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Maple Street removed as a Neighborhood Dredging Program Spoil Transfer Site! THANK YOU CITY COUNCIL! Crab Creek Considered for Temporary Use (?)
Site still to be used for Long Creek Navigation dredge disposal. New City permit request to VMRC includes mechanical dredging and transfer though. Application for Long Creek Maintenance Dredging for Navigation - VMRC #11-1830
SDCC Letter to VMRC re Project
For information about the project contact Justin Worrell of the VMRC at 247-2200 or visit the Shore Drive Community Coalition Website or www.LongCreekWetlands.com
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Original Proposed Project along Long Creek Wetlands at Marina Shores for the Neighborhood Dredging Program Spoils Transfer and Marina Extension: Commercial Pier extending from Marina Shores to Cape Henry Shores to accommodate 45 yacht size boat slips (perpendicular to the Shore); Dredging in pier area and to relocate the current channel closer to Bay Island; Amendment of Marina Shores' Conditional Use Permit and Rezoning of property from residential to commercial; Construction of 80 ft. of bulkhead; and Infilling of 1220 sf of wetlands to create a barge inlet to serve a dredge spoil TRANSFER site (where a crane can be stationed to transfer non beach quality material from barges to dump trucks for storage elsewhere). The original Application was withdrawn and removed from Jan Agenda of the Wetlands Board. An application for just the dredge transfer site was submitted 3/22 to VMRC (without wetland board approval - The City claims they are exempt from local wetlands board approval.) - View. In addition to a State permit from VMRC a federal permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers is needed. Additionally an Agreement to Cross the current Army Corps easement at the site must be executed. VMRC has suspended their review of the application until such time that the City provides additional information regarding site activities (See May 4 Letter and June 3 Letter). On June 14 the City Council approved a resolution to have the transfer site studied by the City's Beaches and Waterways Commission - Click here for more information. Zoning issues must also be addressed. A City Zoning Board Hearing Scheduled for August 3rd and deferred to Sept. 7 resulted in a repeal of the Zoning Administrators determination that a dredge spoil transfer site is a permissible use in residential zoning. Click here for more information (link to Zoning Board). The City may appeal that decision in circuit court. The Beaches and Waterways Commission submitted a report to City Council in December. They recommend an alternate site (see News below). Councilman Wood introduced a resolution (see news below for link) to City Council to remove Maple Street from the Neighborhood Dredge Program. The resolution passed!!!!! So Maple Street will be removed from further consideration as a dredge spoil transfer site for the Neighborhood dredging program.
Check back for updates or visit LongCreekWetlands.com or SDCC or Shore Drive Community Coalition.
View Original PDF of City Permit Application: Commercial Pier Plan/Channel Relocation
View PDF of Current Zoning Map | View Public Record
For City info regarding wetlands, contact Lonnie Warren (385-8246). For info regarding the conditional use permit & rezoning contact City Planner Carolyn Smith (385-4621). Justin Worrell (247-8063 ) is the contact at VMRC - Comments sent to him will be included in the public record.
Numerous links to news, city, state and federal documents on dredging, water quality and wetlands can be found below.
3/14/12 - Virginia Beach deal preserves a slice of nature | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
3/1/12/ -"It took Tom Fraim and the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Commission to finally convince Virginia Beach that the Long Creek site isn't the right location." « Shore Drive Community Coalition - http://shoredrivecommunitycoalition.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/it-took-tom-fraim-and-the-beaches-and-waterways-advisory-commission-to-finally-convince-virginia-beach-that-the-long-creek-site-isnt-the-right-location/
2/29/12 - Virginia Beach drops Maple Street dredging plan - http://hamptonroads.com/2012/02/virginia-beach-council-weigh-dredge-site-alternative
2/29/12 - VB City Council kills sludge site plan - Residents fought City Hall and won - http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/they-fought-city-hall-and-won?ref=scroller&categoryId=20000&status=true
2/21/12 - Feb Bayfron Advisory Committee Meeting - "The Assistant City Manager and City Staff were there to present plans for the Lesner Bridge replacement AND Building a Permanent Industrial Site at Crab Creek." - http://shoredrivecommunitycoalition.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/the-assistant-city-manager-and-city-staff-were-there-to-present-plans-for-the-lesner-bridge-replacement-and-building-a-permanent-industrial-site-at-crab-creek/
2/9/12- Councilman Wood to introduce resolution to City Council to remove Maple Street from Neighborhood Dredge Program - http://shoredrivecommunitycoalition.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/now-therefore-be-it-resolved-by-the-city-council-of-the-city-of-virginia-beach-virginia-1-that-the-city-council-hereby-directs-the-city-manager-to-remove-the-maple-street-site-from-consideratio/
2/8/12 - The Illusion of Wetlands "Restoration" (new study conludes that manmade wetlands are almost never as good as the real thing)- http://cbf.typepad.com/bay_daily/2012/02/wetlands-were-once-seen-as-wastelands-swampy-mosquito-ridden-barriers-to-economic-development-good-only-for-draining-and.html
1/11/12 - $28.5M plan is rolled out for Lynnhaven River | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
12/21/11 -Va. Beach board OKs sale for dredge-spoils site | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
12/9/11 - Va. Beach panel offers new dredge transfer site | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com - http://hamptonroads.com/2011/12/va-beach-panel-offers-new-dredge-transfer-site
12/7/11 - Board changes dredge transfer site | WAVY.com | Virginia Beach - http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/dredge-transfer-site-changed#idc-container
11/24/11 - City, schools clash in Va. Beach over dredging site - http://hamptonroads.com/2011/11/city-schools-clash-va-beach-over-land-dredging
10/12/11 - WVEC Video Clip - Virginia Beach going to Court over dredging - http://www.wvec.com/video?id=131551538&sec=554037
10/5/11 -Virgnia Beach plans appeal over dredge site - http://hamptonroads.com/2011/10/virginia-beach-plans-appeal-over-dredge-site#comment-1204974
9/14/11 - Va. Beach Zoning Board Opposes Dredge Transfer Plan - http://hamptonroads.com/2011/09/va-beach-zoning-board-opposes-dredge-transfer-plan
Ecological Engineering (Living Shorelines): Encouraging The Growth Of Oyster Reefs To Act As Breakwater s- http://www.science20.com/anthrophysis/ecological_engineering_encouraging_growth_oyster_reefs_act_breakwaters-82248
8/11/11 - Commission Works on Site for Sludge - http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/commission-works-on-site-for-sludge?ref=scroller&categoryId=20000&status=true
6/16/11 - A LOOK AT DREDGE SPOILS (Study to be conducted by Beaches and Waterways Committee - findings to be presented 2/12) - http://shoredrivecommunitycoalition.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/a-look-at-dredge-spoils/
6/13/11 - Plans for Virginia Beach dredge transfer station stall | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com - http://hamptonroads.com/2011/06/plans-virginia-beach-dredge-transfer-station-stall
6/12/11 - Dealing with stormwater drainage on (on Bay Island) Page TXBE1 of Sunday, June 12, 2011 issue of The Virginian-Pilot -View Here
5/17/11 - Virginia Beach residents Rally to protect Long Creek Wetland (pictured above). City plan will put vital wetland ecosystem at risk. View Feature Article - Winning Wetland Protection in Virginia Beach: A Developing Story (or not).
May - American Wetlands Month: Learn More! Explore! Take Action!
4/5/11 - For some in Va. Beach, dredge stations are a drag - http://hamptonroads.com/2011/04/some-va-beach-dredge-stations-are-drag
3/28/11 - Marina needs dock, City needs bulkhead - A quid pro quo on Long Creek? - http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/marina-needs-dock,-city-needs-bulkhead
3/23/11 - Residents concerned about dreding sludge - http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/va_beach/residents-concerned-about-dreding-sludge
3/23/11- Letter from Dave Williams SDCC President to Mayor Sessoms and city Council highighting environmental concerns of project and preservation agreement for the wetlands parcel
9/22/10 -Virginia Beach neighborhood group asks city for new tax - http://hamptonroads.com/2010/09/virginia-beach-neighborhood-group-asks-city-new-tax
5/12/09 - Army Corps details Lynnhaven River revival plans -http://hamptonroads.com/2009/05/army-corps-details-plans-reviving-lynnhaven-river
3/08 Beach councilman accused of vetoing dredge site near his home | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com - http://hamptonroads.com/2008/03/beach-councilman-accused-vetoing-dredge-site-near-his-home
2/6/08 - Beach opposition hopes council will relocate spoils station - http://hamptonroads.com/2008/02/beach-opposition-hopes-council-will-relocate-spoils-station
6/13/06 - On a clear day, they can see ... equipment (Corps Dredging Project on Long Creek that should have taken 3 month stretched into a Year) - http://hamptonroads.com/node/125641
10/30/06 - Getting to the bottom of Lake Trant (planned 90 day dredging project takes a year) - http://hamptonroads.com/node/174551
5/19/06 - Beach OKs paying $30,000 fine over lake (Lake Trant Dredging Debacle) | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com - http://hamptonroads.com/node/103751
Long Creek Wetlands (protest website) - Loaded with information (lots of historical documention as well as personal opinions)
Shore Drive Community Coalition - VB Dredge Transfers Station Info and Links
City of Virginia Beach Neighborhood Channel Dredging - View City Link
City of VB Neighbohood Dredging Secial Service District Policy Report - http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/coastal/documents/neighborhood%20dredging/neighborhood-dredging-ssd-policy-report-9-10-2010-m.pdf
2010 VB Annual Progress Report – see priority initiatives -LINK REMOVED - http://www.vbgov.com/file_source/dept/citymgr/Document/2010AnnualReport-FINAL.pdf
The City Lynnhaven Watershed Plan - see section 6.8 on wetlands - LINK REMOVED http://www.vbgov.com/file_source/dept/mcg/Hot%20Topics/Lynnhaven%20Watershed%20Plan/Part4_Issues_Recommendations.pdf
Wetland Info - DEQ Wetlands Site
Wetlands Facts from Wetlands Watch
Wetland Wiki - Virginia - http://www.wetlandresearch.com/wiki/index.php?title=Virginia#Virginia_Wetlands_in_the_News
City Brochure on Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas - http://www.vbgov.com/government/offices/eso/boards-commissions/Documents/cbp a/cbpa-homeowner-guide-rev-oct2010.pdf
City of Virginia Beach Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act Ordinance (go to appendix F) http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientID=10122&CtateID=46Virginia
VIMS brochure on the impact of Shallow Water Dredging - http://www.ccrm.vims.edu/publications/pubs/rivers&coast/Winter2010.pdf
Effects of Marinas and Boating on Tidal Waterways
Army Corps of Engineers Report on Shallow Water Dredging (ACOEdredgeingrept)
VIMS Doc on Siting Considerations and Marina Design - http://web.vims.edu/adv/cleanmarina/documents/SitingConsiderationsandMarinaDesign.pdf
VIMS Report on Tidal Shoreline Management 2010 - http://ccrm.vims.edu/publications/SJ35TidalShorelineRec.pdf
VIMS Study shows propellar turbulence may affect marine food webs - http://7thspace.com/headlines/379728/vims_study_shows_propeller_turbulence_may_affect_marine_food_webs.html
What's Going on with Virginia's Wetlands
NOAA Winter Newsletter that Highlights the Thalia Dredge Transfer Site Application specifying that the impacts must be justified as unavoidable - http://www.nero.noaa.gov/hcd/10highlights/Nov-Dec10.pdf
DEQ's Tidal Wetland Guidelines - See the Section on Dredging - http://www.deq.virginia.gov/coastal2/documents/task94-02-06.pdf
Chesapeake Bay Program - Living Shorelihes - http://www.chesapeakebay.net/news_livingshorelines08.aspx?menuitem=31276
VIMS Living Shoreline Design Conference Proceedings - http://www.vims.edu/cbnerr/_docs/ctp_docs/ls_docs/06_LS_Design.pdf
10/6/11 -Wetlands Continue To Decline - http://wamu.org/news/11/10/06/wetlands_continue_to_decline
6/18/11 - Wetland loss slows as 'living shorelines' idea spreads | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7617535.html
Reports on the importance of small wetlands - http://dnr.wi.gov/wetlands/documents/SmallWetlandLosses.pdf; http://www.biosci.missouri.edu/semlitsch/Lab_Activities/articles/PDFSEMLITSCH.PDF
2008 Report - The Value of Coastal Wetlands for Hurrican Protection
1/3/12 - World Wetlands Day - Feb 2 -Wetland Photos Wanted. Celebrate the 40th Anniversay of the International Ramsar Convention to Protect Wetlands - Photo Contest hosted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of State - Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science - Jan 3-20 send in your photos of wildlife, landscapes, plants or tourists in wetlands to promote their protection. Winners announced Jan 25. Perhaps a winning photo of a local wetland like Long Creek or Pleasure House Point will aid preservation. View information about the Ramsar convention and a list of Wetlands of International Importance, including some Bay wetlands.
Sandy Beach just in front of marina is the location of the proposed dredge spoil site.
