From our Fireworks master Jill Doczi comes the second installment of how the Independence Day Fireworks funded by individual contributions came about:
“July 2011: Our first authorized show in 2010, organized by our Ocean Park Civic League president, Rick Mercadante, was a huge hit. In his words,“We started the summer by celebrating our nation’s birth with a fantastic fireworks display that exceeded all expectations. I was proud of the way our neighborhood came together in a grassroots effort to make this happen. What a great country to live in, and even better,what a great neighborhood we live in.“
Rick’s accomplishment set the ball in motion for our new, safer tradition, and it did indeed accomplish the goal of curbing the night-long illegal fireworks along our beach. However, at the end of his commitment to our country, he received his final call — to Djibouti. Before he left, Rick asked me to take on his project. If someone didn’t keep it rolling, we wouldn’t have a fireworks celebration of our country’s independence anymore on our beach.
As a child, fireworks seemed magical to me. The anticipation of the explosions followed by the surprise of colorful displays were a once-a-year treat in Roanoke if we were lucky enough to have someone drive us downtown, find parking, squeeze into bleachers with thousands of others and watch our city display over a football field. At the time Rick asked me, I had small children who had only ever known the un-hassled Independence Day tradition of walking down to the beach with family and friends to watch fireworks with reflections on the water and the sound of waves as the backdrop to our “Ooooos” and “Ahhhhhs.” I wanted them to grow up with those memories. I agreed with hesitation. Little did we know, this would be a learning year.”
Please donate! Jill Doczi tells the story of how our fireworks show came about:
In the past, neighbors celebrated the day of our nation’s independence starting at sundown and continuing into the early morning hours with their own fireworks on the beaches. From Little Creek Amphibious Base to First Landing State Park, we had a stunning array of light and sound from everything between small sparklers and thousands-of-dollars mini-shows, all illegal, but impressive as a whole for a community.
Over the years, the word spread, and people from outside the community flocked to participate. Sometimes those people showed up a little under-the-influence, excited to share their self-taught pyrotechnic skills. Sometimes they didn’t care as much about the safety of neighbors and sometimes they didn’t have the skills they thought they did — resulting errant shots into dry dune grass, onto roofs and into crowds. Hundreds of fireworks shooting in all directions up and down the beach did start to resemble a war movie.
In 2009, we experienced the Great Fireworks Crackdown. Due to some serious safety issues from the previous year, the city launched a very militant effort to stop the illegal use of fireworks on the Fourth of July along the Shore Drive beaches. In addition to increased beach patrols, they staged police and fire marshal staff at every access entrance. They checked coolers, bags and buggies for explosives and meted out severe penalties. It worked. Fireworks celebrations of Independence Day appeared to have ended on our beaches.
The community realized that maybe it had gotten out-of-hand and unsafe, but we weren’t willing to give up the tradition. How could we celebrate our country in the same patriotic way that centuries of Americans before us have, while not setting each other and our neighborhoods on fire?
In 2010, our then civic league president, Rick Mercadante, proposed we raise funds for a professional show. The city agreed. Word-of-mouth and a loan from the civic league launched our first authorized fireworks show in July 2010.
This was an extremely busy weekend with a total of 460 launches.
Friday, June 12 – 175 total launches, car parking did not fill but was sporadic availability throughout the afternoon. The overflow lot was used for 4-5 vehicles. We did not have to close using the barricades at any time.
Saturday, June 13 – 139 total launches, car parking did fill up around 10am and was full most of day. The overflow lot was used for approximately 25 vehicles with trailers. We did close the facility to trucks and trailers around 10:55am using the barricades. VBPD was notified that the ramp was closed to trucks and trailers. Several vehicles with trailers were asked not to park on the road and wait for entry into ramp. Most were not compliant and were very rude to staff. Police assisted staff with these people and pushed these boaters out of the neighborhood.
Sunday, June 14 – 146 total launches, car parking did fill up around 12:45 pm and there was limited available parking throughout the day. The overflow lot was used for approximately 25 vehicles with trailers We did not have to close the facility and barricade operations were not implemented.
Incidents to report:
On Friday approximately 8:20 pm, public safety arrived onsite for a report of a possible drowning in our area and heavy storms also came through around 8:45pm.
On Saturday, approximately 11:40 am,person in a vehicle with trailer, drove up to the barricades attempting to bypass staff to enter the Boat Ramp. Staff informed the man that the ramp was closed so he muttered some expletives and drove thru the neighborhood. He came back and parked in front of the barricade and refused to move. Staff informed him that he was blocking traffic and that he needed to move, the man refused and police were called. When informed about the police being called, he then drove off, called staff a name and then threatened staff. Police responded and found the boater causing the issue and gave them a warning.
On Sunday, we had a boat break down on ramp #1 and had to close that ramp for launching and recovering for approximately 15-20 minutes.
Parking Enforcement: Friday, June 12 to Monday, June 14, 2026
Total Citation Count: 58
Total Read Count: 469 (this is the number of vehicles scanned during enforcement visits)
On Wednesday, June 10 the Planning Commission voted 9-1 ( and one abstention) to recommendapproval of the project to the City Council. The project will be on the City Council Agenda in July for final action.
The applicant added two proffers prior to the May 21 BAC meeting in response to BAC Design Committee recommendations: addition of a Pet Relief Station and prohibiting ‘noxious’ or unwelcome uses of the commercial space: bars, nightclubs, vape shop. At the last minute before the Planning Commission Meeting on June 10, the application was further amended by the applicant to include more of the conditions that the Bayfront Advisory Commission attached to their qualified recommendation for approval.
The changes: the building height on Shore Drive was reduced by 10 ft and the strongly vertical design features were changed to be more horizontal as called for in the Shore Drive Design Guidelines.
The last condition of the BAC approval was for additional use of permeable materials on site and that is still under consideration by the applicant.
Here is the CoVB Planning Department Staff Report and a complete list of proffers (voluntary actions) by the applicant.
Proffer #1 : The Property shall be developed in substantial conformity with the conceptual site plan entitled “SHORE DRIVE CONDOMINIUM PROJECT CONCEPTUAL SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN”, prepared by Timmons Group dated May 12, 2026 (“Conceptual Site Plan”), which has been exhibited to the Virginia Beach City Council (“City Council”), is on file with the Virginia Beach Department of Planning & Community Development (“Planning Department”) and is included herein by this reference. Significant changes to the Conceptual Site Plan may be made to accommodate environmental, engineering, topographical or other development conditions or site/subdivision plan requirements as required by the law and/or regulations or in connection with a fully engineered site plan and subject to reasonable approval of the Director of the Planning Department.
Proffer #2 : The architectural design, appearance and exterior building materials of the building to be built on the Property shall be substantially compatible with the architectural design, appearance and exterior building materials depicted on the building renderings entitled “SHORE DRIVE CONDOMINIUM PROJECT CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS”, dated December 19, 2025, prepared by Cox, Kliewer & Company, P.C. and the building elevations entitled “SHORE DRIVE CONDOMINIUM PROJECT MATERIAL SAMPLE ELEVATION”, dated January 28, 2026, prepared by Cox, Kliewer & Company, P.C., which have been exhibited to City Council, are on file with the Planning Department and are included herein by this reference.
Proffer #3 : The Property shall be landscaped in substantial conformity with the conceptual landscape plan entitled “SHORE DRIVE CONDOMINIUM PROJECT CONCEPTUAL LANDSCAPE PLAN” prepared by Timmons Group dated May 12, 2026 (“Landscape Plan”), which has been exhibited to City Council, is on file with the Planning Department and is included herein by this reference. Significant changes to the Landscape Plan may be made to accommodate environmental, engineering, topographical or other development conditions or site/subdivision plan requirements as required by the law and/or regulations or in connection with a fully engineered site plan and subject to reasonable approval of the Director of the Planning Department.
Proffer #4 : All lighting on the Property shall be limited to that necessary for security purposes and to comply with applicable laws and shall be shielded to prevent glare and spillover onto adjacent properties.
Proffer #5 : All onsite signage shall meet the requirements of the City Zoning Ordinance, unless otherwise approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals. The proposed sign package will be submitted to the Zoning Administrator for review and approval prior to the issuance of a sign permit.
Proffer #6: A designated pet relief area will be provided on the Property for residents.
Proffer #7 : Prior to final site plan approval, GRANTOR will convey to GRANTEE a public access easement for portions of the multi-use trail along Shore Drive that are located outside the existing public right-of-way.
Proffer #8 : The following uses will be prohibited on the Property whether by right or with a conditional use permit: bars and nightclubs; liquor stores and the sale of vape products.
Proffer #9 : The Effective Date of this Agreement shall be the date this Agreement is approved by City Council; provided, however, in the event that this proposed amendment to the Zoning Map with respect to the Property is overturned by subsequent judicial determination, this Agreement shall be null and void.
At the June OPCL meeting, Betty Dierstein, Chair of the Scholarship Committee, announced the recipients of the 2026 Scholarships that are awarded by the Ocean Park Civic League and thanked the Scholarship Committee for their work in evaluating the applications and selecting the winners. “A big thank you to Blair Valdivieso and Natalie McIntyre for their time and insights in making these selections. Applications average 8-10 pages in length and include any number of deserving students. I appreciate the time spent reading, evaluating, and discussing each applicant’s application.”
LYON FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP
(privately funded by the Lyon Family)
We are pleased to announce the recipient of the Lyon Family Scholarship for the 2026-27 school year is Kira Bonfiglio. Kira is graduating from the Legal Studies Academy at First Colonial High School with a GPA of 4.48 and will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall. The Lyon Family Scholarship has a particular emphasis on volunteering. Kira is a three-sport athlete who volunteered for almost 400 hours at several organizations including the Legal Aid Society where she spent much of her time working with two children experiencing homelessness after being in foster care for over a year. Kira plans to complete a degree in political science and continue to law school to pursue a career in public interest law. Her recommendation letters describe her as highly organized, able to work collaboratively, diligent in her studies, and very caring about those around her.
LOUISE AND GEORGE LYON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
(the Ocean Park Civic League legacy scholarship)
We are pleased to announce the recipient of the Louise and George Lyon Memorial Scholarship is Sophia Bolivar. Sophia is graduating from Bayside High School with a 3.8 GPA and will be attending the Virginia Beach Technical and Career Education Center in the fall to complete the nursing assistant program. She will then continue to Tidewater Community College’s LPN program and then to Old Dominion University with the ultimate goal of becoming a Registered Nurse. Her volunteer activities were varied and included work with AVID where she was the main organizer of an AVID Club. AVID: Advancement Via Individual Determination. The AVID program helps students bridge gaps between their aspirations and their readiness for college and careers. One of her recommendation letters highlighted that she is a great student, a valuable contributor to everything she involves herself in, and contributed to the school and community at large in so many ways.
Update: Proposed Condominium Project on Shore Drive
Statement from the Ocean Park Civic League As the proposed 52-unit McLeskey condominium project on Shore Drive moves through the City of Virginia Beach’s approval process, including Planning Department review, Planning Commission consideration, and a final City Council vote, the Ocean Park Civic League has not reached a clear consensus. Resident sentiment is considerably mixed, and we respect the sincerity in each position.
The project — which also includes a small commercial component and requires a rezoning that would increase allowable density from 4.25 to nearly 24 units per acre — raises several concerns we believe warrant close attention. We also recognize that some residents see potential value in new housing inventory and added investment along the corridor, and we take that perspective seriously as well.
Scale, Density, and Height: We’re closely watching how a nearly 62-foot building fits along this section of Shore Drive- Ocean Park. The developers have taken community input into consideration as this plan for the building is stepped down to 34 ft (three stories) adjacent to the townhouses behind it. Beyond those neighbors, we’re also considering how this structure changes the view and feel of Shore Drive and the adjacent Pleasure House Point Natural Area — affecting everyone who lives, walks, or drives through this stretch of the corridor.
Neighborhood Character and Alignment: Does this project reflect who Ocean Park is — a historic coastal community with a distinct identity — and does it align with Virginia Beach’s own long-term vision for the Shore Drive Corridor? We think that’s a fair and necessary question.
Traffic and Parking: Getting in and out of this site safely on Shore Drive is one concern. We are equally focused on what happens to on-street parking along Marlin Bay Drive. There is a real trade-off: limiting building height can reduce space for ground-level parking beneath the structure, pushing resident and guest vehicles onto already tight neighborhood streets. We want a design that solves the parking problem without worsening the height issue.
Stormwater Management: Every new Bayfront development must demonstrate it will not worsen flooding, runoff, or drainage for surrounding properties. This corridor is already vulnerable, and that must be part of the conversation.
Protection of Pleasurehouse Point Natural Area: Adding 52 residential units next to this natural preserve will bring more people and pets. Off-leash dogs and inadequate waste disposal already pressure the area’s wildlife habitat, nesting grounds, and trails. Many new residents living steps away could accelerate damage to a resource the whole community treasures.
We encourage all residents — whether supportive or skeptical — to stay engaged and make their voice heard. The project is expected to come before the Virginia Beach Planning Commission on June 10, where it will receive a formal recommendation before advancing to City Council for the final decision, likely later this summer. There are two straightforward ways to make your voice heard now:
Everyone who would like to express concerns or support of the project is encouraged to write a letter to the Planning Commission (PlanningCommissioners@vbgov.com) and/ or speak at the June 10 meeting (details below). Another opportunity will come when the project is considered by the City Council. Your input is welcome and important.
Your input matters at this stage. The OPCL will continue to share updates as the process moves forward.
Update: Proposed Condominium Project on Shore Drive
Statement from the Ocean Park Civic League As the proposed 52-unit McLeskey condominium project on Shore Drive moves through the City of Virginia Beach’s approval process, including Planning Department review, Planning Commission consideration, and a final City Council vote, the Ocean Park Civic League has not reached a clear consensus. Resident sentiment is considerably mixed, and we respect the sincerity in each position.
The project — which also includes a small commercial component and requires a rezoning that would increase allowable density from 4.25 to nearly 24 units per acre — raises several concerns we believe warrant close attention. We also recognize that some residents see potential value in new housing inventory and added investment along the corridor, and we take that perspective seriously as well.
Scale, Density, and Height: We’re closely watching how a nearly 62-foot building fits along this section of Shore Drive- Ocean Park. The developers have taken community input into consideration as this plan for the building is stepped down to 34 ft (three stories) adjacent to the townhouses behind it. Beyond those neighbors, we’re also considering how this structure changes the view and feel of Shore Drive and the adjacent Pleasure House Point Natural Area — affecting everyone who lives, walks, or drives through this stretch of the corridor.
Neighborhood Character and Alignment: Does this project reflect who Ocean Park is — a historic coastal community with a distinct identity — and does it align with Virginia Beach’s own long-term vision for the Shore Drive Corridor? We think that’s a fair and necessary question.
Traffic and Parking: Getting in and out of this site safely on Shore Drive is one concern. We are equally focused on what happens to on-street parking along Marlin Bay Drive. There is a real trade-off: limiting building height can reduce space for ground-level parking beneath the structure, pushing resident and guest vehicles onto already tight neighborhood streets. We want a design that solves the parking problem without worsening the height issue.
Stormwater Management: Every new Bayfront development must demonstrate it will not worsen flooding, runoff, or drainage for surrounding properties. This corridor is already vulnerable, and that must be part of the conversation.
Protection of Pleasurehouse Point Natural Area: Adding 52 residential units next to this natural preserve will bring more people and pets. Off-leash dogs and inadequate waste disposal already pressure the area’s wildlife habitat, nesting grounds, and trails. Many new residents living steps away could accelerate damage to a resource the whole community treasures.
We encourage all residents — whether supportive or skeptical — to stay engaged and make their voice heard. The project is expected to come before the Virginia Beach Planning Commission on June 10, where it will receive a formal recommendation before advancing to City Council for the final decision, likely later this summer. There are two straightforward ways to make your voice heard now:
Everyone who would like to express concerns or support of the project is encouraged to write a letter to the Planning Commission (PlanningCommissioners@vbgov.com) and/ or speak at the June 10 meeting (details below). Another opportunity will come when the project is considered by the City Council. Your input is welcome and important.
Your input matters at this stage. The OPCL will continue to share updates as the process moves forward.
On February 19th the Bayfront Advisory Commissionheard updates from the City of Virginia Beach on two topics. Jim White, P.E. Coastal Program Manager, gave a Condition Report on the Ocean Park Beaches. The bottom line is that the beach is holding up well since the restoration in 2022. Dune grass is in the process of being replanted this week. They have sourced the grass from a different company and are looking to find out if it has better survival rate as there has been some die back of the dune grasses planted in 2023 following the restoration.
Kevin Quigley, RSH Construction manager for Shore Drive Phase III brought a detailed presentation on the Phase III project. Most of the work is going on at night. He cautioned drivers to proceed through the work area with caution and awareness at night when this work is underway. There have been close calls. In the presentation he gives details on traffic pattern changes, use of temporary asphalt and measures to protect the large live oaks during construction.
Mr. Mark Rosenfield from the McLeskey LLC gave a presentation on the new version of the proposed project for the Marlin Bay property at 3853 Shore Drive. This project is significantly distinct in scope and nature than the 200 unit apartment complex proposed a few years ago. The proposed project is now for condos for sale not rental property, 52 units on the McLeskey property (the neighboring Browning Property is not a part of this project). Mr. Rosenfield related that a Community Open House is planned for March to make details available to the community and answer questions. Submission to the City of plans for the project is projected for April.
The mission of the Bayfront Advisory Commission (BAC) is to review and make recommendations to the City Council regarding public and private projects and issues associated with the Bayfront area.
A few questions have come up in the comments on the fireworks survey. Perhaps others would also be interested in the information. Our Fireworks Chair Jill Doczi, who has been doing this since 2011, responds:
Why can’t the fireworks show be on July 3, 4 or 5? We have been informed by the Fire Marshal that we would not receive a permit for July 3 or 4 due to staffing constraints. A fire marshal must be on site for the duration of loading, set up and the show. To have it on July 5, our show would have to begin loading early on July 4 posing the same city staffing issue.
Why don’t we have people stationed at the beach accesses to collect money from those who attend but don’t live in the neighborhood or from neighbors who forgot but may donate on the spot? We place donation signs at each beach access with a QR code for this purpose. Having people collecting cash would not only be unsafe for the volunteers, would also be impossible to track, and sadly could open us up to theft. We discourage cash donations in general so we can provide accountability.
Why don’t we collect donations from the high rises and Westminster Canterbury?We already do. The organizing communities for the show are Baylake Pines and Ocean Park. We collect from every household in Ocean Park including Pelican Dunes, Chesapeake House, Bay Vista, 3556 on the Bay, Aeries on the Bay, Water Oaks and Three Ships Landing. Additional communities like Chesapeake Beach and Westminster help through donations and we thank them for their support.
Why can’t we collect earlier? Great idea! We can start promoting earlier through all our communication channels. Donations are welcomed at any time through the fireworks page on our website. We don’t distribute envelopes earlier because regardless of when we put them on mailboxes, most donations start coming in June. If we distribute too early, the envelopes get set aside and forgotten or lost.
Jennifer Cass, Director of Mission Advancement for Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocates for children, accepts gift cards from the Ocean Park Civic League
A huge thank you to our generous Ocean Park community! We have 70 gift cards for the children in the CASA program! The increase from 40 to 70 children this year we thought was a reach but our wonderful neighbors came through! We thank CASA and especially the volunteers who complete rigorous training to be able to advocate for these children!
Here is a note from Kate Kosky, Chief Executive Officer for Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocates.
“This is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for your continued support and your Civic League’s continued support of our CASA kids! This not only means the world to the kids but it means so much to our CASAs (volunteers on the cases) too! Knowing that they are surrounded by a supportive community who knows how important the work they do is, means so much!
Thank you again for this amazing gift to our community’s most vulnerable children!“
Kate Kosky, Chief Executive Officer
Virginia Beach Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc.
Ocean Park Civic League 