2021 is here! Come and join your neighbors for the January General Membership Meeting at 7 pm on the 14th of January. Follow this link to get your individual log on to the Zoom meeting: Zoom/register OPCL General Membership Meeting January 14. Here is a link to the Agenda for the meeting: Agenda (draft) for January 14 GM Meeting.docx

Check out the minutes of the December Meeting here: December 10 2020 General Membership Meeting minutes draft

January is the BEST month to pay your OPCL dues. Sign up (or renew your membership) to be a member of OPCL using PAYPAL setting January as your pay date! The membership fee is $20 per household and by paying your dues through PayPal in January, you will help OPCL. Having the clarity of how much in dues the league can count on at the start of the fiscal year and of who is a member would be helpful in planning. Throughout these months of restrictions since last March, the Civic League has continued to work hard to look after the interests of our community and to keep the community informed about many issues that affect us:

• Short Term Rentals Overlay Plan
• Marlin Bay Development
• Ocean Park Beach Replenishment
• Marlin Bay Drive Extension and PHP North

You can help! Please become a member or continue your membership through PayPal this month. Here is the link to sign up! OPCL.paypal.com

At the meeting on Dec. 10th the community received updates on several community matters. In his Crime Update Officer Wroblewski urged everyone to be sure to lock their cars 100% of the time. Recent car breakins and thefts have resulted from unlocked cars. Blake Norris reported on the financial health of OPCL- we are doing ok. The budget for 2021 will be presented in Jan. The update on the Marlin Bay Apartment complex included plans for a meeting of board members with the developers on Jan. 7. At the BAC meeting, the developer Mr. Peterson had said that he expected the project to be on the Planning Commission Agenda in February although the BAC did not give approval of the project design (which is not required for the developer to move forward.) The Love Sign project has encountered some obstacles finding an engineer but is moving forward slowly reported Danny Murphy and Andrew Broyles.

Ryan Cochran thanked the membership for their support in the last year as he served as OPCL president. He will continue on the OPCL Board as Past President. Andrew Broyles will be stepping down as Past President and he was also thanked for his many contributions to the community.

Look for the full minutes for further details.

Reminder: OPCL will match the first $1000 of OP residents’ contributions to the Westminster Canterbury Legal Fund until January 31st. Folks who would like OPCL to match their contribution should forward their contribution receipt to OPCL treasurer Blake Norris: norrisblake1@outlook.com.

Ocean Park T-shirts and hoodies make great gifts and benefit the efforts of your Civic League at the same time!

These shirts and sweatshirts are awesome! T-shirts are $15 and hoodies are $40. The short sleeve cotton t-shirts colors are white, blue, gray and pink sizes S-XL. The sweatshirts are gray hoodies (no zipper) in sizes L-XL and a few 3X. To gauge sizes for children: the S size has chest measurement of 34 in. and is 24 in. long.

T-shirts are $15.00 and sweatshirts are $40.00. If you would like to buy a great shirt and support OPCL, click on the buy now button.

The Bayfront Advisory Commission heard a presentation about the Marlin Bay Apt. project at it’s regular meeting on Thursday, Nov. 19th. The meeting location had been changed to the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Suite 5 1000 19th St. There was seating for 25 not counting staff and the Commission. Several Ocean Park residents spoke to the BAC during the comment time.

Here is the presentation that was shown on Thursday at the BAC meeting : Marlin Bay Marketing Brochure.pdf

After hearing the proposal presentation, the BAC commented on the proposal based on:

• Shore Drive Corridor Plan Shore Drive Corridor Plan.pdf
• Shore Drive Design Guidelines Shore Drive Design Guidelines.pdf

The BAC Design Committee raised a number of concerns with the proposed Marlin Bay development citing the height, massing and scale of the plan as not complying with the Shore Drive Design Guidelines and not being consistent with the Corridor Plan, as well as several other concerns. The committee reiterated that they see their role as providing advice and working with project applicants to find solutions. Mr. Peterson, representing the developer, said they would be willing to work with the BAC Design Committee.

This slides lists the developer’s reasoning for why the project should be approved:

Minutes from the meeting can be reviewed here: Nov 5 General Meeting-Minutes-draft.doc

The slate for the 2021 OPCL Board was presented to the membership for a vote.

• President: Danny Murphy “I am a native of Virginia Beach and longtime resident of Shore Drive. I graduated from both Virginia Wesleyan University and Old Dominion University. While I spent 20 years in corporate marketing, I’ve also owned several small businesses in the area including currently Gateaux Bakery & Cafe. I am serving my current term as Vice President of OPCL. My goals for the civic league are to improve safety, quality of life and reinforce the community spirit which binds our neighborhood.”

• Vice President: Andrea Lindemann “After 30 years of nomadic military life, we settled down in Ocean Park because it was everything we hoped to find in a community -the feeling of a real neighborhood and a beautiful beach. I’d like to help however I can to preserve this lovely unique place. I have been the Membership Chairperson for 2020, I am the Northside rep now and I work on the website. (I also have Ocean Park t-shirts and sweatshirts in my garage for sale!)”

• Secretary: Betty Demers “I have been a resident of Virginia Beach since 1976 and a resident of Ocean Park since 2012. My five sons and their families all live in Virginia Beach, so I am a very lucky grandmother! I am a retired educator, and I enjoy being involved in my community and currently serve as both OPCL Secretary and Chair of the Scholarship Committee. If elected, this would be my second full elected term in this position.”

• Treasurer: Blake Norris “I’ve been semi-retired since 2017. I’ve lived in Ocean Park for 5 years. I lived in Great Neck for 30 years. I have two grown and married children and we will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary in April 2021. I have been OPCL Treasurer for 3+ years.”

• Northside Rep: Mary Noonan “I’ve lived in Virginia Beach for 21 years, and have been a resident of Ocean Park since 2016. I think we live in the most naturally beautiful neighborhood in the city and I’m interested in helping to keep it that way. If elected, this would be my first term in this position.”

• Southside Rep: Brian Snyder Brian Snyder lives in Ocean Park with his wife Jenny and son Creighton. You’ll see them outside year round enjoying the beach, Pleasure House Point, and surrounding trails with their dog Kona. Brian is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a partner at Clark Nexsen, working as a structural engineer and project manager.

• At Large Rep: Don Caskie: “I’ve lived in Ocean Park nine years and absolutely love living here! I feel fortunate and blessed, as I have the best neighbors one could ask for. Belonging to the OP Board gives me the opportunity to meet new people and make a difference in our neighborhood.”

• At Large Rep: Jill Doczi Jill Doczi writes and edits in public relations, marketing and journalism, in addition to organization project management for special events. She has started and run two farmers markets to further her mission of supporting local food producers and the availability of fresh food to the community. She also invests heavily in the Ocean Park neighborhood and surrounding area by volunteering as the fireworks chairperson for about a decade, previously writing, designing and editing the Ocean Park Echo newsletter for a decade and participating in civic league activities. She truly appreciates the majority of her neighbors and how lucky we are to live in this magical neighborhood by the bay. She has resided in Virginia Beach-her home since the end of high school-and has lived in two locations in Ocean Park since moving here just after college. She enjoys overseeing her postage stamp of property by the bay, while defending her “urban farmstead” from squirrels.

• Past President: Ryan Cochran “I’ve been a resident of Ocean Park for almost 4 years since moving from NC. I’ve been happy to serve as Vice President in 2019 and President during 2020. During a challenging year with COVID, I have ensured the league has continued with virtual meetings. Especially during a busy year with new Development Proposals and Short-Term Rentals. I plan to continue to represent and support Ocean Park as a Board member.”

Tuesday night at the City Council Meeting many Ocean Park residents spoke movingly and eloquently against the proposal for the STR Overlay District. The Council heard speaker after speaker from Ocean Park who were well informed and who brought out many important points about how this proposal would adversely affect our community. People told their personal stories and stressed the family orientation and close-knit neighborhood character of the community. Many speakers noted that this zoning change is being imposed on a community that is against the change and who fear the negative effects that will follow. A grateful shout out to all those who took the time to sign up to speak at the City Council Meeting both in person and virtually and to those who spoke up at the Bayfront Advisory Commission meeting where Mr. Jones and Mr. Wood were present.

Mr. Jones clearly heard these heartfelt concerns and moved to remove Ocean Park from the Proposal. This is a proud day for Ocean Park!

Residents who oppose the proposal of the Ocean Park STR Overlay District should attend the City Council Meeting on Tuesday Oct. 20 at 6:00 pm at the Convention Center , Suite 5 1000 19th Street. At the Bayfront Advisory Commission meeting on Tues. Oct. 14, Council member Jones and Council member Wood indicated that emails and letters are not sufficient to be persuasive about Ocean Park’s opposition to being placed in a STR Overlay.

Here is a link to the agenda for the meeting on Tuesday: https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/city-clerk/city-council/Documents/CurrentBriefAgenda.pdf

How can you participate?

Meeting info: Tuesday, October 20, 2020 3:00 P.M. Meeting called to Order followed by working session and then the formal Session at 6 pm. Virginia Beach Convention Center, Suite 5 1000 19th Street.

Citizens may comment either in person or virtually. If you would like to speak in person, please call the City Clerk’s office at 757-385-4303 to sign up.

If you wish to make comments virtually on an item, please follow the two-step process provided below: • Register for the WebEx at: https://vbgov.webex.com/vbgov/onstage/g.php?MTID=ee627a0d522bacf90ddba7c5d8347e7ce • Register with the City Clerk’s Office by calling (757) 385-4303 or via email at ABarnes@vbgov.com prior to 5:00 p.m. on October 20, 2020

The City Council meeting will be streamed live on www.vbgov.com and Facebook Live, and will be recorded for rebroadcast on Cable TV. Citizens are encouraged to submit their comments to the City Council prior to the meeting via email at CityCouncil@vbgov.com.