If possible, we request that residents move any vehicles that may block access to street trees.
Residential street tree pruning is carried out with two goals in mind: 1) to improve roadway safety for residents and vehicles, and 2) to protect and preserve trees from vehicular damage due to low hanging branches.
Susan French
City Arborist
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation
Landscape Management Division | 4141 Dam Neck Road | Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Phone 757.385.4076 | Fax 757.427.1895 | sfrench@vbgov.com | VBgov.com/Parks
Thank you for your patience. You and I have been communicating about city-contracted residential street tree pruning along roadways requested by the Ocean Park Civic League for several months now. I’m pleased to tell you that roadway pruning in Ocean Park is scheduled to begin February 26th, 2018 (weather permitting). As requested, the work will be done throughout the Ocean Park neighborhood north of Shore Dr. from East Stratford Rd. to Sunvista Dr. Please let residents know this pruning will take multiple days to complete, however no work is scheduled on weekends. If possible, we request that residents move any vehicles that may block access to street trees.
Residential street tree pruning is carried out with two goals in mind: 1) to improve roadway safety for residents and vehicles, and 2) to protect and preserve trees from vehicular damage due to low hanging branches. Many of the trees to be pruned are located on private property, however only the portion of the tree canopy that overhangs the road will be pruned. If residents choose to contract pruning on private property, we suggest contacting an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (www.treesaregood.com).
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes,
Susan
Susan French
City Arborist
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation
Landscape Management Division | 4141 Dam Neck Road | Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Phone 757.385.4076 | Fax 757.427.1895 | sfrench@vbgov.com | VBgov.com/Parks
Join us for a discussion on the integration of two seemingly disconnected fields: Art and Engineering. Learn how the merging of creativity and calculation gives us a new perception of our community. Our distinguished panelists include:
Donald Lipski
Artist of The Canoes at Lesner Bridge
Chris Wojtowicz
City of Virginia Beach, Project Manager of the Lesner Bridge Replacement Project
Mel Price, Principal, Work Program Architects (WPA)
Moderated by Ron Williams, Virginia Beach Deputy City Manager
In 2016, the city collected $268,174 in taxes on short-term rentals and home-sharing transactions. In 2017, short-term rental and home-sharing revenue ballooned to $723,907. Those numbers don’t include homes managed by realty companies, like many large houses in Sandbridge.
Planning Commission members said that even with the new requirements, they expect the council to wrestle with the ordinance, too.
“It’s difficult to have a one-size-fits-all approach,” said commission member Don Horsley. “There will probably be revisions.”
OPCL Government Affairs Committee Report Submitted by: Paul Schubert
31 Jan 2018
For the month of Jan 2018 Grace Moran resigns from Government Affairs Committee Pleasure House Point North: in reference to proposed property development by CCW adjacent to the 7-11 on Shore Dr. near Shady Oaks Dr.
From lack of development activity, ad-hoc committee officially stood down at the Dec. 2017 OPCL General Membership meeting; collected and allocated funds to be returned by league treasure.
Virginia Beach CIP Project 2.118.000 Shore Drive Phase IV . . .
This project begins at the Marlin Bay Drive/S[h]andy Oaks Drive intersection and ends at the west end of the Lesner Bridge. This project will improve vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and safety in the roadway and intersections; improve storm drainage; include a multi-use trail, 5-ft sidewalk and on-street bike lanes; and enhance the corridor with aesthetic elements such as landscaping and lighting. It will include improvements at the East Stratford Road intersection. (Note: It was brought to our attention it says Sandy Oaks instead of Shady Oaks at Official CIP page linked to above.)
In 1996-97 the Virginia Beach City Council commissioned the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to do a study of the “Bayfront/Shore Drive Corridor” located in the northern section of the city along the Chesapeake Bay.
The Bayfront (Shore Drive Corridor) Study, completed in 1997, made these broad observations. . .
This study had been adopted by reference as part of the Virginia Beach Comprehensive Plan and contributes to the City’s goals of attaining a quality physical environment and community for a lifetime.
Shore Drive Corridor Plan, establishing a vision for the corridor, was adopted by the City Council in March 2000 as an amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Plan.
The zone suffers from the lack of a hard edge between the roadway and the areas along the roadway. Parking areas for businesses tend to blend directly into the roadway in some spots. The recommendations of the Shore Drive Transportation Study, when implemented, should resolve this problem.
Also included is:
The Shore Drive Transportation Plan, completed in December 2001, includes short and long range recommendations for the corridor.
The Shore Drive Landscaping Guidelines are voluntary standards for the informal and natural look appropriate to the unique natural conditions near the Chesapeake Bay.
The Shore Drive Overlay District, adopted in fall 1998, defines the boundaries for development standards.
Shore Drive Demonstration Project Phase IV is not funded at this time.
The Task Force recommends fully funding these projects and a package of short term improvements to improve corridor safety. With or without the Shore Drive Demonstration Projects, the Task Force recommends that a separate Capital Improvement Project be established to fund the selected recommendations.
The mission of the Bayfront Advisory Commission is to review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding public and private projects and issues associated with the Bayfront area, and projects or issues associated with the Bayfront area that the City Council may refer to the Commission.
The Coalition has been in existence since January 2001 and has four main objectives:
1. To provide a unified “Voice” for the community that will work hand in hand with the City of Virginia Beach and the Shore Drive Advisory Committee (if in existence) to better the quality of life along the Shore Drive corridor.
2. To provide proactive assessments and reactive solutions to civic issues concerning the entire Shore Drive neighborhood.
3. To organize and encourage participation in an annual local event that promotes community friendship and camaraderie.
4. To act as an effective communication tool that provides pertinent information to all of the Shore Drive corridor organizations.
Vice Mayor Louis Jones, Councilman for Ocean Park, has asked us to come out to speak to City Council to ask them to help Vice Mayor Jones to secure funding for Phase 4.
Join us!
You do not need to speak to have a big impact for Ocean Park.
Carpool & attend City Council Meeting March 6th at 6pm.
2405 Courthouse Dr Building #1 Virginia Beach, VA 23456
March 8th
OPCL Membership Meeting will be an important meeting to attend.
Especially if you’d like to hear more about Phase 4 updates, continuous sidewalks & bike lanes, crosswalks and storm water upgrades for Shore Drive in Ocean Park plus current news about Lesner Municipal Wharf.
Social starts at 700pm, meeting at 730pm.
Join us!
Both meeting are in the evenings.
What’s called “the gateway” by City of Virginia Beach.
Ocean Park Civic League 