Adopt-A-Spot PHP Cleanup, Volunteers needed!
Adopt-A-Spot Cleanup
Pleasure House Point
SATURDAY October 18th 9am-Noon
Volunteers are requested for PHP clean up on Saturday, October 18, 9 am – 12 noon. Registration will be along Marlin Bay. Trash bags & pick-up sticks will be provided. Please protect yourself with heavy work gloves, safe footwear, & water.
Direct questions to Mary Faust: katytuesday@verizon.net
Lesner Bridge Project Update
Lesner Bridge Project Update
Neighbors:
I would like to thank Drew Lankford from Media and Communications Department of Public Works for City of VA Beach for forwarding the following email.
A quick summary, an update from Chris Wojtowicz, project manager for the Lesner Bridge construction project, advises of a lane closure on eastbound Shore Drive between Dupont Circle and East Stratford scheduled to being this Monday.
Please see the following web page for updates.
http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/roadways/Pages/lesner-bridge-7-14.aspx
If you are a twitter user, follow @lesnerbridge
Following is the full communication from Mr Lankford.
Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns.
Ryan McCawley
Ocean Park Civic League
Membership and Communications Committee Chair
communication@opcl.org
From: Public Works Lesner Bridge Project <LesnerBridgeProject@vbgov.com>
Date: October 10, 2014 at 6:27:10 PM EDT
To: “Chris J. Wojtowicz” <CWojtowi@vbgov.com>
Cc: Drew Lankford <DLankfor@vbgov.com>
Subject: Lesner Bridge Project Update – LANE CLOSURE
Folks:
Below is the latest update from Chris Wojtowicz, project manager for the Lesner Bridge project. Please take note of the lane closure on eastbound Shore Drive between DuPont Circle and East Stratford Street that is scheduled to begin on Monday.
Also, as a reminder, we are updating information on our WEB page at:
http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/roadways/Pages/lesner-bridge-7-14.aspx
You can also follow us on Twitter at: @lesnerbridge
Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information, and pass this along to others. Thanks for your patience.
Enjoy your weekend.
Drew Lankford
Media and Communications
Department of Public Works
City of Virginia Beach
dlankfor@vbgov.com
(O) 757.385.8062
(C) 757.409.4353
Last week we sent out an update on the progress of the Lesner Bridge construction. Before we give you the latest update, we want to let you know now about upcoming lane closures.
On Monday, October 13th and Tuesday October 14th, the electrical contractor will be boring new electrical conduit beneath East Stratford Street from the Sushi Restaurant to J&A Racing. Then on Wednesday October 15th and Thursday October 16th, the electrical contractor will bore beneath Shore Drive from the Sushi Restaurant to the corner near 3556 On the Bay.
*** This work will require a LANE CLOSURE on eastbound Shore Drive between DuPont Circle and East Stratford Street between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pmfor each day of work.
During this work, a police officer will be located at the intersection of Shore Drive and East Stratford Street to assist with vehicles entering and leaving East Stratford Street from Shore Drive.
Also, no specific day was given by the contractor, but one lane of westbound Shore Drive will be temporarily closed next week from Page Avenue to the existing bridgeso that several of the recently placed concrete barriers can be replaced.
This lane closure, when it happens, will take place sometime between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. As soon as we get a firm date and time, we will send out the information to you.
As for the latest progress:
As of today, all of the drilled shafts for the new bridge abutment “A” and Pier #1 located just east of 3556 On the Bay condominiums have been completed. Equipment has been relocated to Pier #2 and drilling of the shafts at Pier #2 has begun. It is expected that all of the drilled shafts for Pier #2 will be completed by the week of October 20th.
Just in case some of you were wondering, spacing between the pier centerlines is 150 feet, except for the center span of the new bridge. Pier spacing at the center span is 225 feet.
The temporary bulkhead at the Lynnhaven Dredge Material Storage Site (LDMSS) continues. The deadmen for the tie-back system on the new bulkhead has been installed and formwork for the concrete cap continues to be installed. This work will continue through at least the week of October 20th.
Grading and preparation of the new westbound bridge approach located on the east side of the bridge between Page Avenue and the existing bridge abutment continues. Over the next two weeks the excavation contractor will be preparing this area, as well as the area between East Stratford Street and the existing bridge, for the new retaining wall that will be located on the north side of Shore Drive.
This bridge project will also relocate and replace the existing traffic signals located at either end of the bridge; one at Shore Drive/East Stratford Street and one at Shore Drive/Vista Circle/Page Avenue. The work will take place in phases over the next several months.
That’s it for now.
Have a Safe Driving Weekend!
-Chris
Christopher J. Wojtowicz, P.E.
Project Manager
City of Virginia Beach
Department of Public Works
Municipal Center-Bldg 2
2405 Court House Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-9031
Phone: (757) 385-5785
Fax: (757) 385-5668
email: cwojtowi@vbgov.com
Pleasure House Point Management Plan
In conjunction with the purchase of PHP, the Dept. of Parks and Recreation was required to submit a management plan for developing and maintaining the area. This document was prepared by Barbara Duke and her staff and contains the plans for restoration and the addition of amenities to the Pleasure House Point Natural Area.
For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2015, the Dept of Parks and Recreation has received funding from the city budget to begin design work on some of the features outlined in the plan. The Ocean Park Civic League hopes to be able to partner with the city in making the plan a reality in the near future
Fourth of July Fireworks Postponed — July 12th — 9:15 p.m.
TO ALL NEIGHBORS & FRIENDS:
The fireworks committee (made up of representatives from all three civic leagues–CHX, OPK, BLP), along with a member of Virginia Beach Fire Marshall’s office and our shooter met last night to discuss the effects of this storm and the fireworks show. Additional phone discussions involved the Coast Guard, the Virginia Beach department of special events and public safety.
After much discussion regarding the safety of pulling this off, we collectively agreed to move the fireworks to
SATURDAY —- JULY 12 — at 9:15 p.m.
Several issues played a part in making this decision. Rain, wind and rough seas would delay loading, which was to happen today and takes roughly 10 hours. Likewise, the high wind from the north, waves and swells on Saturday morning would make it dangerous to leave the dock and travel the slow 10-hour trip to the location. Although the evening looks to be beautiful with a possibility of one-foot waves and 5mph winds out of the north, the procedure of getting to that point is unsafe. Staffing issues within the city to pull this off and safety of all personnel involved also came into play.
The date of next Saturday instead of this Sunday night was chosen for several reasons. Our permits were for July 4 with a July 5 rain date. The moving parts are very complex. It required a huge effort to get new permits issues waiving the 90 days for the Coast Guard and the 30 days for the city. There was simply not enough time to call in all the staff involved in this effort. Police, marine patrol, coast guard, EMTs, fire marshals all have to be in place. The barge and tug had to be available for that day. The shooters all have to be available and background-cleared. Additionally, our public safety people are scheduled to work, without exception, and some on overtime, on the Fourth of July. Many of them had the following days off. To call them in from their planned family and rest time would have been unacceptable, especially after they’ve worked so hard this week to scramble and deal with not only all the fireworks shows in the city, but the greater preparations for what could have been a category two hurricane.
This has really been a joint effort to pull this off and a joint decision that was tough to make. Much discussion and debate has resulted in what everyone agrees is the best decision. Public safety, fire marshal, Coast Guard, city special events–all have been very gracious and overly helpful in establishing emergency last-minute permits, providing advice, coordinating with us and supporting us.
I know you all are as disappointed as I am but it all comes down to the main reason we have this type of barge show on in the first place—SAFETY. Arthur has created what has always been understood as the worst case scenario. No one ever thought we would have a tropical storm fall on this holiday. In true Shore Drive spirit, I’m recommending we simply have two celebrations now: Arthur parties this weekend and fireworks parties next weekend.
Thank you for your support and understanding.
-Jill Doczi
Fireworks Committee
Ocean Park Civic League
Fireworks Delayed until Saturday, 7/5
I just got off the phone with the special events department that holds our permit. They have not been given official word yet. They are having a meeting at 4:30 and should have official word by 6:00 pm. He feels comfortable with my announcing all of this and that it’s a pretty sure bet that all shows for Friday are cancelled and weather-permitting will be Saturday so people may start to make plans, but he stressed that he had not been given official word yet.
There are a few stipulations regarding the Saturday show and the storm as well. All governing and permitting parties must agree that every step of the procedure is safe to be carried out under weather conditions. The barge is supposed to be loaded Friday. It is supposed to leave dock Saturday at 9 a.m. and travel the waterways for about nine hours to get in place in the bay. Conditions must be safe throughout that time period. As always, this is a fluid situation, as all hurricanes are, and as soon as I have official word, you’ll have it. We’re all in this together. Plans C and D are also in the works, so rest assured we will have our explosive day!
Ocean Park Civic League 