Here are opportunities for residents to express concerns and get information about the Ocean Park Baptist Church Project:
1. Join the OPCL working group which will examine the project application, proffers and Conditional Use Permit attached to the zoning change request. Email President Danny Murphy to join in: president@opcl.org. 2. Bayfront Advisory Commission Agenda for June 20 Meeting 3:30 at OPVRS includes a presentation by Mr. Dubay. Visitors welcome!

Mr. Dubay circulated a petition at the March Meeting of OPCL after his presentation about the church restoration project and many attendees signed it, afterwards realizing that while they wanted to express support in general for the project, the petition did not have specific information. If you would like your name withdrawn from that petition please contact Mr. Dubay and he would be glad to do that: derekmdubay@gmail.com.

Update: the Ocean Park Baptist Church Project has been moved to the July Agenda of the Planning Commission. The project will also be reviewed by the Bayfront Advisory Commission prior to that hearing. Mr. Dubay is planning to host a Community Meeting/Forum for the neighborhood. Details will appear here as soon as we have them.

Be a part of the solution! If you have concerns, information and would like to be part of a constructive discussion in a work group, Ocean Park Civic league members are invited to volunteer for a committee to review the application for the Ocean Park Baptist Church rezoning and Conditional Use Permit. Email president@opcl.org to participate.
Why it matters: Participate in a small work group to review the current zoning, application, impacts and benefits of the rezoning/CUP application and contribute to an unbiased, thoughtful analysis. This civic league review is merely one component of a broader community advisory review process. This members’ review will evaluate several aspects including the historical importance of the church, the potential advantages and consequences of the rezoning/CUP, as well as the economic and aesthetic implications for the community.
No mind readers here! We cannot take your views into consideration or represent them if we are not aware of them!

The Conditional Use Permit application for rezoning from R5D to B2 is a public document. The City Planning Staff Report will be available 5 days before the Planning Commission meeting. Presentation about the project by Mr. Dubay.

From 6:00 pm on Friday of the Memorial Day Weekend until 6:00 pm on Labor Day dogs are allowed on the beach only before 10:00 am and after 6:00 pm. According to Beach Rules Virginia Beach Gov.com : “Dogs can be off leash on the beach so long as they are firmly under their caretaker’s control so as not to disturb other people or dogs”.

Some reminders about “golf carts” in our community. Although some communities in the area are designated golf cart communities, Ocean Park is not a designated or approved golf cart community. Because of this, to drive lawfully on the streets of Ocean Park golf carts must be street-legal electric vehicles as defined by state and city law. This means they must meet all the vehicular requirements, be titled, registered with low-speed license plates from DMV and covered by minimum insurance requirements. They may only be operated by drivers with a valid license or learner’s permit and the driver must follow all the same rules of the road as a normal vehicle. (Virginia Beach Codes of Ordinance: Sec. 7: 65-68 ).

It’s growing! The newly planted dune grass is looking beautiful! But it serves a very important purpose: to catch the sand to build and maintain the dunes. The deep roots also anchor the dunes and help preserve the dunes. Please stay off the dunes and allow the grass to get established!

The Ocean Park Civic League Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce that the 2024 recipient of the Louise and George Lyon Memorial Scholarship is Logan Guerra of Princess Anne High School. Logan is graduating with a 4.27 GPA and will be attending Old Dominion University in the fall.  His volunteer activities included work with Families of Autistic Children (FACT) and Church of the Holy Family, as well as activities with the National Honor Society and SCA at Princess Anne.y

The 2024 recipient of the newly-created Lyon Family Scholarship is Jenny Vu of Ocean Lakes High School.  Jenny is graduating with a 4.65 GPA and will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall.  She has indicated interest in the medical field with a focus on neuroscience. Jenny logged over 400 volunteer hours, including at Sentara Princess Anne, the Virginia Aquarium, and the City-wide Kid2Kid program.  

From Betty Dierstein, Chair of the Scholarship Committee: “We had a good application response for both scholarships and I want to thank the committee members for the time and energy spent reading and assessing each application; and the thoughtful discussions that took place in selecting the recipients.  A big thank you to Natalie McIntyre, Blair Valdivieso, and Kate Lewis!“

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The Ocean Park Civic League has a very modest operating budget that barely covers civic league IT costs, member events, scholarships etc. While we are happy to put in all the work to make fireworks happen, the civic league cannot cover the $$. The fireworks are for the benefit of the entire Bayfront and we hope that everyone who wants them continue will donate. We greatly appreciate the contributions from Baylake Pines, Aeries, Water Oaks and Chesapeake Beach. All donations are welcome no matter how small!!

Please come help- whatever time works for you even an hour! Meet Mary Faust with her delicious treats, gloves and grabbers at the Marlin Bay Trailhead anytime between 9-12 this Saturday!

The VBCCO ran a survey on City Land Development Policies which sought input about how and when residents and neighborhoods should have input about development projects happening in their vicinity with the goal of working with government planners to improve current policies in practice in the Planning Department and other agencies. The survey garnered 506 responses in 5 days.

Many people had a lot to say. The survey, while not scientific by survey standards (as the VBCCO does not yet have the ability to reach a cross-section of the City population), was enlightening as to how the folks who responded think of the City with regard to notifications to Citizens. You are free to formulate your own opinion by reading the survey on the VBCCO website: https://vbcco.org/content.aspx?page_id=86&club_id=312677. Go to Documents, expand Homepage Documents, click on 2024 VBCCO Survey on Development Projects and Notices to Citizens.

The survey was entitled SURVEY ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND NOTICES TO CITIZENS. The results of the survey have been shared with the Virginia Beach City Government – Virginia Beach City Council, the Virginia Beach Planning Commission, the City Manager, the Deputy City Manager Over Tourism, Economic Development, Planning and Agriculture Portfolio, the Planning Director, and the Comprehensive Development Plan Administrator.

Latest from the VBCCO about new project applications

In 2024 the Ocean Park Civic League marks the 80 year anniversary since its founding on Nov. 28, 1944. As a part of this celebration, we would like to continue the work of The Ocean Park Story: a soft cover book published in 2015 by a committee headed by Nadine Isaac Hook Costenbader after five years of work piecing together the history of Ocean Park with articles, documents, photographs and oral history from residents and descendants.

There are more pieces of the puzzle out there! We would like to include more stories! The plan is to include new chapters in an addendum to the book and republish an anniversary edition. If you or your family have information, documentation, memories, photographs or are interested in working on the project: please contact communication@opcl.org. We are planning to meet up soon- get on the email list! Talk to your neighbors!