The March General Membership Meeting will convene March 4th at 7:00 pm on Zoom. The meeting is open to all residents of Ocean Park. In order to participate in a vote, a resident needs to be a member in good standing which means paid up in 2021 dues. ( go here to pay your dues ) Click on this link to get your login for the meeting: Zoom.us March 4th General Membership Meeting . At the meeting there will updates on the Marlin Bay Development, beach replenishment and a vote on the bylaws amendments. Read about the proposed amendments here: Bylaws-Amendments-revised.pdf. Here is the summary Bylaws Amendments Summary.docx .

We want to say thank you to our board member, Mary Noonan, who has been very active and helpful in her relatively short time on the board. We all wish her and her family well as they move and start a new chapter! We will miss you!

Looking for volunteers in all the right places! We have a lot going on and need some helping hands. Please consider joining in and contributing to OPCL as the Membership Committee Chair. These folks keep the membership records and work on ways to promote membership in the league. Send an email to: president@opcl.org

Please consider paying your 2021 dues now. Since we have not had our usual in person meetings and Spring and Fall social events, dues are not finding their way to OPCL. We are continuing the work as best we can and we do need the community to contribute their annual dues. Follow this link to pay: Join opcl Thank you!

Please let us know your street address so we can get a 2021 car sticker to you! communication@opcl.org

Excerpt from ” The Ocean Park Story” by Nadine Costenbader and the group she formed. This book is available at Tin Soldiers on Shore Dr.

Those of us who grew up in Ocean Park during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s cherish the memories of this small town-like community–no Mayberry RFD but close. We felt safe playing in the woods or on the beach, trick or treating, ‘dropping’ valentines, skating at a tennis court on Friday nights, sledding in the snow all day on the hill near the railroad tracks, waiting for a bus to take us shopping in Norfolk or to the movies at the beach, or sleeping on the front porch at night because there was no A/C. Everyone knew everyone! Even our school bus drivers lived just down the street.

The center of our world as we knew it in Ocean Park was the firehouse, conceived, constructed and manned by the people who lived there. This was a place where scouts met, girls had dance classes, Halloween and Christmas parties celebrated the holidays and “Junior Firemen” emulated their parents. During the Cold War, sky watchers/plane spotters had their own special place atop the building. Our mothers, fathers and neighbors organized and met as the Women’s Club and Ocean Park Volunteer Fire Department.

Milk was delivered on our doorsteps each week in glass bottles (cream on top!) from Bayville Farms. Right before Mother’s Day, the delivery included a bouquet of peonies. Bayville Farms also provided a source for potable water that we pumped into jugs from an artesian well.

We honor the men and women who were the founders of Ocean Park and dedicate this history to their hard work and determination to create this community and give it a true sense of small town America. We hope that those who have followed as residents will accept the torch that has been passed to you to preserve the area and its character. “

The Ocean Park History Project Committee: Nadine Costenbader, Chair

Judy Connors, Grace Moran, Anne Kane, Ann Lyon Ackiss, Susan Lyon, Susie Walston

reprinted here with permission from Nadine Costenbader

A new way to be in the know! Join this group on Next Door that will take you right to posts that are specifically about Ocean Park: Next Door Group.

Pay your 2021 dues ($20 annually) and receive the new car sticker! Go to Join OPCL to renew or join! Join OPCL.org Send along your street address to get it in your mailbox: communication@opcl.org

What questions do you have about beach replenishment? Send your questions to : communication@opcl.org and we will try to get answers.

Next General Membership Meeting will be on March 4th at 7:00 pm on Zoom. Check back here for Zoom login link.

The February General Membership Meeting proceeded on Zoom last Thursday. Thanks to all the members who are willing to wrestle with the technology to come together and keep the work of the civic league going! And hurray for all the folks who have joined in over these last 10 months! The continued involvement of the membership is crucial and appreciated. But we miss the fun of the social events and we look forward to their return and to seeing our neighbors again!

At the meeting on Thursday, the 2021 budget was introduced by Blake Norris and approved by the membership. Betty Demers summarized the bylaw updates that she and Paul Schubert have been working on: Bylaws Amendments Summary.docx. They will be voted on in the March meeting. Carly Swift gave a report on the meeting with the developers concerning the Marlin Bay Project: Report. Jill Doczi gave an overview of the situation with beach replenishment. Read the full minutes of the meeting for further details here: February 4 2021 Meeting Minutes

Thank you to those who have paid their 2021 dues! Send us your street address to get your cool car sticker for 2021: communication@opcl.org . To join OPCL for the first time or to renew your membership go to : Join OPCL

The lead photo this week comes from Ocean Park resident Grant Simmons who it turns out has a collection of vintage historic beach photos at vintagevirginiaphotos.com

Annual membership dues that support the civic league are due in January. Please consider using Paypal and joining or renewing your membership now. The new 2021 stickers will arrive shortly! Pay your dues and get a 2021 sticker. (as long as the supply holds out!)

How can you pay? Go to Join OPCL (even if you are renewing) and sign up to pay by Paypal. Or you can send a check to the PO Box. Here is the link: Join OPCL

On Tuesday January 19th, the City Council approved a Memoradum outlining next steps for beach replenishment for the bay beaches including Ocean Park.

Full memo: Approved Memo of Understanding with Virginia Port Authority for sand replenishment.pdf

Excerpt:

The first General Membership meeting of the new 2021 year kicked off on Thursday, January 14th on the Zoom platform. Danny Murphy took the helm in his first meeting as President. The meeting highlighted updates on STRs, Marlin Bay, and the LOVE sign as well as a preliminary look at the 2021 budget and By Laws Revision. Take a look at the draft minutes of the meeting: General Membership Meeting minutes-January 2021.docx

January is the BEST month to pay your dues or become a member of OPCL. The membership fee is still only $20 and if you pay or renew by PayPal in January you will help OPCL. Paying now in January and using electronic means helps the civic league know how much in dues is coming in and who are our members. Please consider using PayPal and renewing or starting your membership now at the beginning of the year.

Throughout these months of restrictions since last March, OPCL has continued to work hard to keep the community informed and take action on the community’s behalf on issues such as: STR Overlay Plan, Marlin Bay Development, PHP North, Marlin Bay Extension, Beach Replenishment, and Fireworks among others. Please support OPCL by renewing or joining now.

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: