The 3rd Annual OPCL Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday was a great success! Thank you to the Easter Bunny for stopping by! Huge thank you to the volunteers who helped organize and make it work! Thank you to all our wonderful neighbors for coming out on a beautiful morning!

The Comp Plan guides development and investment across the city, and all Capital Improvements Program (CIP) projects and new land development projects are evaluated for consistency with the Comp Plan. Virginia Code requires all localities to prepare a formal document outlining planning policies designed to guide and manage future physical growth. The COVB is updating its Comprehensive Plan and the process has included public meetings and public input. The plan does not have the force of Zoning Code but an update of the Zoning Ordinance will be undertaken after the adoption of the updated Comprehensive Plan.

Draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan

We heard updates on upcoming events and meetings. 3rd Precinct Captain James Gordon, Parks and Rec Department Director Kirschman, and Community Liaison Officer Schonbach attended to answer questions about the problems at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp: disturbance of the peace by car clubs and ongoing traffic/ safety problems with boat trailers.

Since the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp incident with large speeding car rally and very large crowd of spectators on Sunday, March 30 VBPD has been working to investigate and capture information on who was there that night and investigate further. They have been reviewing all of the video evidence to identify as many people as possible and are following up on any leads in order to charge individuals if they can prove illegal activity. The investigation continues.

VBPD Actions Moving forward:

• Instituted extra patrol checks in the area, Hotspot checks have increased.
• Officers are encouraged (especially after hours officers)to sit at the boat ramp when doing things like paperwork.
• Special ops and traffic safety has a special patrol that they host at midnight. The patrol musters around 930, and sporadically, will muster in the boat ramp parking lot. If you see them, you are welcome to come out and join, share concerns.
• Citations could include reckless driving, endangerment, destruction of property
• Car clubs are a national trend unfortunately. VBPD is aware of it and monitoring social media for the coordinated efforts of the club.

Parks and Rec Department Actions Moving Forward

The community is asking for Clearer Regulations and Signage for boaters and traffic

“Staff is working to place portable digital signage on Shore Drive to alert drivers on when the parking lot is full in hopes of reducing traffic congestion in and around the area. “

The community is asking for increased monitoring and patrols.

“Parks and Recreation will increase staffing at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp for the summer season.” 

• ·         April 11 – May 1: 6am – 8pm 

• ·         May 2 – May 22: 5:30am – 8:30pm 

• ·         May 23 – Sept 4: 5:30am – 9pm 

• ·         Sept 5 – Sept 18: 6am – 8pm 

• ·         Sept 19 – Nov 2: 6:30am – 7:30pm 

• ·         Nov 3 – Dec 31: 6:30am – 5:30pm “

In answer to questions posed at the meeting:

• Parks and Recreation Director Kirschman thinks that closing the area to one group (beachgoers for example) but leaving it open for others (fishermen/ boaters) would cause more problems. If for example it remained open only for fishing after hours.
• The city beaches are by code open 24/7 unlike many parks in the city which close at dusk.

It was a very cool windy morning! Huge THANK YOU to Mary Faust for organizing despite the weather! Thank you to the hardy souls who came to help! Next clean up MAY 17th!!

On Saturday from 9-12 May 17 ! Meet at the trailhead on Marlin Bay Drive– look for the sign! Organizer Mary Faust will have her delicious warm cornbread and chocolate muffins waiting for you! Come help clean up- gloves, grabbers and trash bags provided! Stroll around the nature area and snag some trash!

Our annual picnic at Taste with live music and great food will be Saturday, April 26th from 4-7 pm! You can sign up in advance for a vegan, vegetarian or gluten free plate!

This event is for current Ocean Civic League Members. Pay your 2025 $25 dues now! (and avoid the line!)

Sign Up to Help out!

Dominion Power is replacing Line 27 which will impact Shore Dr. They presented this information at the Bayfront Advisory Commission Meeting on March 20.

The Ocean Park Volunteer Rescue Squad and the Ocean Park Civic League have a long history together! The Ocean Park Men’s Club in 1944 organized the Ocean Park Civic League and in 1945 organized a volunteer fire department. In early 1946, A. Judson Newton donated a parcel of land on Shore Dr. for the construction of a firehouse which volunteers built themselves! This building is now the Ocean Park Rescue Squad. OPVRS is partnering with IB students from Princess Anne High School to  create a mural on the building’s west wall. Please DONATE to support this effort to honor the history of Ocean Park!! 

• Fundraising Goal: Raise $10,000 to cover the costs of supplies, materials, and artist compensation.
• Project Timeline: Jan-Apr 2025
• Collaboration: Princess Anne High School students are teaming up with the Ocean Park Rescue Squad to create a vibrant community art mural. Additionally, Summer Paradiso, a talented artist, will generously donate her skills and guide the mural creation process.

The civic league received the following response this morning to the letter from March 31 about the activity at the boat ramp and on Shore Drive. The civic league is working to follow up specifically on this reply with additional questions and comments.

Dear Mr. Murphy,
Thank you for reaching out with your concerns about safety and security in our community. I understand and share in your frustration regarding the events that occurred over the past weekend. As the weather warms up, Virginia Beach draws so many more visitors. Some coming to enjoy our beautiful waterfronts and others looking for gathering spaces for different reasons. Your attention to this matter is invaluable in helping us maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone.

Please see the below responses to your inquiries and let me know if you have any questions or need additional information.

Saturday- Serious traffic accident (potentially DUI-related) There was a four-vehicle accident at 3700 Shore Drive that occurred at 4:48pm.  There were no injuries, but one party was charged with DUI.

Saturday afternoon – 3-4 gunshots near Pleasure House Point We have no record of shots fired near Pleasure House Point.  The only report of gunshots in that area were reported on Diamond Springs near Shore Drive at 6:11am.  If residents have additional information, please let us know so that the Police Department can further investigate.

Sunday evening – Massive “street takeover” at LBR facility
Prior to the events below, Parks and Recreation staff noticed cars parking in the trailer parking lot and loud music and called Police at 5:39pm. Police arrived at 5:55pm and cleared that lot. Officers remained on scene until after staff left at 7:30pm. Police received a priority call for service and left the parking lot with lights on at 7:52pm. A call for service to 9-1-1 was received at 7:55pm.  A Third Precinct unit was in the immediate vicinity of the Lynnhaven Boat ramp at 7:56pm but was dispatched to a Priority 2 emergency event shortly thereafter. Due to this emergency event, the Third Precinct resources were tied up and the 2nd precinct responded with the first unit arriving at 8:12pm. In total, ten officers responded to the gathering with lights and sirens. Once the police arrived on scene, patrons of the gathering dispersed without any conflicts. No action was needed to be taken by the police because they did not witness any violations.
Sunday evening – Multivehicle (motorcycle) accident on Lesner Bridge (related to LBR street takeover?) Two motorcycles were in an accident at 10:03 pm at 3400 Shore Drive. There were minor injuries.  Because this incident happened more than 90 minutes from the time officers cleared the boat ramp, there is no indication these incidents are related.

Also, I would appreciate access to any footage captured by video surveillance systems at these locations. Requests for video surveillance may be sought via the FOIA process. To assist, we have forwarded this request to FOIA@vbgov.com for review and processing.

Specific recommendations or plans for improving safety and security along Shore Drive in these areas moving forward: a. Clearer Regulations/Signage
Staff is working to place portable digital signage on Shore Drive to alert drivers on when the parking lot is full in hopes of reducing traffic congestion in and around the area.

b. Increased monitoring/patrols
Parks and Recreation will increase staffing at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp for the summer season.
· April 11 – May 1: 6am – 8pm
· May 2 – May 22: 5:30am – 8:30pm
· May 23 – Sept 4: 5:30am – 9pm
· Sept 5 – Sept 18: 6am – 8pm
· Sept 19 – Nov 2: 6:30am – 7:30pm
· Nov 3 – Dec 31: 6:30am – 5:30pm

The Virginia Beach Police Department is committed to fostering a safe environment at the Lynnhaven Boat Ramp Facility. To achieve this, the department plans to increase patrols and enhance uniform visibility in the area. Additionally, we will be implementing saturation patrols in collaboration with our Traffic Safety Unit to effectively address traffic safety concerns, reduce the occurrence of accidents, and promote responsible driving practices, including DUI enforcement.

Community Engagement The Third Precinct Community Liaison Officer and Captain Gordon will be attending the Ocean Park Civic League meeting on April 10th. In addition, Captain Gordon will have a dedicated Lieutenant from the third precinct at the CAC Meeting on April 17th at 6:30pm at the Williams Farm Recreation Center to share important precinct updates, fostering our commitment to community engagement and collaboration. Following similar issues in previous years, we have increased signage, added surveillance cameras, added speed bumps, and upped staffing in the parking lot and beach area in line with the daylight changes. We will continue to keep the lines of communication open with the community in hopes of improving the situation.

Mr. Murphy, your leadership, and commitment to the community make a real difference and we appreciate your partnership in keeping Ocean Park, and the Shore Drive community at large, a great place to live and visit.

Please don’t hesitate to share any additional insights and we will keep you updated on our efforts moving forward.

Sincerely,

R.J. Mattes MPA, CBO
CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE
Assistant to the City Manager – Special Projects|ADA Coordinator