The Ocean Park Civic League October General Membership meeting will take place virtually on the Zoom app on Thursday October 8th at 7:00 pm.
Sign up here to receive your link to the meeting next week. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYufuGsrzoqGtPJDRA0PKqQOJiHZq74Dx6Z
The agenda for the October 8th Meeting at 7:00 pm includes the following items:
The Virginia Beach Zoning Commission presented a proposal to the City Council concerning Short Term Rental regulations in areas of Shore Drive including Ocean Park. If this regulation is approved, the new regulations remove the requirement for property owners to get a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) before instituting short term rental activity on their property. Currently in Ocean Park, a property owner must make an application for a CUP to the city which details number of guests, parking, trash. If the property arrangements don’t conform to requirements, then the application is turned down. The new regulation would remove that step of oversight. Here is the presentation about the proposed new regulation:STR Presentation . Here is the Zoning Ordinance Zoning Ordinance
Please leave a comment if you wish to express your opinion.
| Oct. 6 | City Council Vote on Referral |
| Oct. 14 | Planning Commission Briefing |
| Nov. 4 | Planning Commission Public Hearing |
| Nov. 17 | City Council Public Comment |
| Dec. 1 | City Council Public Hearing/Vote |
On September 22 the City Council heard a briefing from Mr. Philip Roehrs concerning an alternate plan being moved forward for replenishment of the bay beaches. In this proposal sand dredged from Norfolk Harbor will be used to replenish Cape Henry, Ocean Park and Chesapeake Beaches.
The advantage of the new proposal would be the significantly lower cost to the city.
Several disadvantages were also cited. The timeline of this project would push back replenishment of the Ocean Park Beach until beyond Nov. 2022. The dredging work would begin in Nov. of 2021. In Nov. 2022, according to the timetable in the presentation (slide 10), they will “initiate agreement with Corps of Engineers for the placement of sand.” It is not clear when sand placement would actually happen. Several other concerns were mentioned: the product of dredging may not be acceptable for beach use. “Material quality and quantity is not yet confirmed”. Another disadvantage (slide 8) mentioned in the presentation: “Norfolk also has plans to use sand from the project; final available volume for Virginia Beach may not achieve all goals.”
Following the presentation there were some follow up questions. Councilwoman Barbara Henley asked whether Ocean Park residents are expecting to have relief sooner. Mr. Roehrs replied that they have been in touch with the Civic League. OPCL has received updates on the bidding process for the stand alone Ocean Park beach replenishment, however not about this alternate plan. Mr. Roehrs said that the Ocean Park beach has a “robust dune system” and implied that this means Ocean Park could wait with no ill effects. Mr. Moss noted that beach replenishment is also part of flood control and therefore important. Mayor Dyer indicated his awareness the the dunes were unstable. The stated purpose of the update briefing was “seeking informal Council concurrence to proceed with negotiations on a Memorandum of Agreement with the Virginia Port Authority.” Concurrence to proceed was implied though no roll call vote was taken. This would mean deferral and probably suspension of the rebid of the Ocean Park project which Mr. Roehrs said was slated for a Dec. 2020 timeframe.
Here is a copy of the slide presentation about the project: http://Presentation to City Council Beach Replenishment
Residents who would like to express an opinion on the choice between this project and the stand alone Ocean Park Beach Replenishment can contact:
Robert Dyer, Mayor bdyer@vbgov.com
City Council Members CityCouncil@vbgov.com
Patrick Duhaney, City Manager cmoffice@vbgov.com
Would you like to get involved in the Ocean Park community? Would you like to work with great people to improve our unique neighborhoods? If you would like to be more involved in the work of the Civic League, you might be interested in joining the Board or working on a committee. Email Ryan Cochran at president@opcl.org .
Did you miss the September General Membership Meeting? Read all about it in the Meeting Minutes : https://opcl.org/aboutopcl/meeting-minutes-agendas/
We are trying to get better getting the word out about the monthly General Membership meetings on the 2nd Thursday of each month. The Ocean Park signs on Shore Drive had showed the locations of the meeting that month: Brock Center or OPVRS. Now we’ll have a third possibility: Virtual Meeting! So look for that on the Ocean Park signs on Shore Drive to remind you when there is a General Membership Meeting and where it will be!
Also you can sign up for email updates (or re-sign up if you are no longer receiving them). Go to the menu at the top and click on Sign up for Email Updates. You will get an email on Tuesdays with the latest news.
These shirts and sweatshirts are awesome! 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 M-XL and a few 3X. To gauge sizes for children: the S size has chest measurement of 34 in. and is 24 in. long.
You may have seen previous post picturing how they can be customized by tie dye- a fun project! So the tie dye ones pictured are not for sale but you can create them like our Tessa Cochran did!
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. We are also compiling an album of people wearing Ocean Park shirts! So send a picture in and be included in the slideshow to be posted on the website! communications@opcl.org
