A.R.E. conference attendees, visitors, staff and students by providing basic amenities that will enhance their visit here. (Please note that these changes will not entail the hiring of new staff or the creation of new activities on this site.) Specifically, these changes will: o Provide a space for staff and attendees to have coffee and conversation, and on-site catering for conferences. We are not planning to hire additional staff; we will contract out for the food service during conferences. The campus coffee shop will be a place for A.R.E. visitors and staff – it is not intended for the general public.
In terms of why these improvements are necessary:
o We have a conference center with no gathering place for conferees o We have a student body with no student lounge o We have a group of dedicated staff and volunteers without a place to gather o We serve over 8,000 spa clients a year, and they have no place to relax before or after their appointments o We are an important tourist/visitor attraction with no place for visitors, etc.
R5R ZONING REVISIONS: [posted 2/24/08] Here is the latest amendment. The Public Comment hearing was held on Wednesday, February 13, 2008, at City Council Chambers for the commission to receive comments. The Planning Commission hearing to vote on this measure is set for Wednesday, March 12, 2008, at 12:00 noon in the City Council Chambers. The City Council hearing to vote is set for Tuesday, April 8, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. All hearings are held at the Administration Building One at the Municipal Center. Please support appropriately scaled development in our neighborhoods!
R5R ZONING REVISIONS: [posted 1/3/08] Billy Almond advised the Board at the December 11, 2007 board meeting that a compromise has been reached concerning the revised text of the R5R Amendment language. The revisions concerned two components: (1) design features will now be incentives instead of mandatory requirements, and (2) garage “free space” will equal ten percent (10%) of the total square feet of a lot [example: 150 x 50= 7500 sq. ft. x 10% = 750 sq. ft. of garage “free space”] rather than a standard 1,000 sq. ft. for any lot regardless of size, which is how the ordinance reads now. The new revision will now have all R5R lots treated equally and fairly. The NVBCL Zoning Review Committee will make a presentation at our January 15th general membership meeting for review and vote.
PROPOSED A.R.E. EXPANSION PROJECT: [posted 1/2/08] At the December 11, 2007 Board meeting Billy Almond presented the proposed conceptual site diagram prepared by WPL for the proposed changes the A.R.E. would like to make to their property concerning additional parking spaces [approximately 36 total spaces] and an onsite campus cafe. The Board then discussed their opinions, both in favor and opposing the plan, along with suggested changes to the current site diagram. It was decided that the Board would ask the A.R.E. to make the following revisions to the original proposed site plan: (1) that the existing parking area at the higher level be paved with appropriate landscaping around its perimeter, (2) that the dumpsters which are visible from 68th Street be relocated on A.R.E. property and hidden from street view, (3) that there be no less than fifty feet (50') of vegetative landscape barrier between 68th Street pavement and the edge of the proposed new 68th Street parking lot, and (4) that the proposed "campus cafe" be located in the existing building (if structurally feasible) or a new building and will only be in operation during conferences for the sole use of A.R.E. conference attendees and employees. The suggestions made by the Board will be presented to the A.R.E. and a revised conceptual site diagram will be presented at the April 15, 2008 general membership meeting for review and vote.
67th Street Beach Club: [posted 1/2/08] With regard to the Navy's plan of putting beach cottages where the Navy beach club sits today, recent discussions with representatives from Thelma Drake and Jim Webb's offices indicate they favor the plan. After a discussion by the Board at the December 11, 2007 board meeting, it was decided that it will not take an official position on the matter until all information from the Navy has been received. However, the Board feels that the City should have input with the Navy, especially concerning police and fire issues, as well as zoning issues. The matter will be further investigated by Julian Bryant who will keep the Board advised of the status.
R5R ZONING ISSUES: Here is the final version of our R5R Amendment with all related calculations and diagrams. This amendment has been studied by a joint group made up of representatives of the affected Civic Leagues, plus the City's Zoning and Planning Departments, the Tidewater Builders Association, and local builders/developers. Three local architects and a land planner have also volunteered numerous hours in helping craft the proposed changes to the R5R zoning district. All in all, this has been about two (2) years of very hard work with the health and issues of all the R5R neighborhoods at heart. Below is a PowerPoint presentation that was shown to the full, City sponsored committee on March 19, 2007. The City's Planning Commission asked us to hold a public hearing for all of the affected R5R civic leagues, and we suggested that our April 17, 2007 general membership meeting as a venue for hosting such a public hearing. The Planning Commission notified the other civic leagues about our presentation. At that time, we showed the presentation, followed by a Q&A session that evening. R5R ZONING AMENDMENT POWERPOINT PRESENTATION WTKR's "McMansions" Segment from February 22, 2006 R5R Agenda 10-23-06 R5R Attachment BAR vs FAR R5R Building Stepback Diagram R5R Example 1 R5R Example 1 Side Elevation R5R Stepback 1A R5R Stepback 1B R5R Stepback 1C
61st STREET PUMP STATION: On October 25, 2006, John Wilson sent a letter (see below link to review letter)on behalf of the North Virginia Beach Civic League (NVBCL) to all members of City Council outlining the NVBCL's reasons for wanting full funding for the 61st Street Pump Station project. He then went before City Council on November 7, 2006, to address them in person and seek a timeline for solutions. Mr. Jim Spore, City Manager, Mr. Charlie Meyer, Office of City Manager, and all City Council members in attendance discussed the 61st Street Pump Station, identified as CIP 7.902.009 in the City budget. Mr. Meyer advised Council that the design of the project is moving forward with a design completion date scheduled for the Spring of 2008, and are on target to meet that deadline. Mr. Meyer also disclosed that the citywide storm water fees will be increased a penny a day per resident, or $3.65 per year, over the next three years to raise additional capital to fund several storm water projects throughout the City, including the 61st Street Pump Station project. He cautioned, however, that even with the proposed storm water fee rate increases there will not be enough money to guarantee full funding of the 61st Street Pump Station. Several Council members voiced a concern about that, and it was further agreed that they would look within the budget during the Spring of 2007 to identify and earmark funds for this project, which is projected to be in excess of 11.7 million dollars. At present, the project is under-funded by approximately 4.5 million dollars, am amount of money the NVBCL are therefore asking the City to find and allocate to fully fund this important project. Our Councilmen, John Uhrin (42nd-47th Streets) and Jim Wood (48th-89th Streets) will keep us abreast of any new developments. John Wilson asked them to champion this particular issue in any further discussions they have with Council regarding the budget. There was a public meeting at the A.R.E. on January 24, 2007, concerning the location and construction of this pump station. The City sent notification of the meeting to residents between 55th and 64th Streets. NVBCL Letter to Virginia Beach City Council dated October 25, 2006 Barbara Matacia's Letter on behalf of 61st Street Residents NVBCL's Revised Position Statement for the 61st Street Pump Station Project
DUNE ENCROACHMENT: The City's Beaches and Waterways Advisory Commission held a public meeting on January 10, 2007, in which members of waterfront civic leagues provided input on the preliminary recommendations of the Commission. During this meeting it became apparent that all beach communities may not feel the same about walkway structures and it was determined that additional public input was warranted prior to making final recommendations. Since some civic leagues have seasonal residents and may not meet frequently, the Commission wants to provide ample time for the leagues to speak with their residents and gather input. We will be notified of a public input meeting to be scheduled at a future date. If you have any comments or would like additional information, contact the City's Public Works Department at Building 2, Room 340, 2405 Courthouse Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, 23456-9031. On June 5, 2007, John Wilson sent the following letter to the Beaches and Waterways Commission. NVBCL's Position Letter to Beaches & Waterways Commission dated June 5, 2007
LASKIN ROAD GATEWAY PROJECT: At our General Membership meeting on October 17, 2006, Mr. Dean Block, Director of Public Works, was our featured speaker and brought us up to date on the construction we currently see along 30th Street as part of this overall "gateway" project. Essentially, 30th Street from Baltic Avenue to Pacific Avenue will be a three (3) lane road with two (2) eastbound lanes and one (1) westbound lane. The final design of Laskin Road (31st Street) from Baltic Avenue to Pacific Avenue has not yet been finalized. As a civic league, we alerted Mr. Block that we are very concerned with getting two turn lanes for our northbound traffic onto Pacific Avenue, evidenced by the severe backup we now experience with the single turn lane we presently have. Mr. Block was to have the City's Traffic Engineering Dept. study our traffic pattern at the Pacific Avenue/Laskin Road intersection to help determine any future traffic flow. It was not determined when any future changes or upgrades to Laskin Road will occur. Laskin Road Gateway Project [9/08/06] 311 connects you with the Public Information Office [staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year] who can assist with City information, services, etc. Cell phone users or callers from outside the city limits can dial (757) 385-3111 to reach them. |
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North Virginia Beach Civic League, Post Office Box 1676, Virginia Beach, VA 23451 Website: www.nvbcl.org
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