Today we learned that Mr. Dao has received written notice from the Marlin Bay developer asking for a deferral until the September 8 Planning Commission Meeting.

There is only a short time to get the Fireworks organized for 9:15* July 3rd, 2021! Please donate using a credit card here: fireworks July3.cheddarup.com or Paypal.com-donate to fireworks .

If you prefer to mail a check, make it out to “OPCL FIREWORKS”

• OPCL Fireworks
• PO Box 55385
• Virginia Beach, VA 23471

This spectacular display is funded completely by donation! Thank you for your support!!

*Rain Date information: If the barge leaves the dock in the morning of July 3rd and is in place, the fireworks will happen on July 3rd. It might be a little before or a little after the 9:15 scheduled time if there is a sudden storm. If there is a forecasted full day of rain or hurricane, we can postpone and reschedule to another day like Labor Day. July 4th is not a viable rain date.

OPCL has asked Mr. Dao and the Planning Dept. for clarification about the new date for the Marlin Bay hearing by the Planning Commission. The new date of July 14th was posted on the orange official notice signs on Shore Dr. too late to comply with the regulation requiring 30 days notice to the public. Stay tuned to the website to find out when the hearing will be: July 14th or August 11th.

It is critical that residents provide input before any Planning Commission Meeting. Write to city planner Mr. Dao HDao@vbgov.com and the Planning Commission planadmn@vbgov.com to explain your opposition to this 197 unit project of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments with a 4 1/2 story parking garage. A development of this size, scale and density will change the character of Ocean Park, set a negative precedent for future development and threatens significant negative impact on the adjacent PHP natural area: problems of overcrowding, trash, parking. See the NO WAY MARLIN BAY page for information about the development and the reasons it is not right for Ocean Park.

At the June 9th Planning Commission Hearing, the lawyer for the Marlin Bay Project developers requested a deferment of 30 days by the Planning Commission which was granted. We also have information that the deferment would be for 30 days in order to garner more support for the development. We expect that the project will be presented at the July 14th Planning Commission meeting. Those who registered to speak at the June 9th meeting should have gotten an email from the Planning office advising them of the postponement. To speak at the July 14th meeting, folks will need to sign up again.Stay tuned for more information!!

https://www.13newsnow.com Ocean Park Residents Upset Over Planned Marlin Bay Apartment Development In Virginia Beach

OPCL President Danny Murphy was interviewed on 13 News Now On Wednesday, May 19th about the residents of Ocean Park opposing the Marlin Bay Development.

Dear Residents of Ocean Park, 

This past weekend volunteers distributed flyers about the proposed 197-unit Marlin Bay Apartment Development. We hope that by doing this, we were able to reach every resident of our community. We believe that this large development will fundamentally change the nature and character of our neighborhood. It will set a terrible precedent for inappropriately high density that could open the door for more similar projects in the future.

The strongest argument we have is that our neighborhood is unique and beloved for its character. Most of us moved here because of that special character that has been enshrined by the City’s Comprehensive and Shore Drive Corridor Plans. You have a voice in preserving our neighborhood. The properties at Marlin Bay Drive should be developed in accordance with the existing zoning and City planning guidelines: townhouses, duplexes and single-family homes, not a large high-density multi-family using erroneous mixed-use rezoning.

If you have not done so, please consider writing today to The Planning Commission members to add your voice to preserve our neighborhood from overdevelopment.  So many residents have helped in this effort so far and we thank them. Join with us!

Daniel Murphy

Ocean Park Civic League President

The City of Virginia Beach City Council adopted the current Comprehensive Plan in 2017.  The City Council lays out specific goals for each area of the city in the Comprehensive Plan. In the Suburban Focus area section that deals with Shore Dr., the City Council sets forth Guiding Planning Principles to achieve  a stated goal of Great Neighborhoods. Here are some quotes from the CP that show how inconsistent the Marlin Bay Development is with the plan that the City Council has adopted for Ocean Park and Shore Dr.

“Our primary guiding principle for the Suburban Area is to create “Great Neighborhoods,” and “to support those neighborhoods with complementary non-residential uses in such a way that working together the stability and sustainability of the Suburban Area is ensured for now and the future.” ( page 1-60) 

• “The planning policies that apply to the entire Shore Drive Corridor and Bayfront Communities are:
• Preserve and protect the character of the established neighborhoods
• Achieve the lowest reasonable density for future residential uses.” page (1-71)

“For example, new residential development on larger parcels should be consistent with the character of any residential uses in the surrounding area, as well as consistent with the guiding planning principles for the Suburban Area.” “Residential density in the Suburban Area should be low to medium where the surrounding land use patterns and densities are appropriate for such. Higher densities are appropriate for development in the Urban Areas.”  (page 1-62)

“Infill development on small vacant parcels within an existing neighborhood or on parcels being redeveloped should be compatible to the existing development around it. Designing a structure that is scaled and proportioned with surrounding development is typically more difficult than utilizing a design that simply fits the site and meets zoning regulations. The result, however, is a structure compatible with the neighborhood with respect to land use and design, and will give the impression to those who pass by that it has always been part of the original development.”     (page 1-63)

The Bayfront Advisory Commission (originally established as the Shore Drive Advisory Committee and then the Bayfront Advisory Committee) was established by City Council in 1998. The mission given by City Council to the Bayfront Advisory Commission is: to review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding public and private projects and issues associated with the Bayfront area, and projects or issues associated with the Bayfront area that the City Council may refer to the Commission. At the April meeting, the Bayfront Advisory Commission did not approve the design for this project, finding it incompatible with the Design Guidelines for Shore Dr. 

Link: ComprehensivePlan.pdf