The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
The city plans to keep fighting for a dredge transfer station along Long Creek near the Chesapeake Bay.
In a rare move last month, the Virginia Beach Board of Zoning Appeals voted against the city's zoning administrator and determined that city officials couldn't use the site for a dredge transfer station.
The city now plans to ask the Virginia Beach Circuit Court to reverse that board's decision. Beach officials will file the appeal in the coming days, said City Attorney Mark Stiles.
There's a significant issue about whether land that the government leases, but doesn't own, can be used for a public purpose such as a dredge transfer station, Stiles said.
Opponents of the dredge facility said they were disappointed by the city's decision to appeal.
"I don't think it's appropriate," said David Williams, president of the Shore Drive Community Coalition, a group of civic leagues along the Chesapeake Bay. "It's paying for that effort with our taxpaying dollars. It doesn't make sense."
Residents have argued the station isn't compatible with their neighborhood.
"We're pretty surprised that they would be going against the people's wishes," said Lynn Hume, a Broad Bay Island resident who lives across from the proposed transfer station and has been one of its leading opponents.
Williams said the Board of Zoning Appeals decision should stand.
The city launched its neighborhood dredging program last year to help residents dredge their channels if they agree to a tax rate increase.
Dredging can mean access for boats and higher property values, and residents in about a dozen waterfront communities are interested in participating.
Each neighborhood dredging project requires City Council approval, and the Beach needs to find multiple sites throughout the city to unload the dredge spoils from the barges.
The proposed Maple Street site has caused the most controversy. The city has not yet identified any dredging project near the neighborhood.
Beach officials want to use the property because it already serves as a spoils site for Army Corps of Engineers dredging projects every few years. The city's plan, however, calls for a more intensive use with a barge, excavator and the need for a bulkhead.
Stiles said the public has an interest in making sure the site can be used for the corps' dredging projects and the city's neighborhood dredging program.
Deirdre Fernandes, (757) 222-5121, deirdre.fernandes@pilotonline.com
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Restoring the Lynnhaven Estuary
Reestablishing the largest, potentially productive, tidal creek in the Lynnhaven basin, would be that large expanse of degraded tidal creek that lies at the terminus of Great Neck Creek (aka Western Branch of Linkhorn Bay). The involved portion of Great Neck Creek begins under I-264 and extends southward under Virginia Beach Boulevard (about one half mile west of downtown Seatack), continuing under the old Norfolk Avenue railroad trestle and on to the SSW another one half mile.
An embarrassingly simple project would involve placement of three side by side 6x12 concrete culverts under Virginia Beach Boulevard and then excavating a big hole in the involved Norfolk Avenue Extended railroad trestle. That, combined with subcontracting a Rolligon ditch
Beneficial Uses Of Dredge Spoils
Use the Rolligon ditcher spreader to reestablish as many tidal creeks as possible while on site. Search: Rolligon estuary reestablishment. These machines are completely amphibious and could roam about the entire Lynnhaven basin reestablishing tidal creeks, large and small. And the cost would be miniscule compared to what has been spent on restoration of the Lynnhaven basin estuary to date.
Such a project could be sold strictly on the basis greatly improved Killifish habitat: Open Marsh Water Management (OMWM). More Killifish equals fewer mosquitoes! And on the basis of improving the sponge capabilities of these once pristine tidal marshes. More sponge, less flooding! To say nothing of the finfish/shellfish nursery functions of such tidal creeks/s
Use Dredge Spoils to Restore Lynnhaven Estuary
Such a project could be sold strictly on the basis greatly improved Killifish habitat: Open Marsh Water Management (OMWM). More Killifish equals fewer mosquitoes! And on the basis of improving the sponge capabilities of these once pristine tidal marshes. More sponge, less flooding! To say nothing of the finfish/shellfish nursery functions of such tidal creeks/salt marshes.
People of Virginia Beach: Petition your elected and salaried officials to:
1. Use navigation channel dredge spoils to reestablish the fringe marshes of the (Western Branch) of the Lynnhaven basin.
2. Reestablish those tidal creeks that have been degraded by roadways as well as by siltation.
George Meredith MD
Virginia Beach
NIMBY
Actually this IS a case of "Not In My Back Yard." In fact, this doesn't belong in ANYONE'S back (or front) yard. Anyone of reasonable intelligence and without blinding political or personal agenda who looks objectively at the FACTS will quickly realize just what a TRULY BAD IDEA this is.
Actually, a Bad Location for a Marina
Although in proximity to a navigable waterway leading to the Bay, the marina at that location is poorly sited and will allow for the accumulation of heavy metals and other pollutants attributed to vessel mooring and maintainace activities. Wetted hulls coated with registered aquatic pesticides leach their toxins to poorly flushed waters with accumulations building in sediments to points of alarm and required action. Vessel maintenance activities, currently operating without water protection or wastewater permits, contribute loads of pollutants to local waters on a daily basis without much constraint. Poor flushing, loadings of known and toxic pollutants, ten pounds of stuff in a two pound sack, yea, this waterway is a sad example of progress.
Long Creek Dredge Site: JUST SAY NO!
This is NOT a bunch of rich people saying "not in my backyard." This is a bunch of citizens like my 90 year old mother who lives on Long Creek, whose quality of life as well as property values, would be decreased. If anyone doesn't believe this is a disaster waiting to happen as to safety issues, I invite them to go look at the proposed site. Long Creek is TOO NARROW at this point for any barges and pusher boats to be operating on a daily basis. It would affect local fisherman and boaters and many varieties of wildlife. It is NOT the right place for an industrial operation. City officials need to keep looking and stop wasting taxpayer money on this absurd site for industry.
YAWN
Who cares? Another case of "not in my backyard." Bunch of rich people don't want to look at dredging from the poorer neighborhoods.
Good for the city attorneys!
Restricted Area, Heavy Industrial Equipment, Only Matter of Time
With the restricted waters, constant movement of heavy equipment, whims of mother nature and foilbles of man, it will only be a matter of time before a huge accident and numerous other incidences ashore and afloat will certainly occur. Reminds me of CoVB mistakes made when dredging other tidal waterways by moving the sludge slurry to a disposal site by cross-city black plastic pipeline. Although never expected, they changed the water quality of a lake off Witchduck by radically increasing salinity to the point where barnacles were seen growing from pilings in the formerly fresh water lake. Best plan, lousy result. Water quality at the new site is already impaired by toxic metals copper and zinc from existing boating, so who cares about that?
Some city officials don't
Some city officials don't understand the negative impact this waste transfer facility will have on the neighborhoods and the rest don't care. Yes, it IS essentially a waste transfer facility! The dredge spoils they want to transfer from barges to dump trucks will be mostly black sediment that smells about the same as raw sewage. It will also attract HUGE numbers of seagulls to the surrounding area and we all know what a mess they make. I bet the owner of the adjacent marina hasn't considered that... The constant beeping of truck backup alarms and a crane banging at barges is also not compatible with a residential area. The city thinks that finding a beneficial use for the dredged material is just "too hard." Typical city shortsightedness!
Facts left out - Issue Confused - The Public says "Enough!"
Clarificaiton - USACE has used site as a temporary placement area in conjunction w/their periodic hydraulic dredging of the Lynnhaven waterways. storing beach quality sand used on the beaches. NOT a part of the BZA ruling.
The Board of Zoning Appeals ruled that a Municipal Dredged Materials Transfer FACILITY was not an allowed use in R7.5 zoning under "other public buildings & uses." (requiring the use of barges hauling sludge/muck offloaded by crane hauled by truck from as little as 7' from homes) Estimates range from 60 to 90 trucks/day. Barges? What lease?
Facility violates intent of Shore Drive Corridor District, Residential Zoning & not on the Comp. Plan. Industrial facility interferes w/ recreational water use & impacts citizens.