Neighborhood Channel Dredging

In coordination with the neighborhoods surrounding the Old Donation Creek tributary to the Western Branch of the Lynnhaven, the City is considering a new strategy to assist communities in re-establishing navigational channels.  The proposal involves the establishment of a Special Service District, where the waterfront property owners within the community would agree to a surcharge on their real estate taxes for the expressed purpose of constructing the navigation channels.

As the proposal currently stands, the City would cost-participate by dredging a ‘spur’ channel from the main City navigation channel to the neighborhood.  The Special Service District revenues would cover the cost of continuing that channel, as a ‘neighborhood channel’ into the community to serve all participating properties.  Individual channels, linking private properties to the neighborhood channel would be funded entirely by those property owners wishing to connect to the system.  The City would provide project management, including design, permitting, real estate acquisition, construction and monitoring.  The costs of these project management services for the neighborhood channel system would be paid by the SSD, and by the individual property owners who elect to participate by creating individual channels to their properties.

City Council was briefed on this concept on September 14, 2010.  With their concurrence, City staff will participate in a community workshop to share the details of the proposal and to assess the willingness of the community to accept the Special Service District taxing proposal.  City Council has agreed with staff’s recommendation for an 80% willingness threshold.  If the community indicates a willingness equal or exceeding 80%, staff will prepare an ordinance for Council’s consideration which would enact the SSD.  A formal City Council public hearing will occur prior to adoption of such an ordinance.

If this program is successful for Old Donation Creek, it is anticipated that the opportunity will be made available for other waterfront communities, using the adopted program for Old Donation as a template.

The following informational documents are associated with this program:

• Neighborhood Dredging Special Service District Policy Report
• Old Donation Creek Neighborhood Dredging SSD Sept. 14, 2010
• Robin Hood Forest Neighborhood Dredging SSD Oct. 18, 2010
• Robin Hood Forest Neighborhood Dredging SSD Feb. 22, 2011
• Neighborhood Dredging Presentation Mar. 15, 2011
• Neighborhood Dredging SSD Program brief to Beaches & Waterways Commission August 4, 2011

Bayville Creek

• Bayville Creek Project Report Mar. 24, 2011
• Bayville Creek Participant's Initial Briefing July 7, 2011
• Bayville Creek Attachment A
• Bayville Creek Attachment B
• Bayville Creek Attachment C
• Creating a Neighborhood SSD - Bayville Park brief to City Council August 16, 2011
• Adoption of a Neighborhood Dredging SSD for Bayville Creek Briefing to City Council March 27, 2012

• Select Neighborhoods Served by Potential Dredged Material Transfer Stations for the Presentation given to the Beaches and Waterways Commission on September 22, 2011.
• Select Public Meeting Announcement for October 13, 2011 to view the Public Meeting Announcement.
• Select Public Meeting Guidelines and Draft Recommendations to view the Beaches and Waterways Advisory Commission Draft Recommendations.

• Select Meeting Minutes November 17, 2011 to view the Draft of the of the Beaches and Waterways Commission Meeting Minutes.

• Select Chesopeian Participants Briefing to view the presentation given at the Public Briefing December 6, 2011

• Select Witchduck Participants Briefing to view the presentation given at the Public Briefing January 30, 2012

• Select Buchannon Creek to view the presentation given at the Public Briefing February 2, 2012

• Select Neighborhood Dredging Program to view the final report dated January 2012

• Select Shadowlawn and Harbour Point Participants Briefing to view the Presentation given at the Public Briefing February 15, 2012

• Select Thoroughgood Dredging Program Participants Briefing to view the Presentation given at the Public Briefing March 14, 2012
• Select Chesopeian Colony, Shadowlawn, Harbour Point Neighborhood Dredging to view the briefing given to City Council for staff to proceed in developing Neighborhood SSD's March 13, 2012

• Select Middle Plantation, Gills Cove to view the Neighborhood SSD Program, Partnering with the City for Dredging briefing

• Select River Haven Neighborhood Dredging Program for the Public Briefing given April 24, 2012

• Select Witchduck Bay Southern Extension Neighborhood Dredging SSD Program for the Public Briefing given September 17, 2012

• Select Harbour Point Neighborhood Dredging SSD Program for the Public Briefing given November 5, 2012

• Select Jody Cove Neighborhood Dredging SSD Program for the Public Briefing given November 14, 2012

•  Select Old Donation Creek Support Document for the Virginia Inter-Agency joint Application

•  Select Neighborhood SSD Dredging Program for the Department Leadership Presentation

•  Select Buchanan Creek Neighborhood Channel Dredging for the Community Briefing on Creating a Neighborhood SSD, given April 10, 2013

• Select Neighborhood Navigation Dredging SSD Program for the briefing to the Virginia Beach Local Wetlands Board may 20, 2013