inaugural meeting of the pleasure house point stakeholder ... · education program vision — don...
TRANSCRIPT
Inaugural Meeting of the Pleasure House Point Stakeholder Committee
Monday, April 23, 2012 — 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Bayside Community Recreation Center at 4500 First Court Road
Agenda
1. Introductions — Vice Mayor Jones and Brian Solis
2. Project background and proposed master planning process — Brian Solis
3. Current vision for the property
a. CBF
i. Environmental Center Programming — Christy Everett
ii. Education Program vision — Don Baugh
iii. Living building challenge goals/context of design approach) — Greg
Mella and Billy Almond
b. City of Virginia Beach — Brian Solis
4. Clarifying questions and input from stakeholder representatives — Brian Solis
5. Public comments from audience — Brian Solis
6. Next steps — Brian Solis
Organization Position Contact Person Email
Bayfront Advisory Commission Chair Kal Kassir [email protected]
Bay Lake Pines Civic League President Dell Young [email protected]
Ocean Park Civic League Appointed Representative Grace Moran [email protected]
Bayville Golf Club Director of Golf Course Operations Cutler Robinson [email protected]
Lynnhaven River Now Executive Director Karen Forget [email protected]
VB Open Space Advisory Committee Chair Tuck Bowie [email protected]
VB Parks & Recreation Commission Representative David Bartholomew [email protected]
Shore Drive Community Coalition President Dave Williams [email protected]
Adjacent property owner Bob Stanton [email protected]
Adjacent property owner Harry Lester [email protected]
Adjacent property owner Richard Burroughs [email protected]
Adjacent property owner Cheryl McLeskey
Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Foundation Appointed Representative Susie Walston [email protected]
Virginia Pilot Association President Bill Cofer [email protected]
Virginia Beach City Public Schools Sustainable Schools Project Manager Tim Cole [email protected]
Science Curriculum point of contact Joe Burnsworth/Melani Loney
Virginia Wesleyan College Professor Dr. Soraya Barton [email protected]
Virginia Coastal Access Now President Mark Feltner [email protected]
Pirates of the Lynnhaven President David Kimball [email protected]
Tidewater Kayak Angler’s Association President William Ragulsky [email protected]
Virginia Coastal Fly Anglers Appointed representative Kevin DuBois [email protected]
Tidewater Anglers Club President Bob Mandigo [email protected]
Virginia Beach Anglers Club President Larry Regula [email protected]
Virginia Beach Audubon Society President Linda Anderson [email protected]
Kemps Landing Magnet School Teacher Pat Berson [email protected]
SavePHP.org Founder Tim Solanic [email protected]
Friends of the Live Oaks Karen Murphy [email protected]
City of Virginia Beach Vice Mayor, City Council, Bayside Louis Jones [email protected]
City of Virginia Beach City Council, Lynnhaven Jim Wood [email protected]
City of Virginia Beach Bayside District Planning Commissioner Dave Redmond [email protected]
City of Virginia Beach Deputy City Manager Cindy Curtis [email protected]
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Vice President - Administration Mary Tod Winchester [email protected]
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Vice President - Education Don Baugh [email protected]
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Director of Facilities and Fleet Paul Willey [email protected]
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Hampton Roads Director Christy Everett [email protected]
City of Virginia Beach SGA Office – Of Counsel Barry Frankenfield [email protected]
City of Virginia Beach
P & R/Planning, Design & Development (staff liaison to PHP Steering Committee) Brian Solis [email protected]
City of Virginia Beach P & R/Planning, Design & Development (project manager) Barbara Duke [email protected]
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PROJECT TIMELINE
MAY-AUGUST 2012 – o 119 acre property is master planned with help of stakeholder committee
JULY 2012 – o Trust for Public Land to acquire 119 acres of land from Wells Fargo Bank. o Trust for Public Land to record re-subdivision plat containing five parcels. o City of Virginia Beach to acquire four parcels containing 109 acres of land from
Trust for Public Land. o Trust for Public Land to hold one parcel containing 10 acres of land for future
purchase by Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
AUGUST 2012 – o City of Virginia Beach submits request to rezone 109 acres (four parcels) from
PDH-1 Planned Development to P-1 Preservation District. o Trust for Public Land submits request to rezone 10 acres (one parcel) from PDH-1
Planned Development to P-1 Preservation District. o Park is open informally for public use of existing walking trails and fishing o City of Virginia Beach begins installation of sidewalk/parking improvements
along Marlin Bay Drive and park/trail signage. o Chesapeake Bay Foundation submits request for a Conditional Use Permit for an
Environmental Education Center on ten acre parcel with permission from the landowner, Trust for Public Land.
OCTOBER 2012 – o Rezoning from PDH-1 to P-1 on 119 acres is considered by Planning
Commission/City Council. o Community Celebration and Partner Recognition Event
NOVEMBER 2012 – o Conditional Use Permit Request for Environmental Education Center is
considered by Planning Commission/City Council
JANUARY 2013 – o Chesapeake Bay Foundation acquires 10 acre parcel from Trust for Public Land
JANUARY 2013 – DECEMBER 2013 o City of Virginia Beach begins work on design/construction of first phase of park
improvements (dependent on available funding) o Chesapeake Bay Foundation begins work on detailed design/construction of
environmental education center
PLEASURE HOUSE POINT – A BRIEF HISTORY
In 1954, Princess Anne County, the Virginia Beach Erosion Commission and the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers designated the site as a “spoil site” for use in dredging the Lynnhaven Inlet.A number of studies followed culminating in the issuance of a Corps of Engineers permit for thedredging. In 1970, Mr. McLeskey granted the City permission to construct a dredge materialcontainment dike on the site to facilitate the City’s commitment to the Corps to provide a dredgematerial disposal site for the Lynnhaven dredging.
Between 1971 and 1972 it is reported that over one million cubic yards of dredged material wasplaced on the property which, at that time was extensively wetlands, behind a perimeter dikeconstructed along the shoreline of Pleasure House Creek. The dredged material wassubsequently leveled to reduce blowing sand, substantially raising the overall property elevation.In 1972, the City of Virginia Beach agreed to remove between 15,000 and 35,000 cubic yards ofmaterial from the site for beach replenishment purposes and then replace it with additionalmaterial from future dredging operations. During the 1970’s over 68,000 cubic yards of materialwas removed from the site and several pits were dug on the property.
Sometime during 1972, the internal ditch system that currently exists on the property wasconstructed. A dike to retain the dredge material was constructed from on-site sediments leavinga large excavated ditch just behind the dike that still exists along much of the Pleasure HouseCreek shoreline in the central and at the eastern end of the site. In addition, drainage ditcheswere dug leading from Marlin Bay Drive to Pleasure House Creek. In 1977 another 154,700cubic yards of material was placed on the site.
During the late 1970s and early 1980’s the dikes deteriorated to a degree that allowed tidalexchange into the ditches. Concerned about adverse effects to water quality, the U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers directed Mr. McLeskey to prevent any tidal influence in the interior ditches.Mr. McLeskey complied by raising the invert of the culvert pipes to maintain the site in a non-tidal condition. These pipes, however, have since settled and the site is once again experiencingtidal exchange.
In 1992, Mr. McLeskey and the City entered into an agreement to allow stormwater fromportions of the Ocean Park subdivision to be routed through the property in the existing ditchesrunning perpendicular to Marlin Bay Drive. Formal drainage easements were platted andrecorded to do so. The agreement was intended to provide temporary relief to flooding problemsin the area while a long term stormwater pump system was constructed, at which time theeasements would be vacated. Accordingly, the agreement also designated the site for astormwater management facility, currently owned by the City, from land owned by Mr.McLeskey. A pump station was constructed to pump stormwater from the drainage systemserving the eastern section of Ocean Park to the City’s stormwater facility. Both of thesesystems were designed to provide drainage from the Ocean Park subdivision to the waters ofPleasure House Creek and the Lynnhaven River and alleviate the need to use the ditches on theproperty for stormwater conveyance.
Since that time, while there has been some dumping of soil on the site, no major physicalmodifications have been made to the property. Portions of the site have become overgrown withgrasses and forbs. As a result of this tidal influence, wetlands have colonized the banks of theexisting interior ditch system and the ditch system bottom has been colonized with a variety ofshallow water estuarine benthic and pelagic fauna typical of the tidal waters in the area.
Unauthorized use of the property has been a chronic problem at the site. All terrain vehicles,motorcycles and four wheel drive vehicles have damaged significant portions of the eastern endof the site and the on-site dikes. Vehicles have been driven onto the property and abandoned andwaste has been dumped on the property..
Pleasure House Point Habitat
Pleasure House Point contains a variety of ecologically significant habitats, including native
deciduous and coniferous forests, tidal emergent and scrub shrub wetlands, mudflat and shellfish
beds, and scattered salt marsh islands.
Maritime Forest - The property contains approximately 29.1 acres of intact stands of the state
rare maritime loblolly pine hardwood forest (Status: Globally Rare, State Rare) and maritime live
oak –loblolly pine forests (Status: Globally Rare, State Imperiled) concentrated along the
western section of the Property. These wooded areas have been largely undisturbed during the
past eighty years (aerial photography depicts these wooded areas in 1937) and represent some of
the last remaining stands of Atlantic coast native forest in private ownership in Virginia Beach.
These forested areas support stands of mature native canopy trees consisting primarily of live
oak (Quercus virginiana), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), black cherry (Prunus serotina) and
southern red oak (Quercus falcata). The sub-canopy supports saplings of these species as well as
bayberry (Morella cerifera), red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) sand laurel oak (Quercus
hemispherica) and sassafras (Sassifras albidum).
Wetlands – The property contains approximately 7.0 acres of fringing estuarine emergent tidal
wetlands along the shoreline of the property fronting on Pleasure House Creek. The site has
been colonized by a mixture of native, opportunistic wetland and non-wetland vegetation. The
wetlands present on the site consist of wetlands classified as Type I and II tidal wetlands by the
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (salt marsh cord grass and salt meadow hay community).
The shoreline vegetation along Pleasure House Creek contains native salt marsh species
including salt marsh cord grass (Spartina alterniflora), salt meadow hay (Spartina patens), black
needle rush (Juncus roemerianus) and salt bush (Iva frutescens). The presence of several large
native stands of black needle rush within the lower emergent salt marsh is particularly unique to
this site. Opportunistic salt marsh cord grass, black needle rush, groundsel bush and saltbush
have colonized the banks of the ponds located in the interior of the Property.
Aquatic Habitat and Species - The shallow water estuarine environment of the property, with an
ample mix of marsh, intertidal, subtidal and open water habitats, provides protection and forage
areas for numerous juvenile and adult fish and shellfish species, marine mammals, and sea
turtles. According to an evaluation of Pleasure House Creek completed by the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS), two species of turtle are known to be seasonal visitors to the shallow
water habitat of the property and Pleasure House Creek: the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta
caretta), listed as threatened and identified in Virginia’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation
Strategy as a “Tier 1 Species of Greatest Conservation Concern” and the Kemp’s Ridley sea
turtle (lepidochelys kempii), listed as endangered at the federal and state level. The NMFS has
also documented two marine mammals as visitors to Pleasure House Creek: the harbor seal
(Phoca vitulina), and the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates), two federally
protected species. The seals have been seen inhabiting the area from December through March,
and the dolphins have been seen inhabiting the area during the summer months.
Pleasure House Creek is a part of the Lynnhaven River system which once supported a thriving
fishery for the Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) known worldwide as the “Lynnhaven
Fancies.” Over harvest and disease dramatically decreased the Lynnhaven’s oyster stock,
wiping out this once important component of the local economy and leading to a significant
decrease in water quality. However, the Lynnhaven Oyster Partnership, recently recognized by
an award from Coastal America, is reversing this course. The partnership’s efforts to restore
oyster populations and water quality in the Lynnhaven River system led to a re-opening of
nearly 40% of the river for shellfish harvest in 2009. These efforts, which support the oyster
restoration goals of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement, have laid the groundwork for a successful
partnership for oyster restoration along the Property’s shoreline.
The property serves as prime habitat for the Chesapeake Bay’s iconic blue crab (Callinectes
sapidus), which is also the focus of a multi-state recovery effort through goals outlined in the
Chesapeake Bay Agreement. According to the NMFS, the shallow near shore areas of the
property along Pleasure House Creek are particularly important to the juvenile blue crab,
serving as nursery habitat for larvae that metamorphose into juvenile blue crabs and spread into
the Chesapeake Bay during fall and spring. In addition to its significant habitat for the
American Oyster and the Blue Crab, the Lynnhaven estuary is designated as Essential Fish
Habitat (EFH) for various life stages of 17 federally- managed species, including red drum
(Sciaenips ocellatus) and summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus). The numerous and diverse
fish species that occur in Pleasure House Creek and the Lynnhaven River system represent all
aspects of a marine food web from minnow-like forage species such as the mummichog and bay
anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), to omnivores such as the Atlantic croaker (Micropogon undulates)
and spotted trout (Cnoscion neblulosus) to piscisvorus species such as bluefish (Pomatomus
saltatrix) and summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus).
Terrestrial Habitat and Species - The property provides a refuge for a number of birds within
the highly developed Chesapeake Bayfront area of Virginia Beach, and is an important link for
resident and migratory birds in a severely threatened and poorly understood portion of the
southern extent of the Atlantic Flyway. Located directly south of the Delmarva Peninsula,
Pleasure House Point (together with nearby First Landing State Park) provides the first suitable
habitat for migratory species funneled into the area across the Chesapeake Bay. The project
location between two sites recognized for their global significance to birds, the Outer Banks of
North Carolina and the Atlantic shoreline-barrier island system of the Delmarva Peninsula,
further indicates the ecological value of the Property.
In limited surveys, 27 bird species have been documented on the property using its marshes,
maritime forest, beaches and near shore habitat. At a spring passerine banding station operated
by Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory at nearby First Landing State Park, 112 species have
been captured on habitat similar to the Pleasure House Point property, indicating that Pleasure
House Point is most likely utilized by even more species than limited surveys have shown. Bird
diversity is very high during the spring indicating that these areas are important wintering habitat
and migratory corridors for waterfowl and wading birds. The property provides suitable
habitat for shorebirds that rely on estuarine beaches for forage, breeding, and nesting, including
ruddy turnstones, sanderlings and plovers, including semi-palmated plover, black-bellied plover
and possibly the federally threatened piping plover. The property’s wetlands are suitable habitat
for Nelson's and Saltmarsh sharptail sparrows, as well as Seaside sparrows, during migration
and as winter residents. Each of these species is of high conservation concern. A variety of rails
would benefit from the protection of the wetlands and tidal flats of the Property, as well as
waterbirds such as American Oystercatcher, terns, dowitchers and herons.
A list of the Endangered, Threatened, and Species of Concern that would
benefit from protection of habitat on the property or its near shore waters
Scientific Name Common Name State
Status
Federal
Status
Other Concern
Category
Malaclemys terrapin
terrapin
Northern
Diamondback
Terrapin
SOC CWCS
Tier II
Caretta caretta Loggerhead Sea
Turtle
T T CWCS
Tier I
Lepidochylis kempii Kemp’s Redley Sea
Turtle
E E
Sterna antillarum Least tern SOC SOC CWCS Tier II
Sterna dougalli Roseate tern E E
Charadrius melodus Piping plover T T CWCS Tier I
Heodias egretta Great egrets SOC
Haliaeetus
eucocephalus
Bald Eagle T SOC CWCS Tier II
Ammodramus
caudacutus
Saltmarsh sharp-
tailed sparrow
CWCS Tier II
Nycticorax Violaceus Yellow crowned
night heron
SOC SOC CWCS Tier II
Ammodramus nelsoni Nelson’s sharptailed
sparrow
CWCS Tier III
Definitions: E=Endangered; T=Threatened; SOC=Species of Concern;
CWCS=Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (Virginia state wildlife action plan)
Species of Greatest Conservation Need ranking, based on Tier I as of most concern.
Other species likely to benefit from habitat types found at Pleasure House Point:
Carpenter frog Rana virgatipes Green heron Butorides striatus
Yellow-breasted chat Icteria virens Little grass frog Pseudacris ocularis
Prothonotary warbler Protonotaria citrea American black duck Anas rubripes
Henslow's sparrow Ammodramus henslowii Marbled godwit (migrant) Limosa fedoa
Wilson's plover Charadrius wilsonia Tricolored heron Egretta tricolor
Glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus Dunlin (winter) Calidris alpina
Red knot (migrant) Calidris canutus Purple sandpiper (winter) Calidris maritima
Short-billed dowitcher (migrant) Limnodromus griseus Spotted turtle Clemmys guttata
Black-crowned night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus
Northern harrier Circus cyaneus Sedge wren (winter) Cistothorus platensis
Pungo white-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus easti Marbled godwit (migrant) Limosa fedoa
Hudsonian godwit (migrant) Limosa haemastica Whimbrel (migrant) Numenius phaeopus
Brown shrimp Oenaeus aztecus Common Grass Shrimp Palaemonetes pugio
American oyster Crassostrea virginica Bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli
Atlantic Menhaden Brevootai tryannus Atlantic croaker Micropogon undulates
Atlantic needlefish Strongylura marina Black drum Poganias cromis
Black sea bass Centropristis striata Blackcheek Tonguefish Symphurus plagiusa
Bluefish Rebuilt Pomatomus saltatrix Feather Blenny Hypsoblennisu hentzi
Hogchoker Trinectes maculates Oyster Toadfish Opsanus tau
Red drum Sciaenips ocellatus Pigfish Orthopristis chrysoptera
Southern Kingfish Menticirrhus americanus Southern Stingray Dasyatis americana
Spotted seatrout Cynoscion neblulosus Striped bass Monrone saxatilis
Spot Leiostomus Xanthus Striped mullet Mugil Cephalus
Pleasure House Point
User Survey Results
During the period of October-December 2011, the Department of Parks and Recreation surveyed
neighborhood groups adjacent to the site using the questions below. The most frequent
responses listed on those surveys are shown below the questions.
1. Which four activities/programs suggested for Pleasure House Point Park and Natural Area
are most important to your household?
Walking trails
Wetland and habitat restoration
Canoe/kayak launch
Wildlife viewing
2. How often will you utilize the park?
1-2 times per week
3. What mode of transportation are you likely to use when you visit the park?
Walk
4. In order to minimize land disturbance and impervious surface on the site, it has been
suggested that on-street parking along Marlin Bay Drive be allowed for park visitors. Are
you in favor of this approach? Yes Why or why not? Land disturbance on the site should
be minimal
5. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has proposed constructing an environmental education
center on the eastern end of this site. Normal operating hours for the park and natural area
are seven days a week from dawn to dusk. It has been suggested that overnight camping for
teachers or students on certain CBF educational trips be permitted on the park site on an
infrequent basis –setting up in the evening and striking camp early in the morning. Do you
have concerns with this overnight use? No, not if strictly supervised and limited