Hello, and welcome to VB411!
I’m your host, Miz Information, the know-it-all
in City Hall, here again to bring truth and
clarity to misconceptions and rumors.
The topic of the day: Feeding the beach!
Every few years, the City and/or the Army
Corps of Engineers, replenishes the sands
along our shorelines.
There seems to be a few misconceptions around
the timing of this year’s operation, and
why we do these projects in the first place. To start us off, let’s take a look at the current
replenishment operations at the oceanfront.
Since the project was announced earlier this
year, people have contacted us on social media
and by email and have written letters to the
newspaper about the topic.
One of the main criticisms it that the City
picked an inopportune time to take on this project.
While it’s fair to say the project did start
at an inconvenient time – the height of
summer – the City didn’t really have any
say in the timing.
The project was expected to be done earlier
this year, however the schedule is controlled
by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Since the federal government is paying for
most of the project -- about $14.7 million
of the total $22.6 million, they have control
over the schedule as well as when the funds
are made available.
Also, there are a limited number of contractors
who have the equipment necessary to perform
this kind of work.
We had to work around their availability,
since we’re not their only customer.
And of course, there are environmental concerns
to consider as well, like needing to avoid
doing the work during sea turtle nesting season.
Every five to seven years, it becomes necessary
to replenish the sand, which is where we are
now.
To do this project ahead of this year’s
hurricane season and when contractors were
available…it had to be now.
The replenishment work will widen the shoreline
to 300 feet and raise the beach to nine feet
above sea level.
When it is complete, the resort beach will
have 1.4 million cubic yards of sand added
to it – that’s enough to fill two billion
large coffee cups from Starbucks!
So what does all this sand do?
The primary function of a wide beach is to
protect oceanfront infrastructure from a hurricane.
The more space we can create between the ocean
and the buildings and roadways, the more likely
we are to withstand storm flooding.
Crews are working in 1,000 foot sections from
15th Street, heading north to 70th Street.
Each section takes about two to three days
to complete, with work taking place 24/7.
The work is temporary, and will ensure our
beach is around for years to come, and our
infrastructure is protected.
In fact, this kind of work doesn’t just
happen along the resort area – the City
will have replenished ALL of our beaches from
Sandbridge through Chesapeake Beach over a
two year period, by the Spring of 2020.
This has never been done in the history of
the City.
So you might wonder, what would it look like
if we just left nature to run its course?
Well, look no farther than the Ash Wednesday
storm of 1962, when our resort area beach
was 80-100 feet at its widest.
A storm pounded our shores for nearly 36 hours
before it left the area.
In the end, the sea wall, which also serves
as our boardwalk, had been breached in several
areas, resulting in the damage to the boardwalk,
along with more damage or destruction of property
along our shoreline.
Similarly, a hurricane or nor’easter could
inflict the same damage.
Since 2003, it’s estimated that these replenishment
efforts have averted $430 million in storm
damage, compared to the 20.2 million local
dollars invested in the resort area.
Put simply, inaction is more costly than taking
action.
In essence, the sea wall protects the infrastructure
behind it, and the sand keeps the water from
overwhelming the sea wall.
Protecting our oceanfront is vital to Virginia
Beach's economic health.
Fortifying our beach just as we head into
hurricane season is important to our city
and the businesses that are dependent upon
this resource.
For more information about the beach replenishment
project, and to track its progress, click
on the beach replenishment article on our
website, VBGov.com/VB411.
An issue that has garnered some attention
on Facebook lately has centered around Rudee
Loop.
Rumor has it that the City has a plan to allow
a developer to turn the area into a hotel.
I checked with our friends in the Planning
Department, and I can report that is not the
case.
There are plans in the works to turn the area
into a park, but not a major development project
like a hotel or a shopping center.
In fact, the City recently had a public workshop
in June along with a survey.
Rudee Loop was voted the number one priority
for large, open, green space.
Some of the amenities being considered for
such a park are things like a stage and plaza,
a meadow, playground, skate park or dog park,
public art installations or basketball courts.
Now that’s not to say that everything on
that list will be packed into one park, but
they’re all things to consider.
Resident feedback has been collected through
a series of public surveys and meetings, which
will direct the 2030 Resort Area Strategic
Action Plan.
This will set the goals, initiatives and priorities
for the Rudee Loop, and other locations throughout
the Resort area.
For more information about the Resort Area
Strategic Action plan, please visit VBGov.com/ResortSGA.
Once the feedback has been compiled, the results
will be posted there, along with any updates
that concern Rudee Loop.
And now, you’re in the know!
Thanks for joining us today.
Is there a topic you’d like to see answered
on camera?
Send an email to MizInfo@VBGov.com, and we’ll
get on it.
See you next time!
